The Sisters Grimm: The Fairy-Tale Detectives

Thoughts about The Sisters Grimm: The Fairy-Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley.

Back cover reads:
"For Sabrina and Daphne Grimm, life hasn't been a fairy tale. After the mysterious disappearance of their parents, the sisters are sent to live with their grandmother- a woman they believed was dead! Granny Relda reveals that the girls have two famous ancestors, the Brothers Grimm, whose classic book of fairy tales is actually a collection of case files of magical mischief. now the girls must take on the family responsibility of being fairy-tale detectives. Their first case? A roller-coaster ride of an adventure to stop a giant from destroying their new hometown."

My response:
A charming little trifle. It's apparently the first in a trilogy series. It was a quick read, I polished it off in 2 days. It doesn't drag anywhere, as far as I can tell. i love it because it's a great story. There are references to fairy tales all over the place, and it even smacks of Shrek here and there. The intended audience would have to be between 4th and 6th grade. 3rd might be stretching it a little. there are also some great words in here... nice vocabulary. I wouldn't go so far as to say that Buckley is a literary genius, but it's cute. I would certainly read the other two if I found them. The language, imagery, and references are engaging. As you well know, I also have an affinity for strong female characters. I would use this in my classroom, and it wins a Word Nerd Seal of Approval.

Notable Quotables:

"The old woman was like an over-affectionate octopus hugging them and kissing them on their heads and shoulders" (8).

"'That was your opa, Basil,' Mrs. Grimm said wistfully. 'Opa?' Daphne asked. 'Grandfather, liebling. He passed on about eleven years ago,' she said" (16). This reminds me of my friend, Kat. She refers to her grampa as Opa. Love how Buckley uses some German words in here.

"The giant lifted the car up to his repugnant face and looked inside like a child inspecting a toy" (100). Yay! one of my favorite words!

"Tenacious and persistent" (183).