The Sisters Grimm by Michael Buckley

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This past week was Book Fair week at our school.  I love Book Fair week.  All of those books, ready and waiting to be read.  On the day that I had signed up to volunteer, my son (he's eight) said, "Oh, that must be torture for you!"

"Why?", I asked.

His hilarious response? "All those books and you can't read any of them."

 

He is a smart, funny boy.  He knows how difficult it is for me to be around books and not be able to buy and read them all.  I did limit myself to buying only two books for myself, but I bought lots for the kids.  This book, The Sisters Grimm was one of the books that was calling to me from the shelves.  Luckily for me, I had just bought a copy the week before at our lovely library book store.  Seeing it set out along with a few of it's sequels inspired me to start it right away.

 

The Sisters Grimm by Michael Buckley is the first in a nine book series about two little girls, Sabrina and Daphne who have discovered that the world of fairy tales is very real.  For a year and a half, Sabrina and Daphne's parents have been missing and the girls have been living in an orphanage and various foster homes.  As the book begins, they are finally being sent to live with their long lost grandmother, Relda Grimm.  This is a problem because their whole lives, the girls' father has told them that their grandparents died before they were born. 

 

Once they meet the old woman, Sabrina is convinced she is a crazy person who just claims to be people's grandmother.  Daphne, on the other hand, is thrilled to have found her Granny Relda.  They then learn that they are descended from The Brothers Grimm and with that comes great family responsibility.  Sabrina continues to resist, but is eventually forced to face the giant truth - a giant!  And so begins a series of books about the Fairy-Tale Detectives. 

 

I thought this book was a very fun, fast read for me as an adult and I think my children will also enjoy it.  It combines all of the fairy tales and nursery rhymes and long told stories we all remember into one town.  Of course this will present challenges and Sabrina and Daphne will be there to solve them along with their Granny Relda.  I am pleased to find a book with strong female characters because even 11- and 7- year old girls can be heroines, not just damsels in distress.  I already have the next two books in the series in my Amazon cart.  You should read these, with your children or just for yourself.  I think you'll really enjoy them.

 

One final note:  I always read the dedication at the beginning of books and this one was very special.  The author dedicates this book to the memory of his grandparents after whom he names the grandparents in the book.  I think that is a sweet gesture to two people whom the author must have loved very much.  To name one's characters after a loved one is a high honor.