A Tale Dark And Grimm by Adam Gidwitz
reviewed by Maya
A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz is a gruesome twist on the fairy tales we all know and love and I enjoyed every minute of it! This book is a mash-up of fairy tales like Hansel and Gretel and The Three Little Bears. Follow along in this adventurous, dark tale as they sneak their way though the dark forest meeting obstacles greater than a foolish witch. They even recruit an army to fight a drunken dragon! The narrator's interjecting comments add humorous thoughts as a break from the nightmarish stories. Great for kids with a different way of looking at the simplest bed time stories. This story is perfect for a night in front of a crackling fire.
In a Glass Grimmly by Adam Gidwitz
reviewed by Gabby
In a Glass Grimmly is the sequel to Adam Gidwitz's first popular book, A Tale Dark and Grimm. Both are very similar, however they are both equally different. In a Glass Grimmly follows the story of popular nursery rhyme characters, Jack and Jill, who are cousins in this book. The two cousins go on many daring adventures, based on many familiar stories like Jack and the Beanstalk, and some less known, like the tale of the Eidechse Von Feuer, Der Menschenfleischfressende, better known as Eddie.
I believe that the reason why Gidwitz's stories have been so popular is that they are very adventurous, with clever and brave characters, who often discover many things about themselves along their journeys. Additionally, the stories are (sometimes) slightly gory, so many older students and readers may find that the real story of the usually adorable fairy tales is much better and curious.
I find that the best thing about the book is the characters. Jack and Jill are portrayed as children in the age range of ten to thirteen, who are living in the shadow of their idols, and are very clever. This is proven when Jill outsmarts giants in The Giant Killer, "‘I challenge you all to show me the food in your bellies!’ Jill bellowed…[she] turned to Meas. Very slowly, very clearly, she said, ‘Bring us knives… ’ Jill raised the knife above her head. Then she brought the knife down and buried it in her stomach. It entered her body just above the belt; from there she drew it up the length of her enormous belly." Also, the children are brave, shown when they face fear in The Others. Gidwitz writes, "The walls, the ceiling, the floor were all made of bone… Jack looked at Jill. She nodded."
Lastly, Gidwitz delivers a very important message in his book: "To find what ye seek, look no further," which can be interpreted to mean that you must be happy with who you are and not let others tell you who to be. In summary, In a Glass Grimmly is an incredible book, expecially with astounding characters and an amazing moral.
Author's web site
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