The Complete Grimm's Fairy Tales (1812)

This fairytale was about a brother and sister named, Hansel and Gretel, who are lured into the woods by their evil stepmom. They can't find their way back home and come upon a gingerbread candy house. They begin to eat the house and then get invited in by a witch who tried to fatten them up to eat them in a stew. They trick the witch, kill her, and then find their way home to their father with riches. The theme of this story could be triumph and perseverance. This story is kind of scary to teach as a lesson but I think it is a great book to have in the classroom for special story days to read about fairytales and the different types of them. ( )

After falling in love with ABC's hit drama, Once Upon a Time, I felt obligated to read the fairy tales that started it all. When I picked up the Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales from the library, I was taken aback by the thickness of the book, but now I see why. It's pure genius!!!!! Once I started reading, I couldn't get my head out of it! I was instantly sucked in by the whimsical characters, their strange world with many strange creatures, and of course the possibility of a happy ending for the good, and something rotten for the evil. These stories have good morals, like if you work hard and be nice to people, good things will happen. But if you're spoiled and bratty, you won't get what you've been hoping for! Every story has some kind of dark twist that makes it that much more fun and magical for the lucky reader sifting through the pages of this enchanting collection of fairy tales and folklore. I would recommend the Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales to anyone who yearns to be drawn in by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm; the men who taught us all the joy of the words "Once upon a time..." ( )

This is a reread for me, as I read a volume of these when I was nine or ten. What always resonates for me is the violence that was in these stories and how lessons were always to be learned for the reader/listener. Stories of comeuppance and knowing ones’ place in society are in many of the tales, but so are stories of “happily ever after.” For me, it’s the sheer volume of stories that is intriguing. It’s easy to pick a favorite story for however one might be feeling at the time and get a lift or feeling of vengeful satisfaction in the misfortunes of the bad characters that remind us of terrible bosses or the guy who cut us off in traffic. ( )

Every book nerd should have a copy of the Grimms' tales. If you haven't delved any further than Disney, you should definitely get a copy of the complete tales right away. ( )

I love reading fairy tales, but more specifically, the originals of the currently well-known versions perpetuated by Disney. Because of their generally significantly darker nature, it's probably best to use these stories for older students who are studying fairy tales and learning their conventions. Be a good compare/contrast exercise or prompt for essays.