In a Glass Grimmly

You will want to tell me that goblins have hunched backs, red eyes, pointy ears and chins, sharp teeth, and skin that is very very very green. You must know that this image you have of goblins is a terrible lie. It was first circulated by a powerful and ubiquitous crayon company who shall here remain nameless.

The author doesn't often address the reader directly, but when he does, it's funny. Beyond that, he really brings the gore back to the stories he retells, and he manages a clever and satisfying through plot. Great all around.

Library copy.

Everyone has heard the classic nursery rhyme about Jack and Jill, however, most are probably less familiar with this tale, which takes these two on a darker, more disturbing, and terrifying adventure. Jack wants to be accepted by the popular boys and Jill dreams for her conceited mother to see her as just as beautiful as she is. The two cousins set off on their quest to find the Seeing Glass in hopes that it, too, will bring the recognition they so desperately are searching for and while doing so they encounter several creatures from other famous fairy tales. Gidwitz is a magnificent storyteller, painting vivid images in the reader’s mind with his imaginative and rich descriptions and captivatingly creates suspense within each show more chapter. Depicted in bold font, he interrupts the storyline to insert a more personal narrative and even warns readers for gruesome details ahead – or apologizes that he forgot to. Additionally, he thoughtfully includes a concluding section describing the inspiration (Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Anderson, and others) behind each of the stories told throughout. This plot is definitely more bloody and scary than the classic tales, with humor, too, making it everything that middle schoolers, especially boys, could ever want in a chapter book. show less

Adam Gidwitz, author of A Tale Dark and Grimm, is back with another bloody, gross, action-packed fairy tale romp. As our intrepid narrator says: "Once upon a time... fairy tales were awesome."

I read this as part of Angela's Readers' Advisory Challenge for a horror book. While there were definitely some horrible bits, I don't know that I'd classify it as a scary book. Still, this might please some of the kids seeking "scary books", depending on what they're looking for. If horror to them means physical horror (blood & guts, that sort of thing), this will fit the bill. If they're looking for a ghost story, this might be a miss.

Readalikes:

Obviously, I'd recommend A Tale Dark and Grimm to kids who have enjoyed this book. If they dig the show more fairy tale angle, I'd try a compilation of the original, gruesome tales like The Complete Grimm's Fairy Tales. There are also lots and lots of retold fairy tales to choose from. Try Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu, Half Upon a Time by James Riley, or The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman.

For kids who dig the epic fantasy adventure aspect, I'd recommend another quest fantasy, like maybe The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan, or Giants Beware! by Jorge Aguirre.

And for kids who like the characters of Jack and Jill and their friendship as they quest, I'd try A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snickett. show less

This is the sequel to a Tale Dark and Grimm. I loved a Tale Dark and Grimm, it was hilarious and very well done. In a Glass Grimmly is written in very much the same style as A Tale Dark and Grimm. If you enjoyed the first book, you will love this book. I absolutely loved this book and can’t wait to see what Gidwitz writes next. This book can be read as a stand alone, but A Tale Dark and Grimm was an excellent read too....so why not go and read that book first!?

Jack and Jill go on a quest to recover a magic Mirror. The quest takes them through many different fairy tales and many dangers. There are interludes by the narrator that are hilarious and really make this book something different and special.

Jill is living with a mother who is show more obsessed with her beauty. When Jill’s mother forces her to wear a dress made out of the finest silk (silk so fine it’s invisible to Jill) she ends up humiliated and flees the castle. Jill is a smart and practical young girl and flees to her cousin’s house, Jack.

Jack is pretty much a loser. He tries to redeem himself to his father by selling the last asset of the family, the family cow, for some magic beans. Well the beans aren’t quite magic. That is until Jill and Jack make a promise to an old woman that they will recover a magic mirror for her if she grants their dreams.

Jill and Jack offset each other nicely. Jill is cautious and thinks things through. Jack acts before he thinks and is constantly trying to prove himself. Together they go through a number of adventures woven in and out of a variety of fairy tales.

The narrator intercedes throughout, warning of horrible scenes that are coming your way...occasionally also pouting about how the reader doesn’t really need him for this description or that. It is very funny and adds a lot to the story.

These stories are based off of the original Grimm tales so the things that happen in here aren’t pretty or pleasant. In fact they are pretty gross and at times disturbing. Because of this I would recommend only for Middle Grade and older readers. I really want to read this with my 6 year old son...he would think parts of it are hilarious...but I’m going to wait a few years so I don’t scare the stuffing out of him with this book.

Overall an absolutely wonderful and hilarious read. The story is funny without being silly, it’s heartfelt at times too. This book is just a super fun read. Highly recommended for fans of fairy tales and fantasy adventure stories. show less

This second book in the series works as a standalone, too. Hansel & Gretel's story was finished in book 1, and now we've moved on the the story of cousins Jack & Jill. Tying in versions of the frog prince, the emperor's new clothes, Jack & the beanstalk, and quite a few others, Gidwitz strays from his original focus on the Grimm fairy tales into Hans Christian Andersen, Mother Goose, and various other fairy tales and legends. He takes even more creative liberties (than he did in A Tale Dark & Grimm) in weaving these "awesome" stories into one cohesive storyline.

My 9-year-old loved this whole series, but he has a fondness for scary stories and a high tolerance for gore. (My more sensitive 11-year-old has no interest.) In general this show more series is suitable for upper elementary or middle school readers. show less

i found this book hard to get into initially as Gidwitz's first person writing style and narration of the tale took me a while to come to terms with. However once i got to the chapter where Jack & Jill meet the mermaids etc i was hooked. This book is the tale of Jack and Jill along with a 3 legged frog who go in search of a looking glass so that they don't have to forsake their lives. Intertwined in Jack & Jill's adventure is a myriad of other fairytales told somewhat differently than the softer versions we know of. We read about what really happened when Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water. Jack did break his crown and, yes, Jill did come tumbling after. But, while they were on a quest to find a looking glass, it show more really turned out to be a quest to find themselves. They challenged giants to an eating competition, were drowned by mermaids, captured by goblins and were swallowed by a giant salamander to retrieve the so called looking glass. Worth the read for versions of light hearted fairy tales with added gory bits (not too scary or gory). show less

Just as with the first book Gidwitz puts an interesting spin on classic fairytales, in this case putting even more of his own original ideas into them. I still love the way he interjects as the narrator into the stories.