Ben and Will are twins who get into a lot of trouble together. This is disappointing to their father, the baron, and their mother, the baroness. When they nearly burn down the map room it sends their parents over the edge, and they come up with a plan to split the boys up. Will is going to live with his uncle in the Crags, while Ben is to stay at home at the castle. The two tricksters decide that plan doesn’t work and they switch places. No one is the wiser until it's too late. Unfortunately, this allows Ben to hear his father say some not so nice things about him because he thinks he's talking to Will. Ben stews about it until he gets to the Crags. Once there, his uncle is not very friendly and the place is just as dark and gloomy as he remembered. Luckily, his aunt is kind to him. But nothing is as exciting as the secret stairwell he finds with a mysterious mirror. It's clear the mirror holds special magic, and it tells Ben things about his twin brother. Should Ben listen to what the mirror says? Will it help him get the power he deserves? What will happen when Will visits? You don't have a magic mirror, so you’ll be turning the pages like I was!

I was very excited to read The Mirror’s Tale by P.W. Catanese. I enjoy fairy tales and twists on them are usually a lot of fun. I knew the story of Snow White, so I was curious to read about her great-great grandchildren. Ben and Will’s characters were developed in a way that I liked them both and felt sorry for them for different reasons. The mirror really worried me! This book was definitely a page turner, and I would recommend it to kids in fourth grade and up who enjoy fantasy stories. The twist on Snow White will appeal to boys and girls. I look forward to reading more books by this author.
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The great-great-great-great grandson of Snow White discovers a mirror hidden away in the castle that was once home of Snow White's stepmother.Twin brothers Bert and Will learn the stories about Snow White, the Witch Queen and the Dwarves are all to true.

We learn the secret of the mirror and its power. Bert is seduced by the mirror, bring out the darkest parts of him. Can Will save his brother?

This creates a great back story for the Witch Queen and the mirror. ( )

This book is part of the "A Further Tales Adventure" series. It's about twin sons of a baron. One son is sent away to the Crags where he discovers the mirror from the story of Snow White. During the adventure, the reader learns more about how the mirror came to be, how the queen became so wicked, and more about the seven dwarves. This book would be a good fantasy genre read for a reluctant reader at the middle school level. ( )