The Wishing Spell (The Land of Stories)

Colfer, Chris

ISBN 10: 0606317465 ISBN 13: 9780606317467

Publisher: Turtleback Books, 2013

Synopsis

FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. Using a mysterious book to travel to a land of wonder and magic, twins Alex and Connor meet a host of classic fairy tale characters and nefarious monsters before discovering that returning back home will be more difficult than anticipated.

About this title

About the Author

Chris Colfer is a Golden Globe-winning actor best known for his role as "Kurt Hummel" on "Glee." He was recently honored as a member of the 2011 TIME 100, "Time Magazine"'s annual list of the one hundred most influential people in the world. "The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell" is his first novel.

From School Library Journal

Gr 4-6-When Alex and Conner's father unexpectedly dies, the twins lose the person who always had the perfect story to cheer them up. Then, on their 12th birthday, their grandmother gives them the book of fairy tales he used to read to them. Suddenly it seems to come to life, and the youngsters find themselves falling into the Land of Stories, seemingly with no way to get out. Desperate, they follow instructions in a mysterious journal: if they gather eight items from various residents in the kingdoms of the Land of Stories, they can complete the Wishing Spell and have one wish granted. After scaling castle walls, diving deep into the home of mermaids, and meeting characters from all of the beloved fairy tales, they are stymied by the Evil Queen, who has escaped from Snow White's dungeon. With the hope of using the spell gone, the twins appear to have no way home until they meet Fairy Godmother, their own grandmother. In a way, they find comfort from their grief over their father's death when they realize that they have been following his journal and that he grew up in this land. The writing quality in this adventure is inconsistent and detracts from the fast-paced story. The deep sadness of the twins comes through, but they are somewhat one-dimensional, since Alex is so much the nerd and Conner, the class clown. The plotline, however, pulls readers in and is entertaining, and Colfer's passion for fairy tales shines through. Turn to Adam Gidwitz's A Tale Dark & Grimm (Dutton, 2010) for higher-quality writing in a recent fractured fairy-tale novel.-Clare A. Dombrowski, Amesbury Public Library, MAα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Edition details

• Publisher: Turtleback Books
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 0606317465
• ISBN 13: 9780606317467
• Binding: Library Binding
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 464
• Illustrator: Dorman Brandon