I've become increasingly interested in all things Grimm, so my husband bought the first season of the NBC series on Blu-Ray. We both got hooked quickly. The second season is currently nearing an end on NBC and I understand it has been renewed for a third season.
The problem is we won't be seeing the current season for a while, a.k.a. when it is released on Blu-Ray (probably some time in the Fall). Boo.
In honor of our new love of a t.v. series and the "putting on hold" of that new love, here's a thematic bibliography I compiled on some (fairly recent) books with a Grimm theme/connection. It is in no way extensive because there are so many writers and readers fascinated by Grimm tales and the retelling/changing/expanding of those tales.
Thematic Bibliography:
Grimm-Inspired Fantasy
Compiled by Catherine Salcedo
Buckley, Michael. (2007). The Fairy Tale Detectives (The Sisters
Grimm, Book 1).
New York: Harry
N. Abrams.
Two
sisters discover they are in the line of the Grimm Brothers and have inherited
their legacy. This includes protecting
all the characters the brothers wrote about (because they are real and in
hiding).
Awards:
• New York Times Best-seller
• Borders Books & Music Original Voices Nominee
• An Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award Winner
• Washington Post Kids Book of the Week
• Borders Books & Music Original Voices Nominee
• An Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award Winner
• Washington Post Kids Book of the Week
Readers will
definitely have to be up on their folktales, as well as children's lit classics
in general, to catch all the references in this terrific, head-spinning series
opener. Dumped roughly out of foster care into the arms of Relda, a
twinkly-eyed woman claiming to be their grandma, Sabrina and Daphne Grimm,
11 and seven, find themselves in Ferryport Landing, a seemingly normal New York
town originally (and more accurately) dubbed Fairyport Landing. It's inhabited
by the likes of Mayor Charming, three chubby cops named Boarman, Swineheart and
Hamstead and vulpine Mr. Canis--all transported overseas for their own safety
long ago by four-times-Great Grandpa Wilhelm Grimm. Borrowing a flying carpet
and a certain pair of silver slippers from a fashion-conscious Magic Mirror,
Sabrina and Daphne quickly find themselves springing the renowned Jack from
jail to help deal with a destructive giant who has snatched Relda. All is,
however, not as it seems. Rich in well-set-up surprises and imaginatively
tweaked characters, this tongue-in-cheek frolic features both a pair of
memorable young sleuths and a madcap plot with plenty of leads into future
episodes. (Fantasy. 10-12)
THE SISTERS GRIMM: Book One: The
Fairy-Tale Detectives. Kirkus Reviews, 19487428, 10/1/2005, Vol. 73, Issue 19
I
would definitely include the entire series.
They are fun and entertaining for students and allow for excellent
connections with other literature!
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Funke, C. (2010). Reckless. New York: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.
Jacob
must work to rectify his younger brother’s mistake that caused him (Will) to
transform into a stone-covered killing machine.
Awards: None yet!
Funke deftly escorts
readers on another fantasy adventure, this time to dark, enchanting
Mirrorworld, a fairy-tale land inhabited by humans, faerie creatures and the
Goyls, a warring stone race. Discovering a magical mirror with the evocative
message, "The mirror will open only for he [sic] who cannot see
himself," 12-year-old Jacob Reckless travels through it in search
of his missing father. For 12 years Jacob secretly returns as a treasure
seeker, trading in magical objects and creatures, until his younger brother
Will follows him, is clawed by a Goyl and turns into stone. Battling time,
Jacob confronts dangers in an abandoned gingerbread house, Sleeping Beauty's
thorn castle, the Red Fairy's bower and the Goyl king's towers as he seeks the
Dark Fairy to remove Will's evil spell. The fluid, fast-paced narrative exposes
Jacob's complex character, his complicated sibling relationship and a densely
textured world brimming with vile villains and fairy-tale detritus. An
unresolved ending hints at future journeys through the mirror, while spot-art
pencil sketches evoke the Grimm atmosphere. Masterful storytelling. (Fantasy.
10 & up)
RECKLESS. Kirkus Reviews, 19487428,
8/1/2010, Vol. 78, Issue 15
I
would include in an age-appropriate collection.
Sounds very interesting and I think boys might want to read it (more
than other “fairy tale” books).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gidwitz, A. (2010). A
Tale Dark & Grimm. New York:
Dutton Juvenile.
Multiple
Grimm tales are retold (with original amount of gore intact) and connected
through the experiences of Hansel and Gretel.
Awards:
A Tale Dark and Grimm is a creative retelling of Hansel and Gretel, but
as author Adam Gidwitz argues, in a more "awesome" way. Beginning
before Hansel and Gretel are horn, the book weaves brother and sister in and
out of other Grimm fairy tales. Hansel and Gretel endure dangerous adventures
and gruesome battles with witches, beasts, dragons, and demons. They also face
ancient curses, dark magic, and worst of all, their parents' betrayal.
Gidwitz's cleverly crafted plot twists make this suspenseful book impossible to
put down. However, the novel's most unique quality is the commentary Gidwitz
interjects throughout, such as warning readers to send the babies out of the
room when something awful and amazing is about to happen, or explaining to
readers that, "Cutting off your finger, my young friends, is about the
stupidest thing you could do. Don't do it!" After reading^ Tale Dark
and Grimm the reader will not only "understand" it's appeal for
young people, but "understand-stand," why this is a favorite of
readers of all ages. (TS)
Journal of Children's Literature; Fall 2011, Vol.
37 Issue 2, p48-48, 1p
Although,
this is a fun book, it may not be appropriate for all school libraries as it
include some pretty graphic gore. Most
of the book is written at a level that would be appropriate (and of interest)
for middle school, but the gore makes me more inclined to recommend for high
school.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hale, S., Hale, D., and Hale, N. (2008).
Rapunzel’s Revenge. New
York:
Bloomsbury USA Childrens.
A young woman discovers that her protected life
with her mother is not what she thought the day she climbs the garden wall.
Awards:
ALA
Notable Children's Book
Rapunzel
is a wild and fearless child who roams her mother’s castle (Mother Gothel’s
western villa) at will but knows nothing about the outside world. As she enters
adolescence, however, her curiosity overwhelms her, and she climbs the castle
walls to discover a world of poverty and oppression, the result of her mother’s
cruel magical powers over the world known as Gothel’s Ranch. Rapunzel also
discovers that she was stolen as a child and has lived a life of luxury, while
her real mother toiled in slavery in the Devil’s Armpit Mines. Rapunzel reacts
in rage to this horrible injustice and soon finds herself imprisoned in the
hollow of a tall tree, where she will remain until she swears allegiance to her
adoptive mother and accepts her position as heir to the evil empire. The years go
by, and Rapunzel’s hair grows and grows. Rapunzel is a strong-willed teenager,
however, and on her 16th birthday, after refusing Mother Gothel’s conditions
one last time, Rapunzel escapes, using her long tresses as an appelling rope.
From this point on, the story takes a 180-degree turn from the version told by
the Brothers Grimm; Rapunzel takes charge of her own life and isn’t easily
bested by any manipulative men, witches,
or other
evildoers. In her first exploit, she meets a princely “adventuring hero” on his
way to “pretend” to rescue her, because “she’s bound to be too naïve to know
the difference, and it’ll be such fun in the meantime” (pp. 40–41). Now, wise
to the ways of the world, Rapunzel plays a practical joke on him that sends
him off
on a wild goose chase into the forest, and from that point on, she is the mistress
of her own destiny.
Shannon
Hale has made a career of taking classic stories and turning them into
enjoyable, feature-length masterpieces, and with the help of her husband Dean and
their new friend and illustrator, Nate Hale, she takes Rapunzel to delightful
places, more reminiscent of the Old West and Middle Earth than the Brothers
Grimm’s archetypal forest. Along the way, Rapunzel encounters characters from
other stories, including Jack, that famous giant killer, whose traveling companion,
Goldie, resembles a large Canada goose and is alleged to lay golden eggs. All
the usual suspects from the classic Western movies are here, too (albeit in
parody), including Heck Burnbottom’s outlaw gang, the besieged town folks of P
ig Tree Gulch, and a corrupt small town sheriff. Zorro had his whip, and Roy
Rogers had his lasso, but Rapunzel has both, in the form of her long braided
hair, which she uses with great aplomb to bring miscreants of all kinds to
justice. She is more than a match for outlaw gangs, her
mother’s henchman, wild boars, enchanted coyotes, and
attempts to cash in on her “Wanted: Dead
or Alive” status. Nate
Hale’s artwork is the perfect venue for this graphic novel. He captures body
gesture, facial expression, and physical action ingeniously, all while
maintaining a Southwestern, Old West feel through the landscapes and character
appearances. One wonders how many John Ford Western movies he reviewed to
get the genre down
pat. The good news is that the three Hales came out with the next installment
in the Rapunzel series in January 2010 with Calamity Jack,
the back story to how Jack the Giant Killer came to meet Rapunzel in book one.
Journal of Adolescent & Adult
Literacy; March 2010, Vol. 53 Issue 6, p517-520, 2p
I would include in a collection. The book sounds fun and exciting for boys and
girls. I like the idea of Rapunzel being
the one who is the driving force of the action (vs. waiting to be rescued).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pearce, Jackson. (2010). Sisters
Red. New York: Little, Brown Books
for Young
Readers.
Two
sisters, one with a hooded cloak and a fierce desire to slash up werewolves, work
to protect the young girls of the town from evil forces. One falls in love with the only friend of the
other, a handsome young woodsman.
Awards: None yet!
In this gripping
reading, teenage sisters Scarlett and Rosie March step in for Little Red
Riding Hood, and the "Fenris" (werewolves) play the part of the Big
Bad Wolf. Producer Michele McGonigle says that, when casting the sisters,
"Erin's edge juxtaposed with Rosie's [Michal's] sweetness offered the
contrast I wanted." McGonigle, who has worked with Suzanne Toren for many
years, says, "I knew she would be the perfect one to play our german
grandma." Toren, who knows some German, adds, "The trick is to let
the story unfold without jarring the listener's ear with so much 'foreign-ness'
that they lose the thread of the plot. So choosing just one or two elements of
the foreign language like pronouncing the 'r' in the back of the throat, or
pronouncing the 'z' sound in English as an 's,' or saying 'v' instead of
'w'--rather than all of them, allows for the 'flavor' yet is still
comprehensible." (Ages 14 & up)
Kirkus
Reviews; 10/15/2010,
Vol. 78 Issue 20, p14-14, 1/4p
This seems to be
marketed to a high school crowd and sounds appropriate as part of a high school
collection.