A Tale Dark & Grimm (A Tale Dark & Grimm, #1)

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A Tale Dark & Grimm (A Tale Dark & Grimm #1)

by Adam Gidwitz (Goodreads Author)

3.93 of 5 stars 3.93 · rating details · 5,819 ratings · 1,413 reviews

Hansel and Gretel walk out of their own story and into eight other classic Grimm (and Grimm-inspired) fairy tales. An irreverent, witty narrator leads us through encounters with witches, warlocks, dragons, and the devil himself. As the siblings roam a forest brimming with menacing foes, they learn the true story behind the famous tales, as well as how to take charge of the...more

Paperback, 256 pages

Published August 18th 2011 by Puffin (first published November 11th 2010)

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Mar 26, 2011 Dolly rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: parents reading with their children

Shelves: 2011, childrens, germany, short-stories, cooking-recipes, scifi-fantasy, middle-grade

It took us a long time to read this book. Since we hadn't finished by the time it was due back at the library, we had to return it before we finished as there were holds on it. So we put it on hold again ourselves and promised to finish it as soon as we could.

It was a great book, filled with fantastic and action-filled stories that were gruesome, but exciting. I have read some about children's ability to detach the written story from reality and be relatively unaffected by gore (more so than wi...more It took us a long time to read this book. Since we hadn't finished by the time it was due back at the library, we had to return it before we finished as there were holds on it. So we put it on hold again ourselves and promised to finish it as soon as we could.

It was a great book, filled with fantastic and action-filled stories that were gruesome, but exciting. I have read some about children's ability to detach the written story from reality and be relatively unaffected by gore (more so than with movies and other visual media.) And I believe it. Our youngest got a bit alarmed in some parts, but mainly I think she got bored by the sheer length of the book. But our oldest was enraptured by this book and we read the last 112 pages all at once, with her urging me to read more at the end of every story. And neither has complained of nightmares, so that's good!

I love that Adam Gidwitz remained true to the tales, reworking them only to fit the context of the overall tale and not deeming it necessary to censor the blook and violence. I love that the stories are old, yet feel timeless. And best of all, I love the comic asides that breathe a little bit of levity into the tale, especially as things start to get grim (ha ha.) Overall, it was a terrific book and we really enjoyed reading the stories together.

February 2012 update: Our oldest really, really likes this book. She often mentions it as her favorite story. I love that this book has had such an impact on her, since we read this book almost a year ago, and her long-term memory for many of the books we've read together is not all that good. She even chose this book as her selection to read aloud to the class when she was "Super Kid" in her third-grade class the week of 30 Jan - 3 Feb 2012. I discussed the book with her teacher, who was a bit concerned at first, but was okay with the short bit that she read aloud.

interesting quote:
"...there is a wisdom in children, a kind of knowing, a kind of believing, that we, as adults, do not have. There is a time when a kingdom needs its children. These children." (p. 245)(less)

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Sep 19, 2011 Lady Danielle aka The Book Huntress rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fairy tale lovers

Shelves: tortured-hero, tormented-heroine, fairy-tale-theme, metafiction, young-adult, not-for-the-faint-of-heart, library-checkout, audiobook, hero-i-loved, heroine-i-adore, runaway, family, courage, favorites, to-buy-wish-list, coming-of-age, middle-grade-juvenile, laughed-myself-silly-while-reading, 2011-reading

I loved, loved, loved this book! This is the kind of book that I wish I could find more of. I think it was a wonderful fix of humor, horror, suspense, angst, and a great coming of age story. I didn't think that I would appreciate a story with Hansel and Gretel thrown into other fairy tales, nor could their story sustain a full-length novel. I was wrong on both counts. Hansel and Gretel became very dear to my hearts. They started out as little children who were doing what little children did. Liv...more I loved, loved, loved this book! This is the kind of book that I wish I could find more of. I think it was a wonderful fix of humor, horror, suspense, angst, and a great coming of age story. I didn't think that I would appreciate a story with Hansel and Gretel thrown into other fairy tales, nor could their story sustain a full-length novel. I was wrong on both counts. Hansel and Gretel became very dear to my hearts. They started out as little children who were doing what little children did. Living their lives, having fun, basking in the love of their parents and caregivers. Until circumstances cause them to embark out into the cold, cruel, scary world.

Adam Gidwitz doesn't go easy on Hansel and Gretel, nor does he go easy on the reader. There are some very violent, disturbing aspects in this story. For that reason, I disagree with the 9 and older rating. I would say it should be 11 and older. I realize that he is true to the original Grimm's fairy tales, and I know I did read fairy tales at a younger age. So maybe some kids would be fine with it. As a grown up, I winced on some parts myself.

I loved the aspect of the narrator breaching the third wall and talking to the audience as he read. He would warn us to send the little kids to bed or to get the babysitter. He would warn the reader that some very bloody parts were coming, and good thing he did. He would encourage the reader through the very sad parts (and they were very sad). He would make hilarious asides that had me braying with laughter in my car as I listened. My sister told me I was silly when I laughed at some parts yesterday. But it was so funny! This is a truly fun book, guys! And Johnny Heller, the narrator, did such a great job of creating a lively atmosphere for this story. Kudos to him!

A Tale Dark and Grimm is a story of courage. It's a novel that shows that children have depths of endurance, ingenuity and strength that adults often dismiss. I'm not saying that every child could survive what Hansel and Gretel endure, but I think about what kids go through every day, and this message resonated with me. It's also a cautionary tale to parents. Parents need to consider carefully what it means to be a parent, and how much they cherish their children. Are children a means to an end, a possession, or are they worth their weight in gold? I'll leave that to people with kids to decide, although I have my own opinions on that.

My verdict on this book is as follows: Read it! If you like fairy tales, you definitely need to read it. If you see this on audio at your library, pick it up, just for fun. Although some parts are pretty tough, this was a very entertaining and often moving story. I borrowed this from my library, but I definitely want to get my own copy to add to my keeper shelf, preferably with my fairy tale collection.

Highly recommended!(less)

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Jan 24, 2011 Chris rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, dark, adventure, legends-and-lore, not-graphic, j, guys-read

I've always liked an analogy for reading I once heard from an English teacher: sometimes your relationship with a book can be just like relationships with people. There are people you'll be instantly drawn to because they have a particular charisma or chemistry for you, yet with time you might realize they lack the depth and quality to be a good relationship. And there are people who don't immediately impress you or draw you in, but the more time you spend getting to know them the more they grow...more I've always liked an analogy for reading I once heard from an English teacher: sometimes your relationship with a book can be just like relationships with people. There are people you'll be instantly drawn to because they have a particular charisma or chemistry for you, yet with time you might realize they lack the depth and quality to be a good relationship. And there are people who don't immediately impress you or draw you in, but the more time you spend getting to know them the more they grow on you until one day you realize how awesome they are and how much you value your relationship with them. She usually shared this with students who were ready to dismiss a good book too quickly, to encourage them to keep reading, but I've found it's good advice in the reverse instance, too.

I absolutely loved the introduction to this book, for instance, and instantly assumed it would be great. Then I had to get through a period of disappointment in the middle of the book as I kept reading and realized the device was only good for so much and could get tiresome rather quickly. Luckily, I kept reading even longer until I got to the end and my final assessment is somewhere in the middle.

The device is a snarky, intrusive narrator--somewhere in the mix between Lemony Snicket and the grampa in The Princess Bride (film)--who keeps telling us just how awful and gruesome (and clever) his tales are:

Once upon a time, fairy tales were awesome.

I know, I know. You don't believe me. I don't blame you. A little while ago, I wouldn't have believed it myself. Little girls in red caps skipping around the forest? Awesome? I don't think so.

But then I started to read them. The real, Grimm ones. Very few little girls in red caps in those.

Well, there's one. But she gets eaten. . . .

Before I go on, a word of warning: Grimm's stories--the ones that weren't changed for little kids--are violent and bloody. And what you're going to hear now, the one true tale in The Tales of Grimm, is as violent and bloody as you can imagine.

Really.

So if such things bother you, we should probably stop right now.

You see, the land of Grimm can be a harrowing place. But it is worth exploring. For, in life, it is in the darkest zones one finds the brightest beauty and the most luminous wisdom.

And, of course, the most blood.

That's the start and end of the introduction. What I left out describes the bulk of the book--which is not the narrator but the tales themselves. They are a number of the traditional Grimm tales reworked a bit so they all feature Hansel and Gretel as protagonists to make one larger, ongoing story. The original tone, structure, and style is largely preserved, so the storytelling doesn't focus so much on voice or realism or character as most books do; but it's effective for the source material and if you give things enough of a chance you find those things are there, just in subtle, slow developing ways. This was a fun, worthwhile read in the end, just not quite in the way I expected after reading just the introduction.(less)

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Mar 12, 2011 Heather rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: home-library

I studied fairy tales a bit in college -- one of my favorite subjects, in fact -- so the premise of this book intrigued me. Imagine if all those children in Grimm stories, the ones who pop up when a poor couple bemoans that they have no children, or who get entrapped by a creepy devil man, or who get killed by their parents, are actually the same two children. They're Hansel and Gretel. And each story, generally culled from the Grimms' work, takes them on a journey of self-discovery and independ...more

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Feb 11, 2013 Gabriel F. added it · review of another edition

I just finished the book and the last part was one of my favorite parts because the boy and he's mom goes home and after they get in the house they check in there cameras and there was a figure that was all black and with dirt around it so they ran out of the house to their fa,moly and then when they turned back there was a mothership on top of their house... Nd that was all ill have to read the next chapter.

I am at the last chapter of the book and this book is relating to me because one time my...more

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Mar 19, 2012 Teresa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: highly-recomended

Definitely not for the faint of heart. Well written and helps me understand why the fairy tales lasted so long and why they were told. I listened to the audiobook and I really liked the acting of the reader: Johnny Heller. At the beginning of the book/fairytales, the characters make foolish choices and allow things to happen to themselves not thinking of the consequences or allow the consequences to fall on others.

I really like that at the book's darkest, you still have the author/narrator with...more

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Apr 16, 2013 Mari Anne rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mg-ya

4/13 Re-read for a book group and enjoyed it just as much the second time around.

Not for the faint of heart! This MG/YA novel is one of the most violent and bloody I have read. That being said... I really enjoyed it. It's a retelling of Grimm's fairy tale, Hansel and Gretel. However, being woefully unfamiliar with the original Grimm, I am not certain how many literary licenses were taken with the story. I found this story, while dark and violent, to actually be kind of fun. Hansel and Gretel mo...more

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Mar 10, 2013 Chandra rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fairy-and-folk-tales, kids-young-adult, 2013, clever-girls, chapters-with-or-for-izzy

I know it's a little early to call it, but this might be my favorite book of the year. It had a lot going against it. Mainly, that title, that cover...really? Fairy tale mash-ups and silhouette cover art are so last year! But then my nine year old read this and gushed and gushed over it like she hasn't done before. I promised her I would read it ASAP.

I'll admit that at first I was a little scandalized when I discovered how bloody and violent this was, but ultimately I wasn't surprised or truly...more

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Jul 17, 2010 Heather rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: reluctant young readers, or anyone looking for a good fun read.

Recommended to Heather by: my boss and her nine-year-old daughter

I read the advance reading copy of this book, and absolutely LOVED IT! I want to recommend it to anyone that works with young students, particularly those that are reluctant readers. I agree with my boss, who when she handed it to me, said "Can't you just see all the fifth grade boys drooling over this book?" It is wonderfully bloody and fun--but there is also a level of complexity that the author loves to point out in his to-the-side narration, but never explicitly state, such as: "Why? I've al...more

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Oct 20, 2011 Dominic rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-have-read

I gave this book four stars because it was cool it was the most bloody grusome horrid horrific scary disgusting fairytale that I have read in my entire life. also it was interesting how two children could go through so much in their life. I felt bad for hansel and gretel because all of those periliss journeys made them realize they had every single little thing they could ever want right were the started is the best place. I think you wold like this book if you like fairytale, mystery, or horror...more

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Jul 31, 2012 Kaethe rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Kaethe by: Elizabeth Bird

Shelves: debut, adventure, age-middle-grade, dragons, fantasy, feminism, fiction, kids, meta, parenting, strong-smart-female-protagonist, witches, read-aloud

It's a great book. Gidwitz took what was coolest about the Grimm tales (the gore, the impossibility) and managed to make a compelling, cohesive novel out of it. Perhaps more remarkably, he managed to create two realistic people out of the characters of Hansel and Gretel, children who actually grow and learn and change. No, wait, maybe I'm most impressed by how he addresses all the bad parents of the tales. But then there's the humor of the narrator. It's pretty nearly perfect.

***
07/31/2012

Just w...more

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Dec 12, 2012 Cleo rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A Tale Dark and Grimm is a fantasy with many fairy tales woven in. Adam Gidwitz's new book is In A Glass Grimmly, so I wanted to reread this one before I read that. I love the narrator's voice. There are little asides in bold font, where Gidwitz usually warns the reader to send the little children out of the room because there are bloody bits coming up. They're really funny. But the book isn't actually that bloody. I mean, there are some graphic descriptions, but it's not as gruesome as you migh...more

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Apr 29, 2013 Alisa (The Reading Obsession) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: retellings-that-don-t-suck, favorites

A delightful andthoroughlyentertaining tale, A Tale Dark & Grimmtakes elements from the original Brothers Grimm book and adds a new spin. The book is a collection of bloody yet charming stories that follow the adventures of Hansel and Gretel. Yes, thatHansel and Gretel. The ones that pushed a witch into the oven. That story isn't where tale ends, or even begins, though.

The books opens before their birth. The book talks about how their parents met and how they avertedtragedy. After those two...more

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Apr 18, 2013 Zoe rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

WOW! This book was amazing! I am in awe of how creative it was! I mean like seriously...author Adam Gidwitz is just genius in how he put this story together in such a way that delights adults and children alike. In today's world, it seems really challenging to find fairy-tale stories that aren't just simply rewritten. Adam Gidwitz has certainly done an excellent job recreating some of the Grimm brothers' most popular stories while still staying true to the original version. (view spoiler)...more

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Mar 31, 2013 KLMG rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I wanted to like this book – honestly, I did! The premise is intriguing, and I love fairy tales. Plus it garnered so many glowing reviews that I kept cutting it a bit more slack than I otherwise would have done.

But I found the book to be both dull and irritating. What truly turned me off to this book was the thinness of the plot and the intrusiveness of the narrator. As others have noted, Lemony Snicket this is not -- not even Book 13 Lemony Snicket!

I loved the original tales, so the violence wa...more

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Mar 12, 2013 Sulung Lahitani Mardinata rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Hansel dan Gretel? Yang saya tahu, Hansel dan Gretel itu salah satu dongeng yang indah yang pernah saya baca waktu kecil. Bagaimana tidak? Anak-anak seperti apa yang tidak tertarik dengan rumah dari permen dan kue? Namun buku ini menceritakan kisah lain dari Hansel dan Gretel. Atau kisah yang sebenarnya? Sebab, awalnya Hansel dan Gretel adalah kisah yang kelam. Hingga diceritakan turun temurun dan berubah menjadi dongeng yang manis karena diubah oleh orang-orang yang menuturkannya.
Sebenarnya, b...more

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Feb 21, 2013 Eustacia Tan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I can't remember where I heard of this book (it may be from Pages Unbound, I find a lot of stuff about fairytales there), but it has the words "retold fairytales" and that's enough for me. It's centered around Hansel and Gretel, but moves through a lot of fairytales.

Confused yet? Well, the plot (which is really just a bunch of loosely connected stories) follow Princess Gretel and Prince Hansel, as they run away from home. Along the way, they go through things that no child should ever go through...more

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Feb 11, 2013 Cheryl Gatling rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I loved this book so much that I did something I rarely do. When I got to the end, I flipped it over and started right in again. I thought I might be able to pick out some of my favorite lines. I found out that my favorite lines were more like favorite paragraphs, or whole pages (for example, the snappy dialogue of the three ravens), or the way lines and themes recur from the beginning to the end. The book is a retelling of Grimm's fairy tales, which the knowing already know are dark and bloody,...more

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Jan 15, 2013 Saumyaa K rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Hansel and Gretel are twins born to the king and queen. Hansel and Gretel believe their parents are HORRIBLE parents after they decapitate the twins in order to revive their faithful servant Johannes. So, they run away. They meet a child-eating old lady, murderers, a talking tree, dragons, the devil, and a lot of more evil and gruesome people along the way. In this book even the sun and moon are evil. They travel through different, more obscure fairy tales with themselves as the main characters,...more

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Jan 13, 2013 Irial Libroriginal rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: People with sense of humor

Recommended to Irial by: Nobody

Shelves: re-makes

Who said fairy tales are boring? Adam Gidwitz gives us the chance to believe in magic again, in magic... and in blood. As the prologue says, this is not a book to be read to children in spite of being a re-make of the famous Brothers Grimm's tale. Yes, truly its main characters aren't others than Hansel and Gretel, and they live in a Kingdom called Grimm (an extremely original name, do you?), and it appear all kind of magical creatures such as witches, wizards, werewolves (OMG double vee everywh...more Who said fairy tales are boring? Adam Gidwitz gives us the chance to believe in magic again, in magic... and in blood. As the prologue says, this is not a book to be read to children in spite of being a re-make of the famous Brothers Grimm's tale. Yes, truly its main characters aren't others than Hansel and Gretel, and they live in a Kingdom called Grimm (an extremely original name, do you?), and it appear all kind of magical creatures such as witches, wizards, werewolves (OMG double vee everywhere) even the Devil... But, I repeat, Adam Gidwitz's story it's not aimed at children because it has a lot of violent scenes that (although they are told comically and playing the act itself down) I would not recomend it to boys under twelve.

However, I've really enjoyed this book. Why? I don't know. Maybe 'cause I has resulted very different from what I expected. And I always welcome every kind of surprises related to turns in the plots of the books :)

To sum up: I don't know if you will like this book, but I'm sure it'll surprise you!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

¿Quién dijo que los cuentos de hadas son aburridos? Adam Gidwizt nos da la oportunidad de creer de nuevo en la magia, en la magia... y en la sangre. Como dice el prólogo, este no es un libro que leer a los niños a pesar de ser un re-make del famoso cuento de los Hermanos Grimm. Sí, es verdad que sus protagonistas no son otros que Hansel y Gretel, y aparecen todo tipo de criaturas mágicas tales como brujas, magos, hombres lobo..., incluso el Diablo. Pero, repito, la historia de Adam Gidwitz no está dirigida a un público infantil ya que tiene muchas escenas violentas que (aunque son contadas de forma cómica y no se recrea en el acto en sí mismo) no lo recomendaría a niños por debajo de los doce años.

Sin embargo, realmente he disfrutado este libro. ¿Por qué? No lo sé. Tal vez porque ha resultado muy diferente a lo que esperaba de él. Y yo siempre doy la bienvenida a cualquier tipo de sorpresas relacionadas con giros en la trama de los libros :)

En resumidas cuentas: no sé si te te gustará el libro, pero estoy segura de que te sorprenderá!(less)

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Dec 09, 2012 Tyler Roman rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book definitely takes a creative spin of classic brothers grimm tales. I think that putting hansel and gretel as the main characters in all of these classical stories is definitely a creative twist. One problem I had with the book though was that I thought the narrator was very annoying and I did not like the way he spoke. I think the way he was used to link all of the stories together was creative but that he could have been utilized better. Another think I though was interesting about the...more

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Nov 30, 2012 Emily rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was a fun read. I've been looking for some new middle level fairy tale retellings to use in my YA lit class and happened to stumble upon this one at a school book fair. Here's the opening: "Once upon a time, fairy tales were awesome...". The narrator then goes on to make a case for the greatness of Grimm's fairy tales and retells a number of them turning them all into one connected narrative about Hansel and Gretel.

Throughout each of the stories, the narrator regularly interjects his/her (?...more

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Oct 24, 2012 Aby Vela rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: traditional

Exciting, playful, and interesting to the max! I absolutely loved this book of dark Grimm stories and fairytales. Gidwitz's gruesome, but playful twists on the tales add the most exciting turn of events and definitely make this book a page-turner, even for me as an adult! I was hooked as soon as I read the very first page. This book does contain some graphic details, such as small children's head being chopped off with a sword and them playing covered in blood. The book follows the tale of Hanse...more

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Oct 10, 2012 Melissa Kasso added it · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, children-chapter

Is it possible to rate a book one star and a five star? I'm torn between the two. I was drawn to this book because of the fantastic reviews. Immediately upon reading the beginning I loved the narrator's snarky, sarcastic voice. I could see so many fourth and fifth grade boys loving this book. Unfortunately, the bloody violence was more than a bit too much for me. I think I would be crucified if I put this book in my classroom library. For example, one passage reads...

"Then, my dear, you have bef...more

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Oct 04, 2012 Alex Sandiland rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sandiland-goodreads

This book is a twist on the classic fairy tales. It involves everything from Hansel and Gretel to a big bad dragon. It starts out with a king, who captures his wife and his noble servent. Many curses are set upon the king and queen and the servent does everything he can to save their life. The king and queen have two children named Hansel and Gretel. The king performs and awful act on Hansel and Gretel and they decide to leave the kingdom of Grimm and run away. On their journey they try their ha...more This book is a twist on the classic fairy tales. It involves everything from Hansel and Gretel to a big bad dragon. It starts out with a king, who captures his wife and his noble servent. Many curses are set upon the king and queen and the servent does everything he can to save their life. The king and queen have two children named Hansel and Gretel. The king performs and awful act on Hansel and Gretel and they decide to leave the kingdom of Grimm and run away. On their journey they try their hardest to find parents that actually love them and wont try to kill them. The children come across many evils on their journey to find loving parents. They come across a lady who lives in a house made of goodies. She then tries to eat the children. The children come across many other characters like a man who steals souls, a father who turns his seven sons into sparrows, and the devil himself. Hansel and Gretel get torn apart on their adventure and they have to learn how to fend for themselves. They finally find each other again just in time. They find out that their old kingdom has been taken over by a terrifying dragon. The tale then takes a dramatic twist and Hansel and Gretel find out who the dragon really is. I found this book gruesome, terrifying, disturbing, but down right intriguing. I love how the author took classic tales and turned them into something different. I couldn't put this book down. I would highly recommend this book to any one over the age of 8. This book deals with a lot of gore, and fighting, and some pretty touchy subjects. I think children would get a kick out of this book because it turns all of the boring classic tales into something fun and catchy to read. I wouldn't be able to implement this book into my classroom mainly because this book is too old for the age I want to teach. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is prepared to read it!

Gidwitz, Adam, Jacob Grimm, and Wilhelm Grimm. A tale dark & Grimm. New York: Dutton Children's Books, 2010. Print. (tags: none | edit tags)(less)

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Oct 02, 2012 Katie Krimmel rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The book, The Tale Dark and Grimm takes you on a journey that you never knew Hansel and Gretel went on. The story starts with the reader learning a bit of background on the children’s family life, and then how the kids end up eating the sugary house of the witch. Oh, but it doesn't stop there, that’s just the beginning. They keep traveling looking for the perfect grown-ups to take them in and care for them, but many of the people they run into are no good. A lot of horrible and gory things happe...more

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Sep 27, 2012 Rebecca rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, brothers-and-sisters-fiction, grade-4, grade-5, grade-6, grade-7, juvenile, rebecca-favorites, recommended, fairy-tales-fiction

I thoroughly enjoyed this mash-up of Grimm's fairy tales especially because Gidwitz doesn't go the Disney route and cutesy everything up. He doesn't give the stories the full-on Grimm gore but he doesn't shy away from providing enough to satisfy the late elementary grades that is his audience. School Library Journal puts this book at Grades 3 and up while Publisher Weekly suggests 10 years and up (which is 5th grade). Personally, I'd lean toward fifth because of the death and dismemberment but s...more

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Sep 22, 2012 Jessica Harrison rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: middle-reader, reviewed

Review via Cracking the Cover

Once upon a time …

That’s how all the great fairy tales begin.

Once upon a time there was a brother and sister who became lost in the forest. After awhile of wandering the two come across a home made from sweets.

Having not eaten all day, they sate their hunger by munching on the home. But they are discovered by the home’s owner — a witch in disguise.

The woman takes them in and fattens them up. But she has a devious motive, planning to cook the siblings for her dinner....more

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Sep 14, 2012 Mia Balsamo rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed reading this book. When I found out it was a story about Hansel and Gretel I did not think it could be that interesting, and by interesting I mean different from the countless stories about Hansel and Gretel. The use of the narrator was fantastic! He (assuming the narrator is Adam Gidwitz...)created humor and comic relief for many parts of the story. I think that children, especially boys who have not yet found a book that they enjoy would enjoy t...more

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Sep 12, 2012 Gretchen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz was a great read. I enjoyed the frankness of the author, and his humorous interruptions, though in my initial few chapters I thought it terribly annoying. Gidwitz treats the audience with the utmost respect. He does not try to "dumb things down" and understands that children have very real and deep emotions. The characters Hansel, and Gretel are very deeply feeling individuals, and are not surface level superheroes. They are truly human, and this is exemplif...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
How does this compare to Michael Buckley's Sisters Grimm series	13	24	May 16, 2013 01:53pm
Can anyone recommend a book similar to this?	7	41	Apr 04, 2013 09:00am
Fairy Tales, Kind...: A Tale Dark & Grim	1	1	Feb 17, 2013 09:45am
The Fantasy/Fairy...: Currently Reading December 2012: A Tale Dark and Grimm	4	5	Dec 19, 2012 06:48pm
How many stars would you rate this book?1-5	20	44	Nov 08, 2012 12:35pm
Fairy Tales, Kind...: A Tale Dark and Grimm	2	3	May 01, 2012 04:49am
Reading log #3	2	11	Dec 20, 2011 02:24am

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Childrens > Middle Grade

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About Adam Gidwitz

To read my bio and learn more about me, and find a FAQ, visit:
http://www.adamgidwitz.com/about-the-...

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Books by Adam Gidwitz

In a Glass Grimmly (A Tale Dark & Grimm, #2)

The Grimm Conclusion (A Tale Dark & Grimm, #3)

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Quotes from A Tale Dark and Grimm

“You see, to find the brightest wisdom one must pass through the darkest zones. And through the darkest zones there can be no guide.
No guide, that is, but courage” — 39 people liked it

“Once upon a time, fairy tales were AWESOME!” — 32 people liked it

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10697427-a-tale-dark-grimm?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1311279308l/10697427.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10697427-a-tale-dark-grimm?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]A Tale Dark & Grimm by Adam Gidwitz[/url]

A Tale Dark & Grimm (A Tale Dark & Grimm #1)

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