The Fairy-Tale Detectives (The Sisters Grimm, #1)

The Fairy-Tale Detectives (The Sisters Grimm #1)

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3.95 of 5 stars 3.95  ·  rating details  ·  15,391 ratings  ·  1,834 reviews
For Sabrina and Daphne Grimm, life has not been a fairy tale. After the mysterious disappearance of their parents, the sisters are sent to live with their grandmother--a woman they believed was dead! Granny Relda reveals that the girls have two famous ancestors, the Brothers Grimm, whose classic book of fairy tales is actually a collection of case files of magical mischief...more
Hardcover, 284 pages
Published October 1st 2005 by Amulet Books (first published August 1st 2005)
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Community Reviews

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Bonnie Gayle
Oct 03, 2007 Bonnie Gayle rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: younger fans of Jasper Ffrorde, fans of fractured fairy tales
This was a playful and fun book, with a few flaws.

Sabrina and Daphne's parents disapear one day out of the blue, and the police can't find them. They bounce from one horrible foster home to another, until an old lady comes forward claiming to be their Grandmother. This is weird, because their parents told them their Grandmother was dead. When they meet her, she tells them that they are descended from The Brother's Grimm, who wrote down true events that occured with real creatures. All of these c...more
Emma
Jun 23, 2007 Emma rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: infinitely patient fans of Vivian Vande Velde or Jasper Fforde
Michael Buckley begins this children's series with a compelling premise: The stories of the brothers Grimm and other fairy tale originators (Hans Christian Andersen, etc.) are all true. In a Tolkien-style spin, fairy tale creatures (called "Everafters") used to coexist with humans, but since then they have been exiled to a small town near the suburbs of NYC. The Grimm family is still around, monitoring the Everafters and suspicious crimes in the area.

Unfortunately, this premise offers little com...more
Jennie
Sabrina can’t believe that her grandmother thinks fairy tales are real. She really can’t believe that fairy tale characters live right in Ferryport. She really, really, really can’t believe that a local farm house didn’t blow up and was really stepped on by a giant. But then Mayor Charming and Glinda the Good Witch are involved in a cover-up and a giant kidnaps Granny Grimm! The Grimm sisters know they need to help and enlist the help of Shakespeare’s Puck, Jack the Giant Killer, and the Magic M...more
Coral
This is a light-hearted and faced-paced book. It's slightly snarky humor and slap-stick action sequences are designed to appeal to younger readers.

For fans of fairy tales and fairy tale retellings, the definition of fairy tales used here is annoyingly broad--included are characters from L. Frank Baum, Lewis Carroll, and Rudyard Kipling. Also, the author does little with these characters to make them his own. The book's many cliches may be new to the target audience, but will taste stale to many...more
Sofia A.

12-13-12

I am still reading this book. So this book is about two little sisters who's parents jus disappeared. Well so far the sisters found out that their Grandma is a detective. I remember when once my sisters and I pretended to be detectives. Well they saw this crime scene when this farm got totally smashed. They had no idea what had happened. I would pretty scared because it could have been anything. The good thing was the farmer survived. But he had no idea what happened ether. Well soon th...more
Cheryl in CC NV
As I read this for a group discussion, I realized I had read it already. I guess it just wasn't all that memorable. I know I'm not going to bother looking for more in the series. However, I strongly suspect that if I'd read this when I was 8 or 9 I would have given it four stars and wanted to read the whole series.

I guess I just didn't quite feel involved. To me it seemed like the author had an idea of what he could sell, but didn't really have the full heart behind the effort. And his vision of...more
Rachel
Apr 17, 2008 Rachel rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: children under twelve, especially girls
My ten-year-old sister reads all sorts of stuff, and I kind of feel a responsibility to make sure that what she's reading has some literary value. Hence, my discovery of "The Sisters Grimm" series.

My initial reaction was that the style of the writing didn't fit the heftiness of the book itself. Weighing in at almost two hundred pages, I was expecting a little more literary depth. The premise is fun; bringing "fairy tale" characters to life and using two ordinary girls as the protagonists definit...more
Albert Einstein (andrew)
a thrilling book that shows that all fairy tales are real... addictive and interesting its high up on my list. followthe grimm family dectective as they stop rebellious fairy tales. see it in librairies near you.
MTR
I liked this and I know I will be recommending it to kids who want an exciting, funny, fast-paced adventure.
Lauren Hatfield
Michael Buckley has created a fairy tale that revolves around several other well-known fairy tale characters such as pixies, giants, Puck, Magic Mirror, magic flying carpets, Mama Bear, Tinman, and the Big Bad Wolf. I really liked the thrilling adventure that was involved throughout the entire story. At first, I had no idea where the story line was going to go because the sisters were going to live at their grandmothers house but they thought she was dead which I thought was very strange but the...more
Brittany
The Sisters Grimm by Michael Buckley: Books One - Four.
When Sabrina and Daphne Grimm’s parents go missing, they meet the grandma they’ve never known before and find out that they are descendents of the famous Brothers Grimm. They also learn that being a part of the Grimm family means they are charged with the task of policing the Everafters. The Everafters (all the characters from fairy tales) are quite a raucous group, and are anxious to free themselves from an old spell and agreement made wi...more
MB
Lots of fun for younger readers.

I liked the way the author sprinkled in "big" words by having the older sister define them for the younger sister. That is a great learning experience slipped in smoothly!

On a different note, I was surprised by all the parallels between this book and the Fables graphic novel by Bill Willingham that I read recently. Although the Fables series is a very adult-themed graphic novel and the Sisters Grimm series is for young readers, both are similar in many ways. Both...more
Ruth
What if every fairy tale you've ever read was really a record of actual people and events? Sabrina and Daphne are about to find out there's more to their favorite stories than they ever dreamed. Sent to live with a grandmother they never knew existed after their parents' mysterious "disappearance," the sisters are shocked to discover that they're actually descendants of the famous Brothers Grimm. As such they are heirs to an often-dangerous family legacy -- investigating the activities of "Evera...more
Ronda
Nov 21, 2008 Ronda rated it 4 of 5 stars
Recommended to Ronda by: My son
My son (age 10) and one of his friends actually got me started on this series. If you enjoy stories based on fairy-tales, this series is wonderful. Two sisters, Sabrina and Daphne, have been shuffled from one foster home to another after the mysterious disappearance of their parents. Ever resourceful, the two are astonished to find that they have a grandmother--one that their parents never told them about. Of course, their parents also never let them hear or read fairy tales either, which makes...more
Amanda
I chose this book because my dad recommended it to me.The Sisters Grimm is about two orphan children, Sabrina and Daphne, whose parents mysteriously disappeared two years prior to their current lives. Daphne and Sabrina have been sent to foster families that differ from crazy to down right creepy. Until one day a lady claiming to be their grandmother adopts them. Once the girls move in to Ferryport Landing, where their supposed grandmother lives, they find out that the small town is filled
with "...more
Rebecca
Sabrina and Daphne have been in the foster care system ever since their parents disappeared, but now their grandmother--whom their father had always claimed was dead--has stepped forward to claim them. She lives in a tiny town in a bizarre house with dozens of locks, and Sabrina just wants to break through all of them and run away, because she doesn't believe Relda Grimm is her real grandmother. Soon, though, the girls become aware that Ferryport isn't quite your regular town, and in fact, the G...more
Jessica Vanhemel
There are not many illustrations in this book, but the few illustrations included in the text are black and white sketches that correlate really well with the story. The illustrations are very telling, the expressions on the characters faces are extremely realistic and really show the emotions of the characters. The illustrations work really well with the story line.

Everyone has heard of the brothers Grimm, well this is the story of the sisters Grimm, they are the great, great, great, great gra...more
Betsy
Thus far, the story of Sabrina and Daphne Grimm does not end "Happily Ever After." Their parents disappeared over a year ago and ever since they have been moved from foster home to foster home until they are sent to live with their Father's mother, the grandmother they believed was dead.

Granny Grimm is not your typical grandmother and does not live in the typical town. Granny Grimm and therefore the Grimm sisters are relatives of the legendary Brothers Grimm. After Granny is taken by a giant Sa...more
Shelf Talkers Anonymous
What really made me pick up this book and read it is the fact that it's about the Grimm's fairy tales. I can't resist anything to do with the Brothers Grimm or fairy tales in general, and this little mystery series was just perfect for what it is. Now I'm not calling it a literary masterpiece, but for 9 and 10 year old girls, this is got to be one of the best series out there.

Despite the fact that most of this series has to do with wild, crazy, fairy tale happenings, the two main characters (Sab...more
lia
Sabrina and Daphne Grimm is an orphan, or so they thought. One day out of the blue their parents left them and afterward life is about orphanage and running from one bad foster parents to another.

Until Relda Grimm claim to be their grandmother and tell them to come to her little town. It turns out that they were the descendant of THAT Grimm brothers, and all fairy tales are living and breathing true story.

So Grimm brothers 'imprisoned' the fairy tales creatures to live in that town (really for...more
Despair Speaking
Another book about the Grimms and this one is for children!

Basically, Sabrina and Daphne Grimm had been in more foster homes than a person has fingers. After their parents suddenly disappear, their lives had been about running away from crazy couples who don't take care of them properly. So the agency was overjoyed to find that they actually still have a living relative, who turned out to Granny Relda! Granny Relda seemed to be just as crazy as the couples Sabrina and Daphne had run away from be...more
Annie McMahon
Positive Points
This book offers a modern take on fairy tale characters we all know so well. It's interesting to guess who each is by their features and the interaction between them.

The characters are well developed. Each character has a clearly defined purpose. In addition to that, "good" characters have their flaws, and "bad" characters can sometimes do good things if it makes sense to them, like teaming up against a common enemy. Characters helping others may have an agenda on their own. This...more
Eve Victor
This book is about two sisters, Sabrina and Daphne, journey in the world of being Grimms. Their parents go missing and after the police seem to do nothing about it when they randomly come across their grandmother who shares with them that they are related to the Grimm brothers. The Grimms have to basically monitor fairy tale creatures, and now, for some reason, these creatures have come to their town and now it is their job to take over the family job. The book then follows them on their journey...more
Robert
The Fairy Tale Detectives (The Sisters Grimm, Book 1)
by Michael Buckley (3 stars)

This is a cute funny young adult/ fantasy / mystery book , think Harry Potter meets Nancy drew.

The book centers on Sabrina and Daphne Grimm, who are the last descendants of the Brothers Grimm. They are sent to live with there Grandmother , who lives in Ferryport landing. Now when the two girls get there , Sabrina does not trust her Grandmother at all . The reason she does not trust Relda Grimm Sabrina and Daphne G...more
Dorian
Mr. Buckley has an okay starting premise: fairy tales are in fact all true, and the characters from them all emigrated to America (with the help of the Brothers Grimm) because magic was dying out in the Old World and people were becoming hostile to them. Now, thanks to a magical agreement that some of them regret, they're all confined to a small New England town until the last descendant of the Grimms dies.

Our Heroines in this book are the last descendants of the Brothers Grimm - Sabrina and Dap...more
Shel
Buckley, M. (2007). The Sisters Grimm: The Fairy-Tale Detectives. New York: Amulet Books.

284 pages.


Appetizer: Ever since their parents mysteriously disappeared, eleven-year-old Sabrina and seven-year-old Daphne have bounced from horrible foster home to horrible foster home. But now, a woman is claiming to be their grandmother and has requested the sisters come to her home in Ferryport Landing, New York. While Daphne is excited, Sabrina has her doubts. Mostly because her father had always said th...more
Kyle
Michael Buckley’s The Sisters Grimm gives great representations of what old fairy tell characters are doing. The plot is well constructed around two orphaned children, who begin to live with their grandmother. The plot is also very fluent; the mystery the two girls take part in is very sequential, also the girls are present in every chapter. One criticism of the book is that it does not give enough realism to put any truth in the book. While it is a fantasy, real objects can bring some familiari...more
Dana "dew"
Okay... here's the deal. I found this to be a light, fun story. I probably would have given it 3 stars, but I listened to the audio book version and the narrator did such a good job that I'm bumping it up to 4 stars.

Buckley introduces us to some percocious --- and some might even say 'bratty' orphaned kids --- who are being forced to go live with some woman claiming to be their grandmother. They soon discover that the characters they read about in fairy tales are not only real, but living in th...more
Melissa
What a fun book!

I thought this was a delightful read and a great first book to the series. The reader is introduced to the Grimm family and to Ferryport Landing in a way that explains what the basis of the town is without bogging down the story.

In The Fairy-Tale Detectives we are introuduced to Sabrina and Daphne Grimm who are bing taken to live with there Grandmother Grimm, who they didn't know was alive, after there parents disappear and are presumed dead. The girls at first think their Gran...more
Ensiform
Two girls, eleven-year-old Sabrina Grimm and seven-year-old Daphne, have been in foster homes since their parents disappear. Out of the blue, they are sent to a woman claiming to be their grandmother, who spins a strange tale of all the fairy tales being true and the Grimm family destined to watch over the Everafters like detectives. Sabrina thinks the old lady is insane, until a 200-foot giant snatches the car with Grandma and her helper Mr. Canis in it.

It’s highly enjoyable stuff, and kids wil...more
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New York Times bestselling author Michael Buckley was born in Akron, Ohio. He tried his hand as a stand-up comic and lead singer for a punk rock back before attending Ohio University. After graduating with honors he moved to New York City to be an intern on the Late Show with David Letterman which led to stints developing programming for Discovery Networks, MTV, MTV Animation and Klasky Csupo (pro...more
More about Michael Buckley...
The Unusual Suspects (The Sisters Grimm, #2) The Problem Child (The Sisters Grimm, #3) Magic and Other Misdemeanors (The Sisters Grimm, #5) Once Upon a Crime (The Sisters Grimm, #4) Tales From the Hood (The Sisters Grimm, #6)

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