From the Bookshelf of Class of 2014…

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

Adam Gidwitz,

Hugh D'Andrade (Illustrator)

Why we're reading this: This book is so cool and defiantly deserves some attention.I love how the author speaks to you during the…more
[close] This book is so cool and defiantly deserves some attention.I love how the author speaks to you during the book.It also has the perfect amount of a story and Action.This book even made me a little grossed out.

Find A Copy At

Libraries

Group Discussions About This Book

No group discussions for this book yet.

What Members Thought

Oct 16, 2012 Mike rated it it was amazing

Shelves: reviewed

Long long ago, I lived in a world without awesome books. I'm certain there were plenty of wonderful books, of course. Unfortunately, there were bad experiences. There's only so much not-loving-books a kid can take after hearing "give it fifty pages you'll love it!" I stopped trusting anything without pictures. For years and years I disavowed reading. All the while, the distance between myself, reading logs, and book reports grew and grew. I got comfortable, complacent. My resolve gently softened Long long ago, I lived in a world without awesome books. I'm certain there were plenty of wonderful books, of course. Unfortunately, there were bad experiences. There's only so much not-loving-books a kid can take after hearing "give it fifty pages you'll love it!" I stopped trusting anything without pictures. For years and years I disavowed reading. All the while, the distance between myself, reading logs, and book reports grew and grew. I got comfortable, complacent. My resolve gently softened, my distain weakened. That's when something strange happend. Somebody just like me who loved baseball and violent movies and video games handed me a book.
I'll admit, it did sound interesting... for a book. But, I had been down this road before. I knew better. Passages describing the living room and feelings were sure to ruin it. In fact, that would be the exact reason I would read it. I'd prove myself right, again. I'm sure you know how this story ends. I liked the book. I read more books. I hatched a plan. With just the right help, I was confident I could avenge those lost years. I'd go undercover, patiently train to become... a teacher.
Classrooms are a great place to find distressed readers. I would rush to the nearest phone booth and emerge... with A Tale Dark and Grimm.

There's been a surge of books for reluctant readers in the last few years, a very good thing. There's a wide variety of both graphic and illustrated novels for both boys and girls. They contain all the same thoughtful story elements as a traditional novel in an approachable format. It's enabled my most reluctant readers to include 20-30 books to their GoodReads shelf. I want my kids to read graphic novels as much and as often as they'd like. I also want them to read text novels as well.

In traditional novels the mind is worked in a very different way. When students work with the words alone, the mind gets to wander off the end of the line and into the margins. It creates the scenes between lines of text, behind them, under them. The mind is not only working to interpret the story, it's actively creating and reshaping images based on what the words are giving them. It's a jump from one format to the other.

Based around fairy tales, TDG and In A Glass Grimmly aren't easy books. The fairy tales kids were supposed to hear are difficult. They're the stories that confirm what kids already know, it can be dark and dangerous place out there. Of course, we want to protect children, but protecting them also means preparing them for the world. Adam's books are challenging. At the scariest of times he ask kids to inward, to think about their own courage and persistence. The genius lies in the way Adam brings the kids to this level of thought.

Enter: direct narrator. The stories aren't just narrated. Adam not only narrates his stories, he speaks directly to his readers in clear, bold type. Beginning as humors warnings, he provides commentary on the nature of the story, especially when things are about to get scary. The style is genuinely funny, without ever feeling like a gimmick. But, as the story goes on it becomes a very sneaky-smart way to help readers interpret the more difficult themes of the fairy tales. The humor makes you look forward to his commentary and the commentary helps you interpret the story. It's an engaging strategy for those who benefit from the extra guidance and for those who don't necessarily need the help, it's every bit as entertaining. ...more

Like · see review

Sep 27, 2012 Megan K. rated it it was amazing

I think this is the best book I ever read because every chapter was almost a brand new story. I loved the part at the end when Hansel and Gretel cut off their dads head like he cut off theirs. If you don't like bloody stories don't read it but if you do go buy it now. ...more

Like · see review

Sep 27, 2012 Bridget M. rated it it was amazing

what makes the book a tale dark and grim awesome is that it is so frighting and has a lot of journey .people who would like this book would have to be not scared of any thing or you have to be patience .this book is not for someone who likes to end withe happy endings with butter fly and rainbows !please read the book a tale dark and grim i think it desseres a medal

Like · see review