The Problem Child is the third Sisters Grimm book in a series of [runs off to check]...nine. Really? Nine? Holy crap, I should have checked into this before I got The Boy all into them.Okay, so I talked a little bit here about why I'm reading these, and the ARDUOUS PACE my 13y/o is setting for me. He doesn't cut me any slack when it comes to these, because he hasn't yet picked up his mother's bad habit of having eleventy billion books going at once.So what did I do all day today? I finished this book, of course, so that I can be ahead of him and have a little breathing room when it comes to the schedule he's set for us.I guess all of that is really neither here nor there, though. For those of you that are too lazy to click that link up there, The Sisters Grimm is a series of books by Michael Buckley, and it bears a striking resemblance to the television series Once Upon a Time. There's a town (in the books it's in New York, in the series, it's in Maine) full of all the faerie tale creatures/people we know from the works of Grimm, Lang, Andersen, Baum, etc.In the first book, we met Sabrina and Daphne Grimm, sisters whose parents disappeared one stormy night, and since then they've been bouncing around through the system, moving from orphanage to orphanage, foster home to foster home...until their social worker finds a grandmother they didn't even know they had.Sabrina (11) has a difficult time accepting the fact that Relda Grimm is really their grandmother, her father hasn't ever mentioned his parents, after all - she has an even harder time accepting the notion that Ferryport Landing is a "safe haven" for faerie tale creatures, and that the Grimms are basically in charge of keeping them out of the way of humanity.Things happen, and the girls learn that their parents aren't really dead (of course). The long arc is Sabrina and Daphne trying to bring them home. The books follow the monster of the week format, in the first it's Jack (he of the beanstalks), in the second it's Rumplestiltskin...but in the third it's Little Red Riding Hood.I was rather meh about this series up until this third book. They were cute, and I appreciated how many of the details Buckley got right, but I was also very aware that I was reading a series for children.The Problem Child, though - it goes beyond "cute" and starts to deal with topics like mental illness and addiction. Heady stuff for a younger crowd. But it's handled deftly and without a lot of finger pointing and shaming. I really liked that we were made to understand exactly WHY our villain went 'round the bend, and I think it was done in such a way that even VERY YOUNG readers will understand and sympathize. Addiction is handled in a similar manner (in this instance, it's an addiction to magic) and consequences are very clearly shown, as is how it can be made to seem alluring.No, of course it won't replace talking to your kids about such things, but if you've already had a discussion on the topic, this can reinforce it - similarly, it might be a good way to bring the subject UP if you haven't already.I have to admit, after finishing The Unusual Suspects last week, I wasn't in much of a hurry to continue the series (I am still hoping to get the kid into my books of faerie tales, but I think it'll have to wait for now) - but I'm very much looking forward to picking up Once Upon a Crime later this week.(Also, I LOVED what happened with The Little Mermaid in this book. That's all I'm sayin'.) Originally posted here.
The Problem Child, written by Michael Buckley. Michael Buckley is the New York Times bestselling author of the Sisters Grimm and the NERDS series. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and son. The Problem Child published in 2006 by Amulet Book, an imprint of Harry N. Abrams, Inc. The Problem Child is the third series of The Sisters Grimm. The setting takes place in Farryport Landing. The first scene started out with Sabrina and Puck, one of the two main characters, attempting to escape from the jabberwocky, a monster with jagged fangs, scaly skin, two wings, and two large terrifying claws. (Michael Buckley did an awesome job with the first scene, because it was so vivid that I had imagine it as if it was real). In the far corner of the room, Sabrina saw a small child wearing a red cloak, sitting next to two unconscious body of her parents. Let's go back to why she is in this situation. A year ago, Sabrina's parents had mysteriously disappeared. The police and the investigators could not find them and the only evidence that they had found was a blood red handprint pressed on an abandoned car. Sabrina and her six years old sister, Daphne, moved from one foster parents to the next, because each one of them were lunatics. Her last foster parent, Relda Grim, also known as, Granny Relda, did not make it easy for them. Their knew hometown, Ferryport landing was filled with fairy tale characters who called themselves, Everafters. These Everafters are trapped in Ferryport Landing because of a spell that Wilhelm, the younger of the Brothers Grimm, had put to prevent the Everafters from leaving and waging war on humans. Sabrina and Daphne solved mysteries after mysteries and came to know that the bad guys came from a group called the Scarlet Hand, which explains the blood hand mark that the police had found on the abandoned car. >>Sabrina is desperate to get her parents back. Her determination and bravery has made her a strong character, in my opinion. I love how Michael Buckley describes Sabrina as sarcastic. I love a sarcastic person. >>I believe Michael Buckley's purpose of this book is to show his reader that there are good in everyone. The everafter's hatred towards the Grimm family is incedibly ridiculous due to he history between the and Wilhelm, yet the family still showed their hospitality and kindness. For example, Sabrina's request to save the Queen of Hearts from the Jabberwockey's claws, shows that despite her hatred towards the Queen of Hearts, she still did not want her dead, nor the other Everafters. I honestly think that this series is one of the best series that i've read so far, because Michael Buckly not only showed the decisions of the charater's, he made sure hat their desicions relates to our lives.
What do You think about The Problem Child (2006)?
Ok, I read the entire series straight through and since I didn't write a review for each one and the stories have started blend together (and I know the various reveals), I am going to write one review for books 2 through 9.The series was enjoyable, but uneven for me. Most of the books never seemed like mysteries with detectives. In some of the books the characters seemed to happen upon events, clues, etc. There were assumptions and gaps in logic, and several characters personalities seemed to switch from book to book. The two sisters didn't always feel like they were their ages and the pacing was slow at parts, and some of the scenes seemed unnecessary.That being said, I think it is a great series for its target age (maybe 8 to 12?), that won't be pure torture for adults to read along with. The illustrations are charming. There were several laugh out loud moments (especially with the judge at the trial in book 4) and interesting time-travel component in the 5th book. Over the course of the series the Master behind the Scarlet Hand (the organization causing problems for the Grimm family) becomes more prominent and the main antagonist in the story.Buckley pulled characters in from the Grimm/Perault/Andersen fairy tales, as well as Alice in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz series (although the focus in on those in the 1st book others from Baum's 14 book series are included in passing), Gulliver's Travels, Pinocchio, Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, Rip Van Winkle, and the legends of King Arthur, Robin Hood, and Paul Bunyan and others I probably missed. The author does a great job of putting twists on these familiar characters, changing up some origins and motivations in interesting and inventive ways. There are plenty of twists and cliffhangers to keep you interested (in fact, starting with the 4th or 5th book each book ends with a cliffhanger or reveal).Overall, I give the series a lukewarm recommendation with the good outweighing the bad. If you like contemporary takes and twists on well-known characters and tales, or are a younger reader, you will probably like this series.
—Dean Tucker
This is the 3rd book in the Grimm Sisters series. I was back and forth between liking the book and being annoyed by the main character. I understand the point the author was trying to make with the magic corrupting someone and having to pay the price for taking the easy way. However, I just ended up annoyed with Sabrina and her attitude and wondering when she would ever learn not to be stupid. Daphne is probably the most interesting character in the series and she is the least written about, wish she had more parts in the story. Overall, a decent read.
—Melissa
I simply love this series. They are a combination of fairy tales and mysteries. Most of the time I can solve the mystery about halfway through but not this time. And I was absolutely astounded to learn who had caused the Everafters to age and some even to die from old age. Daphne and Sabrina are very young detectives, and along with Uncle Jake and their Grandmother, they are never bored in Ferryport Landing. The chief mystery to be solved, is to find their parents, who were kidnapped 18 months earlier. They have since found their parents; but both are under a sleeping curse. It will be interesting to see how that monumental problem will be resolved.One of the reasons I like this series so much, is that all the characters, including the Grimms, and the Everafters, are not picture perfect. All of them have flaws . Uncle Jake wants the power of magic, Sabrina has significant anger issues, Daphne sometimes doesn't approve of what her sister is doing and that makes their sibling rivalry ring true.I have admit I would love to be a part of this family and live in Ferrport Landing.And I can't wait to read the next book in the series!
—Meg McGregor
