As you know, I love fairy tales. We have done many posts sharing different fairy tales as well as a series of fairy tales in different cultures. Today I get to share with you a middle grades novel that is a mix of modern life and classic fairy tales. It is The Day I Fell Into a Fairy Tale by Ben Miller. It is recommended for ages 8 to 12.
From the Publisher:
From actor, author, and comedian Ben Miller comes an illustrated middle grade fantasy adventure following a brother and sister who stumble into a magical new world—perfect for fans of Half Upon a Time and Land of Stories!Lana loves stories, especially the ones she and her brother, Harrison, share in their make-believe games. But when Harrison decides he’s too grown-up to play with Lana anymore, she’s too lonely to find the wonder in storytelling…until something magical happens.
Lana discovers a portal to a fairy tale world hidden in the strange new supermarket in town! But these aren’t the happy-ever-after fairy tales that Lana knows—they are darker and more dangerous, and the characters need Lana’s help to defeat an evil witch. But she can’t do it alone.
Can she convince Harrison to believe in stories again and journey to the world with her before it’s too late?
From Me:
Lana is a younger sister who is bored and doesn't like that her older brother is at an age where he is always busy. Harrison doesn't have time to play with her anymore and she doesn't like it. When a new grocery store arrives in town overnight, their mom takes Lana to check it out. The strange man who seems to be the only one at the store but in different outfits convinces Lana that she wants an old book of fairy tales. With the amazing prices her mom agrees but then questions reading some of the stories as they are a bit scary. They begin reading Sleeping Beauty but her mom stops midstory so Lana can go to sleep. Lana can't wait to hear the rest of the story but Lana's mom has hidden the book. On her next trip to the new grocery store the strange old man gets Lana to go through a portal to the fairy tale world. There she sees in real life the Sleeping Beauty story. She goes back again and tries to help a prince find Briar Rose. The next time she goes she brings Harrison along. He didn't believe her about the portal, but he finds out she was telling the truth. Some of his studying even helps them while they are in fairy tale world. They befriend the prince and Briar Rose before returning home. Then they find out they are in trouble and Lana and Harrison return. It is a fun story with many twists and turns.
The book has illustrations on many pages. When the fairy tales are being read the font changes and there are roses on the pages as you can see in the sample page above. There are some changes to the fairy tales and several of the fairy tales get combined. I love that the prince does not feel it is right to kiss Briar Rose while she is sleeping. He kisses her hand as a compromise, and it is enough to wake her. The story has twists and turns even if you know the fairy tales as they do not completely stick to the original tales. It is a fun book that pulls you in just as the fairy tales pulled Lana in. I love that the kids and their parents value imagination and play as well. It is a book that encourages kids to imagine and explore their world with the classic stories many of us know in the background.
The story is fun and interesting. The twists to the classic tales make it even more so. This is a great book for kids to read on their own or as a class. I see the topics of studying versus playing and time balance being some conversations as well as the changes to the story. Plus, there is a bit of a mystery that gets solved by the end. I hope you will check it out.
