An enjoyable take on generational fairy tales.
In this debut middle-grade fantasy, some offspring of famous fairy-tale characters band together when a precious artifact vanishes.
Fourteen-year-old Skylar Carson is a thief whose mother, Frostine—the villainous Snow Queen—abandoned her years ago for no discernible reason. Living in the village near Queen Snow White’s castle, Skylar does what she can to survive, with only her dog, Boxer, and her best friend, Carter Brown, for company. When she is suddenly invited by her estranged mother to attend the castle’s upcoming exhibition showcasing the “Gem of Fairy Tales”—the source of inspiration for all those striking stories—she wonders what the Snow Queen is up to. That’s when she meets other adolescents with renowned parents, including Maya, the daughter of Sleeping Beauty; Axel, Prince Charming’s son; and Naomi, the daughter of Queen Snow White. When the Gem disappears, a theft that may lead to the end of everything they know, the kids embark on a quest to find answers. The journey will lead them to the "River of Memories” and the "Man of Advice.” But time is running out and all fingers start pointing at Skylar as the culprit. After all, she is the daughter of one of the most dangerous figures in fairy-tale history and many believe that children like her inherit their parents’ traits: “Evil runs through their veins. They may be good most of the time, but then they will snap, and then you will see their true dark side.” Pereira’s story deftly follows in the footsteps of reimagined fairy tales for a young audience, such as Soman Chainani’s The School for Good and Evil book series and Disney’s TV film Descendants. With a narrative that alternates between the Gem quest and Cavallaro’s beautiful illustrations that pepper the pages, Pereira’s breezy, fast-paced novel mixes fantasy, mystery, and a heist with minimal character development and worldbuilding but a maximum fun factor. While the writing is sometimes clumsy and the tale superficially delves into key questions about heritage (including whether children necessarily follow in their parents’ footsteps), middle-grade readers will find the work highly entertaining.
An enjoyable take on generational fairy tales.Pub Date: Aug. 29, 2023
ISBN: 9798350918267
Page Count: 132
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Oct. 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A sweet, romantic visit to the iconic Disney Fairies world.
The Pixie Dust Root is in danger, and one fairy is determined to save it—and the Pixie Dust Tree that all of Pixie Hollow depends upon.
In this stand-alone story set in the same world as Allison Saft’s Wings of Starlight (2025), Periwinkle, a frost-talent who has a gift for finding things—or maybe they have a way of finding her?—discovers a lost thread of magic that grants her the ability to dream. But not all dreams are as sparkly as Periwinkle. One night, she awakens from a nightmare to find herself in the Winter Woods with a fairy she’s never met, a sparrow man named Weaver, who claims to be a rare dream-talent. Disconcertingly, Weaver knows her—he calls her “perfect Periwinkle” and for some reason doesn’t seem to like her very much. Nevertheless, Periwinkle finds herself drawn to Weaver. When he tells her he can save the Pixie Dust Root by spinning her dreams into thread if she helps him find the magic tools he needs, Periwinkle agrees. Their journey leads the pair, who are pale-skinned, to discover things they like about each other, too. This is an opposites-attract adventure with romantic tension, a high-stakes quest, personal discovery, and betrayal. The characters struggle with inner turmoil while also adjusting their understanding of each other. Bright balances the fun with explorations of themes of snap judgments, labels, and weaponizing fear.
A sweet, romantic visit to the iconic Disney Fairies world. (Fantasy. 12-18)Pub Date: Aug. 4, 2026
ISBN: 9780736447362
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Disney/Random House
Review Posted Online: May 4, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
In addition to the supernatural elements, Brosgol interweaves some savvy insights about the illusion of perfection and...
A deliciously creepy page-turning gem from first-time writer and illustrator Brosgol finds brooding teenager Anya trying to escape the past—both her own and the ghost haunting her.
Anya feels out of place at her preppy private school; embarrassed by her Russian heritage, she has worked hard to lose her accent and to look more like everyone else. After a particularly frustrating morning at the bus stop, Anya storms off, only to accidentally fall down a well. Down in the dark hole, she meets Emily, a ghost who claims to be a murder victim trapped down in the dank abyss for 90 years. With Emily’s help, Anya manages to escape, though once free, she learns that Emily has traveled out with her. At first, Emily seems like the perfect friend; however, once her motives become clear, Anya learns that “perfect” may only be an illusion. A moodily atmospheric spectrum of grays washes over the clean, tidy panels, setting a distinct stage before the first words appear. Brosgol’s tight storytelling invokes the chilling feeling of Neil Gaiman’s Coraline (2002), though for a decidedly older set.
In addition to the supernatural elements, Brosgol interweaves some savvy insights about the illusion of perfection and outward appearance. (Graphic supernatural fiction. 12 & up)Pub Date: June 7, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-59643-552-0
Page Count: 224
Publisher: First Second
Review Posted Online: April 18, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2011
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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