The Fairy-Tale Detectives facts for kids
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| Author | Michael Buckley |
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| Illustrator | Peter Ferguson |
| Cover artist | Peter Ferguson |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Sisters Grimm series |
| Genre | Fantasy Mystery novel |
| Publisher | Harry N. Abrams, Inc. |
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Publication date
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October 2005 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback) |
| Pages | 284 pp |
| ISBN | 0-8109-5925-9 |
| OCLC | 60375598 |
| LC Class | PZ7.B882323 Sis 2005 |
| Followed by | The Unusual Suspects |
The Fairy-Tale Detectives is the first book in The Sisters Grimm series. It was written by Michael Buckley.
Contents
Unraveling the Mystery: A Fairy-Tale Adventure
This book is a fun fairy tale for those who love to look for clues. It mixes classic stories with a modern mystery.
Sabrina and Daphne: New Home, Big Secrets
Eleven-year-old Sabrina and seven-year-old Daphne are orphans. They have lived in many difficult foster homes. One day, they are sent to live with their grandmother, Relda Grimm. They thought she was dead! Granny Relda lives in the small town of Ferryport Landing, New York.
Sabrina is very suspicious of Granny Relda. She thinks her grandmother is an imposter. Granny lives with a man named Mr. Canis. Their house is full of strange things. It has many locks on the door. Granny's dog, Elvis, is also a bit wild. The girls are told not to let anyone inside without permission.
One night, Sabrina tries to escape with Daphne. They are attacked by small, glowing bugs. Granny calls them pixies. She uses a special blue dust to make them leave. Granny then nails their windows shut. This makes the girls even more curious.
Ferryport Landing: Where Fairy Tales Are Real
Granny Relda takes the girls to a crime scene. A house has been completely crushed. Granny thinks a giant did it. Sabrina and Daphne soon realize she is serious. The rubble sits in a huge footprint.
Granny finally tells them a big secret. They are descendants of the famous Brothers Grimm. She explains that every fairy tale the Grimms wrote was true! In the past, fairy tale creatures, called 'Everafters,' lived with humans. But things changed. Magic was banned. Dangerous Everafters were captured.
The Grimm brothers wrote down these stories. They became friends with many Everafters. Many Everafters moved to America. They built a safe community in Ferryport Landing. Wilhelm Grimm was their leader.
However, some Everafters wanted to get rid of humans. To stop a war, Wilhelm Grimm asked Baba Yaga, a powerful witch, for help. She cast a spell. This spell trapped all Everafters in Ferryport Landing forever. One Grimm must always stay there for the spell to work. Granny tells the girls it is their family's job to keep the peace.
The Giant's Attack and a New Friend
The family visits the injured farmer. But Prince Charming (now Mayor Charming) has already erased the farmer's memory. They talk to the farmer's wife, Mrs. Applebee. She says a British man had offered them a trip. This trip turned out to be a trick.
Later, the Grimms are ambushed by tough guys. They are told to drop the case. Granny sees this as a sign they are on the right track. She decides to follow them. She also tells the girls about giants. Jack, from "Jack and the Beanstalk," is the only one who ever beat a giant. Now he works at a store in town.
During their stakeout, Sabrina tries to escape with Daphne. Suddenly, a giant attacks their car! It picks up the car with Granny and Mr. Canis inside. The giant walks away, looking for "the Englishman." The girls are left alone.
They try to hitchhike. But they meet Officer Hamstead, one of The Three Little Pigs. He works for Mayor Charming. The girls escape him. They follow pixie lights into the woods. They soon meet Puck from A Midsummer Night's Dream. Puck is a mischievous fairy. He first tries to drown them. He thinks they stole Granny. He agrees to help them only because Granny was kind to him. Puck and Sabrina argue a lot.
Uncovering the Truth
Sabrina and Daphne find their father's diary. It talks about Mayor Charming. It says Charming's upcoming fundraiser ball is a scam. It also says giants are very gullible. They think Mayor Charming tricked the giant. They believe Charming is the "Englishman."
The girls find a letter in Granny's purse. It tells them to enter a forbidden room. Inside, they find the Magic Mirror from Snow White. The mirror can answer rhyming questions. They ask if Granny is alive. The mirror says she and Canis are okay. They are still in the giant's shirt pocket!
They ask who can help them. The mirror shows Jack the Giant Killer in a prison cell. The police, Officers Hamstead, Swineheart, and Boarman (the Three Little Pigs), chase them. Sabrina, Daphne, and Puck escape on a magic carpet. They fly to the prison. They rescue Jack. They trick Ichabod Crane, the guard, by pretending to be the Headless Horseman.
Jack purposefully attracts the police. The giant reappears and chases them. Jack seems to enjoy the chaos. They get home. Jack wants to stay. Sabrina is not sure. Later, Puck and Sabrina find Jack fighting with Elvis. Puck accuses Jack of stealing. Jack keeps talking about his "big plan." Sabrina gets angry. Jack finally reveals his plan. They will sneak into Charming's office during the ball. They will steal his city plans. Jack thinks this will show where Charming wants to send the giant next.
The Ball, Betrayal, and Battle
The group uses the mirror for disguises. Sabrina becomes Momma Bear from Goldilocks. Daphne becomes the Tinman. They use the Ruby slippers to get into Charming's mansion. Their disguises will wear off at nine o'clock.
At the party, many Everafters talk about Granny Relda. They know the Grimm family. Many Everafters dislike the Grimms. They hope the family will disappear so they can leave Ferryport Landing. Briar Rose (Sleeping Beauty) defends the Grimms. The girls also learn their parents might have been kidnapped.
Sabrina sneaks into the mayor's office. She finds tape recordings of the giant crushing the farmer's house. Suddenly, Prince Charming catches Sabrina. He already has Daphne. He threatens them. He also mentions he doesn't want to join the "Scarlet Hand." This is a 'revolution' group.
The girls change back to themselves just as a giant arrives outside. Charming tries to throw them out. But the party guests have formed a mob. The three witches start fighting the giant. Daphne protests because Granny and Canis are still in its pocket.
King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table fight the giant. The angry guests leave the party. The girls demand Granny back from Charming. They are sure he controls the giant. But Charming's tapes show the real culprit: Jack! Jack had tricked them all. He had set the giant loose. He wanted to kill it in front of reporters to become famous again. Charming had sent Hamstead to get the girls out of town. He wanted to kill the giant and save Granny. The girls ask why Charming helped them. He says, "I have my reasons."
They rush home. Jack has ransacked their house. He injured Elvis. Jack stole several magic beans from the mirror. Charming and the girls get weapons from the mirror. They go to fight Jack. Jack has released a new giant. He is trying to anger it. Sabrina accidentally kills the giant with Excalibur. This makes Jack furious. Jack tries to kill Sabrina and Daphne. But Mr. Canis rescues them! He turns out to be the Big Bad Wolf. The giant is sent back to its kingdom with Jack.
The girls learn about a secret group called the Scarlet Hand. This group kidnapped their parents. Puck will also be moving in with them.
Characters
- Sabrina Grimm
- Daphne Grimm
- Granny Relda Grimm
- Mr. Canis
- Puck
- Mayor Charming
- Mr. Seven
- Jack the Giant Killer
- Sheriff Hamstead
- Officer Boarman
- Officer Swinehart
- Elvis (Dog)
- Mirror
- Icabod Crane
