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This page is about the Michael Buckley novel. For other uses, see Problem child.
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The Problem Child
The Problem Child.jpg
First edition
Author Michael Buckley
Illustrator Peter Ferguson
Cover artist Peter Ferguson
Country United States
Language English
Series The Sisters Grimm series
Genre Fantasy Mystery novel
Publisher Amulet Books
Publication date
 May 2006
Media type Print (Hardback)
Pages 304 pp
ISBN 0-8109-4914-8
OCLC 66530288
Preceded by The Unusual Suspects 
Followed by Once Upon a Crime 

The Problem Child is the third book in the exciting The Sisters Grimm series. It was written by Michael Buckley. This fantasy mystery novel continues the adventures of the Grimm sisters, Sabrina and Daphne. They solve mysteries involving famous fairy tale characters, known as Everafters.

Unraveling the Mystery: The Kidnapping Plot

The story begins with Sabrina facing a big challenge. A girl has kidnapped her parents, and a scary monster is also involved. Puck, a mischievous fairy, comes to help Sabrina. But then, the magical portal they used to travel disappears. Sabrina and Puck get stuck in an old, abandoned asylum.

They manage to escape, but Sabrina gets hurt by the monster. After she recovers in the hospital, she returns home. Her family celebrates her safe return. That night, Sabrina looks through old journals. She discovers the kidnapper is actually Little Red Riding Hood.

Searching for Clues: The Asylum and a New Face

Sabrina, Daphne, and Puck want to learn more about Red Riding Hood. The next night, they go back to the ruined asylum. They hope to find medical files that might give them clues.

A mysterious man finds them there. He seems to know Sabrina and Daphne's names. Thinking he is part of the evil Scarlet Hand group, the three quickly escape. They rush back to their grandmother's house.

School Chaos and a Family Secret

The next morning, Sabrina, Daphne, Granny Relda, and Puck go to a new school's opening ceremony. Mayor Prince Charming is giving a speech. But then, the Queen of Hearts interrupts him. She announces she wants to become mayor instead.

Suddenly, the mysterious man from the asylum appears. He is Jacob Alexander Grimm, Granny Relda's son and Henry's brother. Uncle Jake gets Sabrina interested in magic. This later leads her into trouble with Baba Yaga, a very old witch rumored to be a cannibal.

Red Riding Hood's Sad Story

That night, Sabrina sneaks into Uncle Jake's room. She wants to look at his files for clues. She accidentally wakes him up. Instead of being angry, Uncle Jake explains things about Red Riding Hood.

He tells Sabrina that Red Riding Hood was very sad. She had lost many people she cared about. She thought her dead kitten was the fierce monster called the Jabberwocky. Because of her sadness, she started kidnapping others. She believed they were the people she had lost. This is how the Grimm sisters' parents were taken. Red Riding Hood thought they were her own lost parents.

The Vorpal Blade: A Quest Begins

Uncle Jake explains that Red Riding Hood only seems evil because of the Jabberwocky. If the Jabberwocky is defeated, she will no longer be a threat. But Sabrina learns that only the Vorpal blade can kill the Jabberwocky.

The Vorpal blade was broken into three pieces. These pieces were hidden in different places in Ferryport Landing. The Grimms already have one piece. Sabrina, Daphne, and Uncle Jake must find the other two.

Dangerous Journeys and Lost Wings

Uncle Jake decides to take Sabrina, Daphne, and Puck for a drive. Granny sends Sabrina to get Puck. She finds him upset because Granny seems to pay more attention to Uncle Jake. Sabrina tries to comfort him.

Later, at a restaurant, the Jabberwocky attacks! It rips off Puck's wings. After two narrow escapes, they get more pieces of the blade. They get one from The Little Mermaid, who is very sad and eats a lot after someone left her.

The Witch's Bargain and a Magical Mistake

The group then searches for Baba Yaga, the cannibal witch. She has the last piece of the Vorpal Blade. Baba Yaga demands Merlin's Wand in exchange for the blade piece. Sabrina doesn't want to trade it. But Uncle Jake gives the wand to Baba Yaga without Sabrina's permission.

As they leave, Sabrina secretly takes the Shoes of Swiftness from Uncle Jake's coat. She goes back to Baba Yaga to get the wand. But she makes a mistake! She picks up the wrong wand and holds it backward. This turns her into a frog! Prince Charming has to kiss her to turn her back.

The Blue Fairy and a Changed Past

Sabrina tries to put the Vorpal Blade pieces together. She finds a puzzle on the blade. It shows who the Blue Fairy is disguised as. The Blue Fairy is the only one who can make the sword whole again.

The Blue Fairy turns out to be a waitress at a restaurant. Once the sword is fixed, Sabrina and Daphne fight the Jabberwocky and defeat it.

However, Uncle Jake has become too addicted to magic. He attacks the Blue Fairy with the Vorpal Blade. He forces her to give him all her power. He then uses this power to take away the Everafters' immortal abilities. This starts to kill them.

Uncle Jake offers everyone else a wish. Sabrina wishes that Uncle Jake had always known how much power he had just by being smart, having a great family, and being a Grimm. This wish changes the past! Instead of attacking the Blue Fairy, Uncle Jake is happy and hugs Granny.

Sabrina and Daphne get their parents back. But their parents are still asleep. Puck is also getting weaker. The next book, Once Upon a Crime, continues the story of saving Puck.

Characters in the Story

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