The Grimm Conclusion for Middle Grade Monday

Well, it's a new year and I am planning some changes around here.  First off the posts will be more varied.  Instead of a Monday post with a very clever theme and three carefully selected book choices I will be posting on:

Monday - A Middle Grade or Young Adult book that caught my eye

Tuesday - An Early Reader or Early Chapter book you must know about

Wednesday - An awesome Picture Book you can't live without

Thursday - Graphic Novel/Non Fiction day.  Both of these genres have been so impressive lately.

Friday - Otherwise known as Retro Day - I pull a great book out of the archives or look at a classic (yes that would be a book from my childhood - no smirking please)

I also plan on updating the look of the blog.  It will take a few months, but a web site designer will be hired and a more searchable site will be in the works.  It just sends tingles down your spine now doesn't it?  Ok, maybe just a little shiver ... a quiver .... something?

So to start off our new year I am posting a review that I didn't get a chance to get on the blog at the end of last year.  It is the conclusion of a series that I have loved and a must read for any kids who appreciate adventure with just a little bit of fright and a lot of humor mixed in.

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Title:       The Grimm Conclusion

Author:   Adam Gidwitz

Target:    Grades 4-7

Series:     Yes

What this book is about:
In this last book in the trilogy, Gidwitz has reimagined a new set of fairytales as he takes our two children Jorinda and Joringel through a ghastly and dark adventure into the stories with which we grew up.  Make no mistake, the journey these children take is grim and filled with evil deeds, but what a wonderful ride!  Our ever present narrator is there to add humor and levity to the scenes so that no matter how sinister it gets, there is always a good chuckle to be had!  Each of Gidwitz’s books has a larger life lesson he is trying to convey, and this book is no exception.  Here he takes on the role of stories to help us work through our own confusion and sorrows in real life and he champions the idea that ignoring our emotions does not make them go away.

Why I love this book:
The whole trilogy is just wonderful.  The sarcasm and humor just appeals to kids and adults alike.  I also love that his tales don’t skirt around the violent and bloody fairytales but embrace their origins and allow kids to face their fears in a story where everything comes out ok.  

While I still think the first book is the best, this one did a good job of finishing off the trilogy.  The author actually brings the present day narrator into the story, which I found a bit off putting, but I don’t think kids will have a problem with it.  He also references things from the first two books, which I read so long ago I didn’t remember.  But once again it is a minor quibble in a story that I think kids will devour.

Who this book is for:
Kids who don’t want to be coddled, but like clever humor.

Final thoughts:
These books will remind you how awesome fairytales really are!  If you haven’t read them yet, check out the other two books in the trilogy, A Tale Dark & Grimm and In a Glass Grimmly.  I have also included the book trailer below.

To purchase this book: 
Click on the following link to connect to Amazon: The Grimm Conclusion  A portion of each purchase will go to support this blog at no cost to you.