Sorry to say, these altered fairy tales weren't up to Vande Velde's usual standards. They were a little hostile, a little bleak. The first one is the best, but it's lifted straight from The Rumpelstiltskin Problem" which is kinda ok because it's also hers, but I am glad I got this from the library instead of from a store!

Accidentally reread 4 years later. Bumping it up one star, to three. Still not satisfied, but my main complaint this time is that they're too superficial & short. And some are actually funny. The one based on Hansel and Gretel is not just bleak, but is quite creepy - good choice if you're looking for a little Halloween read with your kids.

I do still get excited every time I have a chance to read something new by the author, and I do especially recommend this book for the underserved girl reluctant-readers. (But of course also for boys, fans of fractured fairy tales of all ages, etc. :)" ( )

These versions of familiar fairy tales are quite enjoyable. Well, the Hansel and Gretel one was disturbing, but most of them have endings I prefer to those of the original, particularly 'Jack and the Beanstalk,' which is funny. These are the story titles:

'Straw Into Gold'***
'Frog'****
'All Points Bulletin'***
'The Grandaughter'****
'Excuses'***
'Jack'****
'And Now a Word From Our Sponsor'***
'The Bridge'***
'Rated PG-13'*****
'Mattresses'****
'Twins'*****
'Evidence'****
'Beast and Beauty'****

The various stories retold, some in very abbreviated form (see 'Rated PG-13') : 'Beauty and the Beast,' 'Chicken Little,' 'Cinderella,' 'The Elves and the Shoemaker,' 'The Emperor's New Clothes,' 'The Frog Prince,' 'The Gingerbread Man,' 'Goldilocks and the Three Bears,' 'Hansel and Gretel,' 'Jack and the Beanstalk,' 'The Little Red Hen,' 'Little Red Riding Hood,' 'The Pied Piper of Hamlin,' 'The Pincess and the Pea,' 'Rapunzel,' 'Rumplestilskin,' 'Sleeping Beauty,' 'Snow White,' 'The Three Billy Goats Gruff,' and 'The Ugly Duckling'.

The cover is delightfully creepy. I like the wolf in granny guise on the cover of the book being read, the glowing eyes behind the three strange children under the bed, and the black widow spider in the window. The children under the bed are also seen in the frontispiece. The girl is not hiding her smile behind her hand there and that's no improvement. I suspect the smiley face nightlight was chosen by the reader's parents and the reader probably scorns it. I think the watch's time is 3:13. Happy late reading! ( )

Fun short stories that were adapted to fit a modern age of children.

This is a fun, and easy book to read, however some of the stories might be a little disturbing to some. I would recommend this book to middle school kids and older. The variations of the fairy tales are clever and enjoyable to read. I actually laughed out loud quite a few times.

A bunch of twisted fairy tales,(The granddaughter, which is the twisted tale of Little Red Riding Hood) very easy to read, but then it's a children's book. It would be very enjoyable for a 8-12 year old.

It has it's cute points, example of this is a little poem about Rapunzel and an All Point's Bulletin for Goldilocks.

Some of images in the book creep me out. ( )