by Adam Gidwitz
If you read Grimm’s fairy tales closely, you’ll see a pattern of stories following two children, a boy and a girl: Hansel and Gretel. This is their story, retold in the right order through the fairy tales.
Gidwitz does not hide anything at the beginning of this book: he says from the get-go that these stories are bloody, scary, and awesome. And I’d have to agree. The original Grimm stories are gruesome, and Gidwitz doesn’t cut any of that out. But he infuses it with his signature irreverent humor, which breaks up the darkness and lets some light in. I really enjoyed this book, but I might use a little caution before letting younger readers (less than 8 years old) read it.