THE DAY I FELL INTO A FAIRY TALE, by Ben Miller and Daniela Jaglenka Terrazzini, Aladdin, April 23, 2024, Hardcover, $17.99 (ages 8-12)
A brother and sister discover a magical world in The Day I Fell into a Fairy Tale, a middle-grade fantasy novel by Ben Miller.
Lana loves stories, especially the ones she and her brother, Harrison, share in their make-believe games. But when Harrison decides he’s too grown-up to play with Lana anymore, she’s too lonely to find the wonder in storytelling…until something magical happens.
Lana discovers a portal to a fairy tale world hidden in the strange new supermarket in town! But these aren’t the happy-ever-after fairy tales that Lana knows—they are darker and more dangerous, and the characters need Lana’s help to defeat an evil witch. But she can’t do it alone.
Can she convince Harrison to believe in stories again and journey to the world with her before it’s too late? —Synopsis provided by Aladdin
The Day I Fell into a Fairy Tale is a charming middle-grade novel that drops the main characters and readers right into the middle of well-known tales that have a “darker” twist.
Original fairy tales (Grimm, Hans Christian Anderson, etc.) are known for being a bit darker than the Disneyfied versions of today. So, the stories Lana and Harrison encounter may come as a bit of a surprise to kids today. And that’s why The Day I Fell into a Fairy Tale works. It’s twist on “happier” tales easily draws in readers.
Author Ben Miller has created a unique setup that is sure to draw attention — entering magical lands through candy barrels. And his writing is very cinematic in nature.
That said, The Day I Fell into a Fairy Tale does read a bit young. It would probably appeal to kids as young as 7 as a read-aloud and up to about 11 for individual reading.
Copyright © 2024 Cracking the Cover. Unless otherwise noted, all books — digital and physical — have been provided by publishers in exchange for honest and unbiased reviews. All thoughts and opinions are those of the reviewer.
