The Land of Stories #2: The Enchantress Returns by Chris Colfer

Alex and Conner find a new way back into the Land of Stories, a world full of fairy tale characters and creatures. The evil Enchantress has returned, and she kidnaps their mother from the real world. The Enchantress wants to take over all the kingdoms, and her power is greater than all the other fairies. She captures the soul of the Fairy Godmother, the twins' grandmother, and it seems like there's no way to stop the Enchantress. Connor reads a story about the Wand of Wonderment that will make the holder invincible, but there's a problem. To make the wand, they must collect the most prized possessions of the six most hated people in the world, including the Enchantress.

You should read the first book in the series before reading this one. The personalities of many fairy tale characters.are unexpected. Red Riding Hood is a mean princess, Goldilocks is a fierce warrior, and they both like Jack and the Beanstalk. The spells are clever; the Enchantress makes thorn bushes grow all over the castles, and she's collected the souls of people who have hurt her feelings. I most liked the author's twisting of elements in familiar fairy tales. I knew what to expect, but then the author made them different.