The Day I Fell Into a Fairy Tale by Ben Miller

What worked:

The book’s cover shows Lana smiling as she tumbles through a portal but it’s not a happy experience in the book. The story is darker than that as Lana is pushed into the portal by a creepy little man at Grimm’s supermarket. Fairy tales are fun to read but many of them are filled with dark, evil characters doing dark, evil things. The witch wanting to eat Hansel and Gretel and another witch wanting to kill Snow White are two examples. This book centers on the tale of Sleeping Beauty, with references to a couple of more, as Lana finds herself dropped into a castle where everyone has fallen asleep for 100 years. The little man at Grimm’s warns Lana that the stories in a book are scarier than she might expect which ensures she’ll read it. Everything is going as the little man plans.

The plot touches on the inevitable transition from childhood to becoming an adult. Lana misses playing with her older brother as he’s always in his bedroom studying something. Harrison understands the importance of being successful in school so he doesn’t have time for childish games. Perhaps this also mutes a youthful imagination as he scoffs at Lana’s tales of traveling through a portal into a fairy tale. Lana doesn’t understand why her brother is becoming more serious and she wants them to go back to their times of playing in the backyard. Middle-grade years are a time of change that can be difficult for young boys and girls and for their siblings too.

The book includes occasional chapters that share a version of the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale. These sections are written with a different font that notifies readers the story has been interrupted by the fairy tale. This information prepares readers for what’s about to occur or to provide the setting characters are about to enter. Later on, the fairy tale takes a twist as Sleeping Beauty and the prince have twins that they name Hansel and Gretel. The portal that transitions the story into the make-believe world is found in various candy displays around Grimm’s. It’s presented as a tunnel slide into the fairy tale that characters can climb back up to return home. All kids can relate to tumbling down a slide!

What didn’t work as well:

The appearance of Grimm’s supermarket happens overnight and the town readily accepts this magical event. It’s unclear if the citizens have been enchanted by the little man but their obsession with the “bargains” they find inside seems to have a mystical angle. Do the townspeople know the store is a result of magic?

The final verdict:

This book will appeal to lovers of fairy tales and adventures in a new world. The relationship between Lana and Harrison is enjoyable as they try to rediscover the close bond they once had. Overall, the story is entertaining and I recommend you give it a shot.