The Wishing Spell

The Wishing Spell follows twins Alex and Conner Bailey as they fall into a storybook and find themselves in the Land of Stories. There, fairy tales are real and familiar characters like Red Riding Hood, Goldilocks, and Cinderella exist as actual people. The twins discover they must collect eight specific items to activate the Wishing Spell - a powerful enchantment that can transport them back home. Their quest takes them through various kingdoms as they encounter both allies and enemies from classic fairy tales. To return home, Alex and Conner race against time while navigating this dangerous realm filled with magic, villains, and unexpected twists on traditional stories. Their journey requires them to be resourceful and work together despite their different personalities. This middle-grade fantasy explores themes of family bonds, growing up, and how stories shape our understanding of ourselves and others. The novel presents a fresh perspective on classic fairy tales while examining the complexity that exists between good and evil.

Readers appreciate the creative fairy tale mashups and the way familiar stories interconnect in fresh ways. Parents report their children staying engaged throughout the book's 400+ pages. Many note it works well as a read-aloud option for families. Common praise focuses on: - Fast-paced adventure - Humor and witty dialogue - Strong sibling relationship between protagonists - Educational vocabulary words scattered throughout Main criticisms: - Writing can feel basic and repetitive - Plot relies heavily on convenience/coincidence - Some find it derivative of other fairy tale adaptations Several reviewers mention the book improves after a slow start. A frequent comment is that it reads like fan fiction, which some enjoy and others dislike. Ratings: Goodreads: 4.2/5 (106,000+ ratings) Amazon: 4.7/5 (3,800+ ratings) Common Sense Media: 4/5 (parent reviews) Barnes & Noble: 4.6/5 (500+ ratings)

The Land of Stories: Beyond the Kingdoms by Chris Colfer Two siblings discover a portal book that allows them to jump into different fairy tales and meet storybook characters face to face.

Furthermore by Tahereh Mafi A girl with no color in a magical world travels through different lands to find her missing father and faces tasks from various fairy tale inspired rulers.

The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani Two friends are kidnapped to attend a school where children train to become fairy tale heroes and villains.

A Tale of Magic by Chris Colfer A young girl defies her kingdom's rules against female magic users to become a witch and change the fate of her world.

Pages & Co.: The Bookwanderers by Anna James A girl discovers she can travel into books and interact with characters from classic stories while searching for clues about her missing mother.

🌟 Author Chris Colfer wrote the first draft of The Wishing Spell when he was just 16 years old, though it wasn't published until he was 22. 🌟 Before becoming an author, Colfer was best known for his role as Kurt Hummel on the TV show Glee, for which he won a Golden Globe Award. 🌟 The book's map of the fairy tale world was hand-drawn by Colfer himself, though it was later professionally rendered for publication. 🌟 Many characters in the book are reimagined versions of classic fairy tale figures, but Mother Goose appears exactly as she was originally written, as Colfer wanted to pay homage to the traditional nursery rhymes. 🌟 The series was originally planned as a movie, but Colfer decided to make it a book series instead because he felt the story was too complex for a single film.