The Enchantress returns

In this sequel (The Wishing Spell), thirteen-year-old twins Alex and Connor return to the Land of Stories to save their kidnapped mother and, along with some fairy-tale stalwarts, search for the Wand of Wonderment to stop the evil Enchantress's threat. The narrative is full of exposition, but fans of the first installment will find more of the same here. (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

It's been a hard year for twins Alex and Connor since their father passed. They miss his stories, especially the fairy tales he used to teach them about life, as well as soothe their fears. They know better now: life rarely has a happy ending. But then a magic book from their grandmother, a gift on their twelfth birthdays, sends the twins hurtling into the Land of Stories, where happy endings are usually expected. Their biggest concern is gathering the materials needed for the Wishing Spell, which will send them back home. So begins a scavenger hunt for some of the most recognizable symbols and characters in fantasy lore: Cinderella's glass slippers, a lock of hair from Rapunzel, tree bark from Little Red Riding Hood's basket, etc. Golden Globe–winner Colfer writes for an audience that will likely include plenty of teen readers (i.e., fans of Glee), and generally they will not be disappointed by the giddy earnestness of the writing, cut with a hint of melancholy. Dorman's evocative spot illustrations kick off each chapter. Copyright 2012 Booklist Reviews.

Twins Alex and Conner have traveled from our world into the Land of Stories before, but now other realms are available, thanks to a potion their deceased grandmother Anneliese (the Fairy Godmother) created to open portals. The potion has disastrous results when the twins' estranged uncle, Lloyd, uses it to enter fictional worlds and recruit an army of villains. With help from friends—Red, Jack, Mother Goose, and Goldilocks—Alex and Conner race against time and magic to try to stop Lloyd. This latest from Glee star Colfer takes readers beyond fairy tale kingdoms and into realms from literature: Oz, Neverland, Camelot, the Sherwood Forest, and Wonderland all appear. The pacing is fairly relentless, and readers new to the series may struggle to keep up with the large cast of characters (who are not what you might expect). Still, fans of reimagined fairy tales will be drawn to the whimsy, and Colfer's popularity ensures an audience. With a cliff-hanger ending to boot, fans may have a hard time waiting for the final installment of this series. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.

It's hard not to love a book dedicated to the Glee star's grandmother, who gave him this early advice: "Christopher, I think you should wait until you're done with elementary school before worrying about being a failed writer." In this entertaining if a bit overlong first novel, 12-year-old twins Alex (a girl) and Conner fall into their grandmother's cherished book of stories and arrive in fairy tale land. The only way to get home is a convoluted scavenger hunt that requires them to collect eight tokens from various fairy tales—Cinderella's glass slipper, a lock of Rapunzel's hair, etc. The ending is never in doubt, but it's a difficult journey as the twins meet the Big Bad Wolf Pack, are enslaved by trolls, and kidnapped by Snow White's evil stepmother. Colfer gets off many good lines—Conner's dialogue especially sounds like quips Kurt Hummel might make, as when the twins swim across an icy moat: "Wooo! It's so cold, I think we may be twin sisters now." The nifty ending ties the plot's multiple strands up while leaving room for further fairy tale adventures. Ages 8–up. Agent: Rob Weisbach, Rob Weisbach Creative Management. (July)

Gr 4–6—When Alex and Conner's father unexpectedly dies, the twins lose the person who always had the perfect story to cheer them up. Then, on their 12th birthday, their grandmother gives them the book of fairy tales he used to read to them. Suddenly it seems to come to life, and the youngsters find themselves falling into the Land of Stories, seemingly with no way to get out. Desperate, they follow instructions in a mysterious journal: if they gather eight items from various residents in the kingdoms of the Land of Stories, they can complete the Wishing Spell and have one wish granted. After scaling castle walls, diving deep into the home of mermaids, and meeting characters from all of the beloved fairy tales, they are stymied by the Evil Queen, who has escaped from Snow White's dungeon. With the hope of using the spell gone, the twins appear to have no way home until they meet Fairy Godmother, their own grandmother. In a way, they find comfort from their grief over their father's death when they realize that they have been following his journal and that he grew up in this land. The writing quality in this adventure is inconsistent and detracts from the fast-paced story. The deep sadness of the twins comes through, but they are somewhat one-dimensional, since Alex is so much the nerd and Conner, the class clown. The plotline, however, pulls readers in and is entertaining, and Colfer's passion for fairy tales shines through. Turn to Adam Gidwitz's A Tale Dark & Grimm (Dutton, 2010) for higher-quality writing in a recent fractured fairy-tale novel.—Clare A. Dombrowski, Amesbury Public Library, MA