A tale dark & Grimm by Adam Gidwitz

This book was first published in 2010 before being reprinted in 2014 with a new cover illustration. It is the first of the Grimm trilogy which also includes In a glass Grimmly (2012) and The Grimm conclusion (2013). The series has returned to the limelight more recently due to the release of a Netflix series based on book one in October 2021, and so has the potential now to reach a whole new generation of young readers. 

However this book is not for the faint hearted - it is dark and bloody and more closely follows the original tales of the brothers Grimm rather than the sanitised versions most children have heard by kindergarten. The language and vocabulary used are rich, descriptive and sophisticated yet even readers who do not understand particular words will be able to follow along.

The dark content could have been quite unpleasant if not for the narrator's 'voice' throughout the book which speaks directly to the reader. The narrator injects great humour, warnings and tension at vital break points in the story. The result is that readers who might otherwise lose interest are kept hooked, and those who choose to continue are desperate to know what happens next. They are ready for the violence, action, blood or hard choices that follow.

Broadly, the story is a much-expanded version of Hansel and Gretel, and has the children facing great adversity. From the people and situations they encounter throughout, they learn about making difficult decisions, about what loyalty and faithfulness mean, and about their own relationships with each other and with their parents.  

And of course, at its heart this is still a fairy tale. So it also includes multiple instances of good vs evil - although sometimes the line between the two sides is not as clear-cut as you might expect. This could provoke some interesting discussions about how to decide what is ‘good’ when there are negatives on both sides.

An excellent teachers' guide contains lesson plans for each chapter, including vocabulary, comprehension, discussion points and a choice of final project activities.

Themes: Fractured fairy tales, Bravery, Good vs evil, Siblings, Relationships.

Kylie Grant