Land of Stories

Land of Stories, by Chris Colfer, features two twins named Alex and Conner. Although they have similar exterior features, they could not have different personalities. Alex is a 12-year-old bookworm who studies and reads Encyclopedias in her spare time. Conner on the other hand is the class clown, naps in class, and gets more detentions than the school can apply. One feature they both share is their love for their father. Or, the memory of their father. Alex and Conner’s father died in a car crash, which leaves their family in a terrible financial situation. On their 12th birthday, their grandmother gives them the book, Land of Stories, a timeless family heirloom of childhood fairy tales. Little do they know, that the book is enchanted as a portal to their favourite childhood stories. When the first enter the fairy tale world, they expect reliving fairy tales. Soon, they find out that they entered a new dimension entirely. Follow the twins as they jump in and out of the stories, creating new tales along the way, in Chris Colfer’s ongoing series.

Land of Stories is a timeless tale that fits in to any ages. It took the base of the original Grimm fairy tales and placed a spin on it. The feeling of Alex being bullied by her classmates, and Conner feeling that he’s not smart enough was so strong, that my heart felt it needed to pump for them as well. Although the Land of Stories series is one of the more “well known” stories I have reviewed, I still felt that reading a review from a younger age may help someone wrap the overall idea of the story. The spin of the story is an original idea that is expressed perfectly with Chris Colfer’s writing style. You feel as though you have been taken into the story and as though you are a character in your new dimension.

Grade Level:

- Suggested: 3rd-5th

- Advanced: 3rd

Genre: Fantasy

Key Elements: Family, Fairy Tales

Possible Themes: Finding family besides family, Finding joy during hard times

Overall Rating: 4.5/5

Happy Reading!

-The Book Lover-

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