No one saw the strange mound in the middle of the night. The town common was dark and the only sounds came as the mound became a hill then a flagpole, then girders and glass. These rose out of the ground all popping into place. The flag that fluttered from the pole high above read – GRIMMS.

Lana is bored. Her older brother used to play imaginative games with her, but now all he’s worried about is school and exams. Even if they aren’t until the end of the year.

For something to do, Lana hops in the car with her mum to visit a new supermarket in town. She can’t believe her eyes. Her town of Little Hilcot never changed – but there it was, with a sweeping drive and plenty of parking. GRIMMS.

Inside, mum finds what she needs and Lana discovers a book, large, red and leather bound. The little bearded man who seems to run the store is putting it on a high shelf, telling her it is far too scary. She decides she must have it, not knowing she is being deceived.

It’s a book of fairytales, and it is scary. Her mum’s not sure whether she should read much more. The next time they visit GRIMMS, it’s packed with customers. Lana’s exploring takes her to the pix n mix lollies, where she suddenly finds herself inside one of the bins and falling… Did someone push her in?

Lana lands inside a fairytale! It is the tale of Sleeping Beauty. She can’t believe it, and neither do her parents when she tells them where she’s been. All Lana can think of is Briar Rose (Sleeping Beauty) still lying where she left her – on the floor next to a spinning wheel, in a huge castle. It’s only after she finally convinces her big brother to visit the Fairytale Kingdom that she can help the sleeping princess.

Things are not so straight forward however, and the land of fairytales as they know it is changing. Little do Lana and Harrison realise that this is all part of a devious plan, and they too will soon be in terrible danger!

A wonderful and scary blend of fairytales including Rumpelstiltskin, Sleeping Beauty, and Hansel and Gretel. They are all mixed in with a terrible plan to capture children from one dimension to feed another!

Modern life and fairytale fantasy are smooshed together bringing magic and mayhem to siblings Harrison and Lana.

This is an entertaining read for anyone who knows the classic stories of old, with a new warning label – Watch out for supermarkets that appear in the night, no matter how good the specials are!

Author – Ben Miller

Age 8+

(2021, Simon & Schuster, Action, Adventure, Betrayal, Courage, Fantasy, Magic, Secret, Siblings, Imagination, Study, Spiral slide, Wall of thorns, Prince, Princess, Bravery, Fairytales, Stories, Creepy)