The Unusual Suspects by Michael Buckley

Amber (10) and I read this together and both really enjoyed it. It’s a fun read, full of familiar fairytale  characters whose lives have been re-imagined in the contemporary world. Daphne and Sabrina Grimm finally start school at Ferryport Landing Elementary. Daphne’s lucky and has Snow White as a teacher, but Sabrina is stuck with Mr. Grumpner and a group of sixth-graders who are either asleep or just plain mean. The mystery starts when Mr. Grumpner is found murdered, dangling in a huge spider’s web. What is going on at the school?

The Grimm sisters and their grandmother have to investigate, and this time Mayor Charming actually admits the town needs the Grimms’ help.

“This conversation must be an absolute secret,” [Charming] said as he stood before them. He leaned down and pinned a shiny tin star on Sabrina’s coat. It looked like the kind sheriffs wore in old black-and-white western movies. She peered down at it and read the words FERRYPORT LANDING SPECIAL FORCES DEPUTY OFFICER. (pg. 84)

We meet some more characters, including the Piper of Hamelin and Rumpelstiltskin, both of whose stories involve children being taken from their parents, you notice. Puck is a full-fledged member of the team now and the interactions between Sabrina and him are perfect given their ages.

Sabrina is still desperate to find her parents. She is dealing with anger issues and a suspicion of all the Everafters, irregardless of who they are now or what they do. She’s a complicated character, but her grandmother makes it clear that bigotry is not acceptable.

My favorite character this time around had to be Snow White. She and Charming have a little romance going on, but she’s not going to sit back and let him rescue her. She knows self-defense and is not afraid to stand up for herself. She clearly lets Charming know that the world has changed and she’s changing along with it.

The book ends on a major cliff-hanger. Luckily we already have the third in the series, The Problem Child, because Amber wanted to start it immediately.

Suggested reading level: Ages 9-12
First published in 2005. #2 in The Sisters Grimm series.
290 pages.

Challenges: 100+, A to Z

Our copy was given to us as a gift and the above is my honest opinion. I am an Amazon associate.

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