Fablehaven [Paperback]

Brandon Mull (Author), Brandon Dorman (Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: April 24, 2007 | Age Range: 9 and up | Series: Fablehaven (Book 1) | Lexile Measure: 700L (What's this?)

Kendra and her brother, Seth, have no idea that their grandfather is the current caretaker of Fablehaven. Inside the gated woods, ancient laws keep relative order among the greedy trolls, mischievous satyrs, plotting witches, spiteful imps, and jealous fairies. But when the rules get broken, powerful forces are unleashed, and Kendra and her brother face the greatest challenge of their lives. To save their family, Fablehaven, and maybe even the world, Kendra and Seth must find the courage to do what they fear most...

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

You probably don't need any more reviews of your book, and I might not be someone that anyone would listen to anyhow, but if it helps, I'd like to reiterate what our experience has been from a parent's point of view. ,,Everything about this book is interesting. My child wanted to know more after just a glance at the cover. Then we read the 'wanted' clipping and my child who hates to read said 'if we had that book, I would probably read it.' Of course I bought it immediately! When she started reading it, she was so excited about it that she would tell us about everything that happened until we were all into it. We decided that we had better read it together as a family so that no one would miss anything. It was great fun to have everyone excited to get together and read to eachother. Sarah, my reluctant reader was so intrigued that she decided to use it as a book report book for school, at which time we agreed that she would read the rest of it to us. She went from her usual mumbling and stumbling to reading loud and clear with great emphasis. There is so much excitement, concern, humor and mystery in Fablehaven. We couldn't stop reading and soon we all hoped it would never end. , After receiving the book report, the teacher asked if she could borrow the book to read. , How much did Sarah enjoy the book? She asked for the second book 'Rise of the Evening Star' for her birthday present...was excited when she got it for her birthday...and started reading it immediately. Thank you so much for a book that captured her interest and hasn't let go. , , Heather Arthur (parent) , Amesbury, MA --This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

From the Publisher

These authors had the following to say about Fablehaven.

The dialogue snaps and sizzles...like Harry Potter, Fablehaven can be read aloud in a family with as much pleasure for grownups as for children....do yourself a favor, and don't miss the first novel by a writer who is clearly going to be a major figure in popular fantasy." - Orson Scott Card, New York Times Bestselling Author

"Imagination runs wild in Fablehaven. It is a lucky book that can hold this kind of story." - Obert Skye, Author of Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 9 and up
  
• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Aladdin; 27th ptg thus edition (April 24, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416947205
• ISBN-13: 978-1416947202
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (362 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #11,339 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #24 in Books > Children's Books > Social Situations > Family Life > Multigenerational
  • #94 in Books > Children's Books > Social Situations > Family Life > Siblings

More About the Author

Brandon Mull no longer lives on the side of a mountain above a prison. He now resides in a happy little valley near the mouth of a canyon with his wife and three children. Since the arrival of his new daughter, he is more the golem of the household than ever, following whatever orders trickle down the chain of command. Brandon is the author of the New York Times bestselling Fablehaven books and The Candy Shop War.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

83 of 87 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Observe, Preserve, Conserve - but in the end you'll get what you deserve August 29, 2006

By Amanda Richards HALL OF FAMETOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

This starts off as a routine fantasy footprint - two kids, Kendra and Seth, get palmed off on their grandparents for a visit that becomes a lot more than they ever dreamed. As they soon learn, Fablehaven is no ordinary country estate, but a protected area for magical creatures, and their grandfather is the current caretaker. As if that weren't enough, their grandmother has disappeared, and granddad isn't telling the truth about her whereabouts.

But here's where it really gets interesting - Brandon Mull overturns conventional thinking on fairies, and when Seth makes a terrible mistake, the retribution is swift and merciless. At Fablehaven, a giant cow gives enchanted milk that allows the fairies to be seen, naiads frolic in a lake, satyrs drop by for adult parties, and a witch sits in a shack in the forest imprisoned by magical knots.

Soon it's Midsummer Eve, one of the nights when magic reigns free, and when the children break the rules, the aftermath is chilling. As a result of their disobedience, the two children find themselves alone except for a hen, and it's up to them to rescue their grandfather, the housekeeper, and Fablehaven itself, before a powerful demon is released from his prison.

Wildly imaginative, this is a wonderful debut for Mull - may he write many more chapters, and very soon.

Amanda Richards, August 29, 2006

41 of 41 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The next BIG hit! June 28, 2006

By ST

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

As a school librarian, I was sent an advance copy prior to publication and I shared it with a number of students. I already have a long waiting list of kids who can't wait to read this wonderful book! It has magic, family, problem-solving and enough scariness to make it fun. Nothing inappropriate here, but best suited for readers 4th grade and up, I think, just because the language (like Harry Potter) would be too difficult for younger kids and the scare factor is probably better for the older kids. Buy it, read it and know you're reading a book everyone will be talking about!

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too February 6, 2007

By TeensReadToo

Format:Hardcover

It's very rare, in this day and age of Harry Potter mania (and yes, I admit I'm a very devoted victim!) to find a fantasy story that can actually hold your attention. With FABLEHAVEN, though, new author Brandon Mull manages to do just that from the very first page to the last. Not to mention, thank the fairies, that there's already another book planned in the series.

The premise is simple enough: two siblings, thirteen-year-old Kendra and her eleven-year-old brother, Seth, are relegated to spending time with their paternal grandparents, Grandma and Grandpa Sorenson, while their parents enjoy a seventeen-day Scandinavian cruise. At first glance, that might not seem so strange, but you have to understand that their family's relationship with the grandparents Sorenson is sort of an odd one. They don't visit much, they don't call; in fact, Kendra and Seth don't really know their grandparents that well at all.

This is a forced, mandatory vacation though, so the kids don't have much choice in the matter. And when they finally reach Fablehaven, where, unbeknown to them, their Grandfather is the caretaker, they're a little overwhelmed. First, there were the No Trespassing and Private Property signs that gave way to one that said Certain Death Awaits. Now, they find out that however pretty and secluded Fablehaven may be, there's no television, no radio, and a ton of rules -- not all of which make sense.

What follows is two weeks of more adventure, trouble, suspense, and magic than the kids could have ever dreamed of. When their rash actions, and disobedience to some important rules, leads to retribution from the magical world of Fablehaven, Kendra, Seth, Grandpa Sorenson, and even Grandma, who seems to be missing, are in for a ride....

FABLEHAVEN is a great fantasy novel perfect for everyone, from young adults to those young at heart. With a cast of characters ranging from witches to fairies, satyrs to imps, strange chickens and conniving trolls, there's definitely something for everyone. I plan to give my copy of FABLEHAVEN to my ten-year-old son to read next, and I'm pretty sure he'll enjoy it as much as I did (not to mention my mom, who gets it when he's done!). Kudos to Mr. Mull for such a great debut fantasy novel, and for giving me something absolutely wonderful to read during my Harry Potter-deprived winter. I can't wait for the next book in the series!

Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius" Read more ›

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I call this a perfect fantasy! July 6, 2006

By Charles, a book lover

Format:Hardcover

My 10 year old loved FABLEHAVEN and so did I! It has just the right amount of adventure, mystery, humor, suspense, and imagination. Chapter 10 especially kept us wide-eyed and captivated! In fact, many chapter endings did the same thing. It was like a sling shot that launched us through the rest of the book. The characters are fantastic. Apparently, this is the author's first novel. Bravo! The writing is superb. I've recommended this to our school library! Although I'm not sure this would suit children under 9. There are some very intense moments (although my ten year old just ate it up) that may be a little scary for younger children. But the ending was wildly exciting. We were sad to finish the book because we fell in love with Kendra and Seth, Grandpa and Grandma Sorenson, Lena, and this special new place called FABLEHAVEN! Book 2 can't come fast enough!

29 of 35 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Okay, but not what I was hoping for. May 26, 2008

By A. Williams

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I find it very difficult to write a review for this book. I suppose I'll start with the fact that I'd expected the book to focus more on the actual "Fantastical Preserve" - ie, what a caretaker actually does day-in and day-out to care for magical creatures. However, there really wasn't any of that. Or very little at least. It was more like a giant patch of land where the magical beings could exist. Which, is fine, just not what I'd expected.
So, now for the unfortunate things - at least, in my opinion. I didn't really like the main characters all that well. I thought I did, for a while, but then they were just annoying. Everyone had their promising qualities, etc., but nobody really stood out to me as someone you were rooting for. The children were constantly disobeying "rules" as well as annoying each other. And while this had ramifications, it didn't seem to register with the kids... at least not as soon as it seemed it should have. On a similar topic, I found the lack of communication with the children just as disappointing, and again, the ramifications didn't seem to fit really. I wasn't very happy that one of the "messages" seemed to be "follow the rules because they are the rules." Perhaps this will be addressed in later books, but it wasn't satisfying for me in this book. Additionally, the ramifications for not telling the children all they needed to know was pretty sever, and again, I'm not sure how well the characters "learned their lessons." But, again, it is a series... so....
Also, the writing style was okay, but nothing that really astounded me. Sometimes it felt like a lot of time was spent on things that weren't really that important.
Also, a warning for squirmish readers, some parts are rather nasty.... There's nothing really, really, bad, and it's fine still as a young adult fantasy story. But there are some fairly gross descriptions, and some somewhat sad moments.
Finally, I could never really grasp the "world" of Fablehaven. I wasn't clear on how and why magic did or did not work. It felt, and perhaps this is unfair, but that the author was making the rules to fit the plot he wanted, instead of working it the other way around. Some things just seemed too convenient. But again, 'tis a series.
So, why give it three stars instead of none? Because, for whatever reason, I was still interested in the story. Because the initial chapters and the final five or so were well done and held my interest quite well. Because some descriptions were very pretty, and I loved the Lake setting as well as the descriptions of the fairies! Also, I was impressed with how well things came together for the "climax" and thought the author did a better job of tying things back together than I would have expected.
So, oddly enough, I find myself curious to read the next book, but unfortunately I was not nearly as impressed as I was with other fantasy stories. Hopefully the next few will be better! Read more ›