The Mirror's Tale: A Further Tales Adventure (Further Tales Adventures) [Paperback]

P. W. Catanese (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 23, 2006 | Age Level: 9 and up | Series: Further Tales Adventures

Everyone has heard the story -- the dwarves, the talking mirror, the evil witch. But this tale doesn't belong to Snow White anymore....

Bert and Will, the twin sons of the baron of Ambercrest, are best friends. They do everything together and can't help it if trouble just seems to...find them. But the baron is fed up and has decided that separation will keep them out of mischief. One twin, he proclaims, will stay in Ambercrest for the summer, while the other will be sent to The Crags -- a foreboding, rocky outpost on the edge of the kingdom.

It is there, hidden in a forbidden black chamber, that one of the boys discovers a bejeweled and mysterious mirror. What is the precious object? And why does it make him feel so...powerful? Soon the twins' kinship is replaced by dark magic and deceit, and a kingdom hangs dangerously in the balance. What becomes of one who is ruled by the forces of evil? And can brotherly love conquer a consuming quest for power?

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-7–In this accessible entry in the series, Catanese imagines events many years after Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs ends. Mischievous Bert and timid Will, twin sons of the baron and constantly in trouble, are separated by their parents to keep them out of trouble. Bert is sent to The Crags, the former castle of the Witch-Queen of the Grimms' story, and now ruled by his Uncle Hugh and Aunt Elaine. He finds the enchanted mirror and is bewitched by it, deciding to kill his brother whom he believes is likely to inherit the barony from their father. While the plot starts a little slowly, it quickens and does not lag until the exciting and action-filled climax. The human characters have a contemporary feel, which is especially evident in their dialogue. This limits the magical and historical elements of the story, but makes it more accessible to reluctant readers. While Bert undergoes some soul-searching, the transformations in the boys over the course of the story are predictable and two-dimensional. The dwarves, or Dwergh, are the most successfully drawn and interesting characters. The mirror itself is far more evil than that in the original fairy tale, and, as the title suggests, this is really its story. Buy where there is a demand for fast-paced, easily read adventure fantasy.–Sue Giffard, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, New York City
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About the Author

P. W. (Paul William) Catanese was born in New York and grew up in Connecticut, where he lives with his wife and three children. When he's not writing books, he draws cartoons and works for an advertising agency.

Interestingly, the letters in "P. W. Catanese" can be rearranged to spell "want escape?" Paul figures that's why people read books like his.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Aladdin; Original edition (May 23, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416912517
• ISBN-13: 978-1416912514
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #867,459 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Hello and welcome. If you aren't familiar with my novels, here's the general idea: I take a classic fairy tale and tell you what happens many years later, using the loose threads of the original story to weave a new adventure (a fast-paced, action-packed, sometimes scary adventure, to be more specific). Sometimes the characters from the original tales show up in supporting roles. In "The Thief and the Beanstalk," for example, you'll meet Jack, but he's an old man. The hero is a young thief named Nick who crosses Jack's path. This is a fun premise for stories, because the themes of the old stories echo in the new adventures, and I can look at the classic tale in a new and sometimes unexpected way.

As for me, I was born in New York, lived near Boston for a few years, then moved to Connecticut when I was seven. I live in a small town in the same state today, with my wife and three children. These days, when I'm not writing books, I work for an advertising agency.

Here's a funny little coincidence: The letters in "P.W. Catanese" can be rearranged to spell "Want escape?" And that's why people read books like these, isn't it?

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Captivating reading, August 26, 2008

By 

Squid (Florida) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Mirror's Tale: A Further Tales Adventure (Further Tales Adventures) (Paperback)

The Mirror's Tale takes you for a ride. I probably enjoyed this tale as much as my children, who are a bit too old for fairy tales, but couldn't wait for me to read them the next chapters, and always asked for more. At the end, they complained the shouldn't have ended as they wanted the story to continue.

Cantanese stories have rich characters and the protagonist are often flawed. In this story we learn how easy it is to be sucked into evil, how a person can be enticed by a character that preys on these flaws.

After, we discussed how the antagonist of the story was so much like drugs. How crack and cocaine can sucked a person in, believing that the drug offers happiness while it destroys the person and those around them.

This is a well woven story, and although written at a 5th grade level of reading complexity holds the adult reader's imagination throughout.

What I don't understand is why Cantanese is not widely acclaimed as both a great children's writer, and writer of fantasy.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars SUPER READ!, September 20, 2007

By 

Texas Mom "Texas Mom" (Bedford, Texas United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Mirror's Tale: A Further Tales Adventure (Further Tales Adventures) (Paperback)

I bought all the books by this author for my 9-year-old daughter. She LOVES them, so I started reading one. I could not put it down! Now I am reading all of them! Great for any age!

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Books, April 6, 2008

By 

LarryC "LarryC" (Spokane, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Mirror's Tale: A Further Tales Adventure (Further Tales Adventures) (Paperback)

(This review was written by my 8 year old son.)

My dad bought the Thief and the Beanstalk for me and said it would be a good book to read. Ever since then we have been reading the whole series, never putting the book down. If I could rate it my way I would rate it a ten. This book is for kids who like exciting and adventurous books and who love to read. I think everyone should read this series.