Pay the Piper: A Rock 'n' Roll Fairy Tale (Paperback)

~ (Author), Adam Stemple (Author)
Key Phrases: brass rat, dancing rats, charmed soul, Pied Piper, Granny Kirkpatrick, Peter Gringras (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 6-8–In this new twist on The Pied Piper of Hamelin, a banished prince of Faerie has formed a folk rock band to earn the gold and silver he needs to buy off a curse he incurred by murdering his brother. When a promoter stiffs him, Prince Gringras turns to his third option for payment: leading children into Faerie, where their human souls can power the land of the Ever Fair. Although he succeeded in Hamelin and in other lesser-known locales, Gringras gets more than he can handle when he lures a group of trick-or-treaters that includes a high school reporter's little brother. Motivated first by the prospect of a great story, and later by fear for her brother, Callie follows Gringras into Faerie and undoes the curse that compels him to steal children away. The modern pacing and idiom of the scenes featuring Callie's goofy, upbeat family and friends make for a jarring contrast with the formal language used for the dark thoughts and actions of the exiled prince, and lengthy descriptions of Gringras's rock and reel band run the risk of alienating teens whose musical tastes favor other genres. However, these shortcomings won't deter readers who like a fast-paced Faerie tale, especially if they enjoyed Holly Black's Tithe (S & S, 2002).–Beth Wright, Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, VT
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Gr. 6-9. Yolen and her son, a professional musician, have produced a rollicking good riff on the Pied Piper. Callie, 14, attends a folk rock concert featuring Brass Rat, which she will write up for her school paper. The next night, Halloween, she stays home to write her review. Meanwhile, Brass Rat's leader has a story of his own. As the exiled son of the Faery king, he must, every seven years, tithe gold, silver, or souls. In the absence of gold, the "Piper" settles on the town's trick-or-treaters, including Callie's brother, as his payment. The authors keep the action moving while allowing readers to sympathize not only with Callie but also with the fairy piper, wicked as his plans--and his past--are. A strong, resourceful girl, a Faery land where ethical questions are posed, and some fun poked at baby boomer parents make this an entertaining as well as meaty read. Following the story is a collection of "Brass Rat Songs," eerily hummable despite being presented without musical notation. Francisca Goldsmith
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Starscape; 1st edition (June 27, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0765350416
• ISBN-13: 978-0765350411
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 4.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #977,745 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars fine version of the Pied Piper, July 22, 2005

By	Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews (#1 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Pay the Piper: A Rock 'n' Roll Fairy Tale (Hardcover)

Fourteen-year-old Calcephony "Callie" McCallan is a school reporter school in Northampton, Massachusetts. She is excited by her job because this assignment enables her to go back stage while the popular rock 'n' roll band, Brass Rat performs. The only setback is that her parents make her bring her brother Nick with her. After listening to a recording by the group, Callie wonders why her classmates ate making such a fuss over this band. That is she wonders until she meets the dynamic lead singer Peter Gringras. His flute playing mesmerizes all who listen including Callie.

However, on Halloween night as the Brass Rat performs, all the children including her kid brother Nick vanish. Callie thinks she knows why the children have been "abducted" and plans to rescue them as she plans to follow the magic flute into the land of faerie to make the piper pay, but she will soon learn how "faerie justice" works.

The middle school crowd will enjoy this fine version of the Pied Piper starring a wonderful young heroine who risks her life to save her sibling and the other children from the unknown. As the audience learns the truth, feelings towards Peter the Pied Piper will change although he still committed the abductions. Young readers will enjoy the first rock and roll fairy tale while looking forward to future fantasies from this solid mother-son collaboration.

Harriet Klausner

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars R and R Fairy Tale, November 22, 2006

A Kid's Review

Pay the Piper, by Jane Yolden, tells of girl, Callie, who discovers that an exciting new rock band, called the Brass Rat, is from another dimension and is kidnapping children as the result of a curse. Callie ends up following the bands leader, Grigras, into the other dimension and is able to break the curse put on him and his associates. The writing style was impressive and linked the genres of realistic fiction and fantasy very well. However, there is a lack of excitement in the story and that can cause a reader to lose interest in the book quickly. This is not a book for readers who are looking for a thrill.

2.0 out of 5 stars Weak Interpretation, May 23, 2009

By	D. Ford "Jazz" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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This book attempts to combine fact with fiction to explain the story of the Pied Piper. It epically fails. It is easily seen that the book is geared towards younger readers by how it explains vocabulary every few pages. The story plays out too quickly and seems unrealistic, even for fantasy. There is not nearly as much background information as was needed. I only bought this book to learn more about the legend of the Pied Piper and how the authors would view him. His and the main character Calcephony's background stories are too weak to be part of a good story. They were both static characters, even after the climax. The Pied Piper was seen as mean and selfish, with no real depth other than being old and of Faerie. I do not recommend this story. However, if you do not mind a weak plot with subtle but annoying foreshadowing, go ahead and read it.