Philippa Fisher's Fairy Godsister [Hardcover]

Liz Kessler (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 7, 2008 | Series: Philippa Fisher

Philippa Fisher tries and fails to summon a fairy, but is taken aback when Daisy, the new girl at school, announces that she is her fairy godmother - or godsister, since they are the same age. Daisy is not best pleased with Philippa, but she has a mission to fulfil and is obliged to stick with her until she has granted her three wishes. The three wishes are at the heart of a traditional story in a thoroughly contemporary setting, which touches on friendship, luck and how we decide what we really want. It sparkles with magic and has the same warmth, charm and quirky characterization that Liz Kessler brought to the EMILY WINDSNAP series.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4–6—Philippa Fisher's life is a disaster. Her parents embarrass her in front of her friends; they are party entertainers and drive a bright yellow VW camper with pictures of clowns and jesters and rabbits painted on the side. Then her best friend moves away and she feels totally alone. She is so miserable, in fact, that the ATC (Above the Clouds) sends her a fairy godmother from 3WD (the Three Wishes Department). But Daisy, the fairy godmother (called a godsister because of her age), has serious attitude and is vexed at being paired with a human. She and Philippa get off to a dreadful start when her charge unknowingly leaves the transforming fairy with a limp and bruises. Just wanting to get the job done, Daisy delivers three wishes that give the girl the opportunity to change her life forever, which results in near disaster. Philippa, a self-conscious 11-year-old who desperately wants to be part of the popular crowd, is forced to rethink what friendship and parental love are all about. It is her choices and the consequences that make this story so moving. Equally as charming is the way fairy magic has been modernized with MagiCell messaging and a fairy facing her own trials and errors. The gentle storytelling and theme of finding oneself will resonate with girls gong through their own emotional awakenings.—Robyn Gioia, Bolles School, Ponte Vedra, FL
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Philippa is lonely when her best friend Charlotte moves to the country. Picking a daisy, she sings a magical charm, thereby animating her very own fairy godsister—complete with three wishes. Unfortunately, the argumentative Daisy is not particularly fond of humans and her wishes turn out very badly: Philippa’s parents become more “normal” but they fight all the time, and Philippa’s new-found popularity doesn’t make her especially happy. The author of the Emily Windsnap books offers here another upbeat, middle-grade fantasy. Philippa is believable as a middle-schooler navigating difficult friendships and embarrassing parents, and the message of being careful what you wish for is delivered with a light touch. A minor thread dealing with Philippa’s interest in magic (and the reasons for her performance anxiety) will also strike a chord with readers. Give this to fans of Linda Strauss’ A Fairy Called Hilary (1999), which features another fairy with attitude. Grades 3-5. --Kay Weisman --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Orion Childrens H/B & Trade Pb (February 7, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1842551205
• ISBN-13: 978-1842551202
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.9 x 7.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,014,992 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Liz Kessler used to live in Manchester but had taken a year off to travel around Europe in a camper van. She studied English at Loughborough University, has worked as a teacher and a journalist and has an MA in Creative Writing from Manchester Metropolitan University.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect reading for all Emily Windsnap fans, December 14, 2008

By 

Mp Goldston - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Philippa Fisher's Fairy Godsister (Hardcover)

This book is the PERFECT follow on from the Emily Windsnap books!

Every young girl (and many adults too!) will relate to Philippa Fisher and the problems and situations she faces. And the character of Daisy (the fairy) is intriguing and original. Yes, she may be a little bad-tempered to begin with, but as you read on, you begin to understand why. And the fact that fairies have their own lessons to learn is a lovely idea. She may not be the traditional wand-holding fairy, but then Emily Windsnap isn't a traditional hair-brushing mermaid either! And like the Emily Windsnap books, this book has a wonderful message for young girls: be yourself, be happy with what you've got, be good to your friends, believe in magic - and in fairies!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't Got My Own Copy but I'm suuure gonna!, April 7, 2010

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Philippa Fisher's Fairy Godsister (Paperback)

I checked out this book from my class library and LOVED it.I can relate to some of Philippa's problems to.At first Daisy has a bad temper(and she kinda made me mad) in the beginning but you soon know why.Overall I loved this book and I recomend this book to everyone I know.

Peace Love Happiness,
Angie

P.S. I'm 10 (11 in 2 months) and this is my mom's acount.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Sweet, nice message for little girls, August 23, 2011

By 

Kat at Fantasy Literature - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Philippa Fisher's Fairy Godsister (Hardcover)

Philippa Fisher is your average 11½ year old -- her parents are embarrassing and she wishes she was popular. When her best friend moves away, she is so sad that she comes to the attention of the fairy godmothers. They assign Daisy, who's never worked with humans before, to Philippa's case. Daisy must grant Philippa three wishes, but Daisy also has her own lessons to learn about compassion if she wants to advance in fairy society.

I listened to the audiobook version of Philippa Fisher's Fairy Godsister with my 9 year old daughter, Tali. We thought Philippa was charming and that the audiobook reader, Kate Reinders, did a wonderful job with all of the characters. In fact, the perfection of the reading was one of the best parts of my experience with this novel and I often found myself smiling at Ms. Reinders' delightful voices.

As an adult reader, I thought Philippa Fisher's Fairy Godsister was highly predictable and I am weary of the I-wish-I-was-popular and my-parents-are-so-weird themes. But Tali isn't tired of these yet and the "be yourself" message comes across effectively, even if the characters' sudden epiphanies and changes in attitude seemed unrealistic to me. Particularly well done was Philippa's realization that the mean girl is popular because nobody wants to be on her bad side.

Overall, Philippa Fisher's Fairy Godsister is a sweet, if predictable and unoriginal, story with a good lesson for young girls. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to girls who enjoy these types of stories and I may decide to read further in this series if my daughter wants to read them with me.