The Problem Child (The Sisters Grimm, Book 3) [Hardcover]

Michael Buckley (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

The Sisters Grimm come face to face with their parents kidnappers and are stunned when one of them happens to be the world's most famous fairy-tale character (hint, she wears red) and the other an unstoppable killing-machine known as the Jabberwocky. Without the now-dead Mr. Canis at their side, the girls have little hope that they'll ever be reunited with their mother and father. That is until their long-lost Uncle Jake returns home with stories of a weapon that can kill the beast but is so powerful it had to be destroyed. Now the girls must find the missing pieces so the deadly weapon can be reforged, but to get it done they'll have to go head-to-head with the Wizard of Oz, the Little Mermaid, and even the horrible witch Baba Yaga. To complicate matters, Sabrina begins to struggle with an addiction to magic and finds herself unraveling a real-life family mystery, the origins of which have caused suffering for generations of Grimms.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-6–Sabrina Grimm, 11, and her 7-year-old sister, Daphne, are still on the trail of The Scarlet Hand, which has kidnapped their parents. On the way to rescuing them, the sisters meet their likable Uncle Jake, whom they had never heard of before. Granny Relda had arranged for everyone in town to forget him after he inadvertently broke the spell that kept a deranged Little Red Riding Hood in the asylum. The book is loaded with cameos by fairy-tale characters, including Prince Charming as playboy turned sleazy politician. Although they will delight fairy-tale fans, some of the most interesting figures get short shrift. Puck, who combines magic with mischief in a way that both attracts and repels Sabrina, disappears from the action early on. Granny Relda's gentleman friend and every tale's wicked wolf is resurrected only at the end of the novel. Still, there is plenty of plucky Sabrina, nurturing Granny Relda, and Daphne. The end leaves plenty for the next book to resolve. Each chapter starts with a menacing silhouette, and black-and-white full-page illustrations add more macabre details. Recommend this to anyone who is craving a bit of dark humor rolled up with whimsy and adventure.–Tina Zubak, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, PA
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About the Author

Michael Buckley has written and developed shows for Nickelodeon, Disney, MTV Animation, the Sci-Fi Channel, and VH1. His shows The Mole People and The New Sideshow can be seen regularly on the Discovery Channel. Michael also writes a monthly internet column for The Idiot Magazine. He lives in New York City.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Amulet Books (April 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810949148
• ISBN-13: 978-0810949140
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #106,726 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

After a tragic accident I was bombarded with gamma radiation. Days later, I awoke to discover I had changed. Now when I am angered I transform into an enormous, green monster people have come to call "The Hulk." I faked my own death and I'll stay dead until I can learn to control the savage monster inside me. Wait a minute - that's the bio for Bruce Banner! No, I grew up in Akron, Ohio -- nowhere near any lab where gamma radiation research was going on. When I was a kid I was a roller boogie fanatic but that hardly makes me a monster...even if people were injured a few times when I would "shoot the duck." No, the closest thing I have to a monster inside me are my Incredible Hulk underoos! Does that count?

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another incredibly unbiased review by the author., January 10, 2007

By 

Michael Buckley (My Own Little World) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Problem Child (The Sisters Grimm, Book 3) (Hardcover)

OK kids, I know authors don't usually write their own reviews. Hey, some author's don't even write their own books! You're just going to have to get used to me being off the leash - I'm crazy I tell you.
Ahh, The Problem Child. It was certainly the most ambitious installment in the series and I think it has some truly surprising and funny moments, but this book is considerably darker than the first two. Why? Well the villian is a beloved character few people have ever thought of as a bad guy but my choice should give you some insight into my brain. Plus, I included the Jabberwocky, a creepy creation from Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. This is one demented duo but they may hold the key to finding Sabrina and Daphne's parents.
I think the book is pretty imaginative, if I do say so myself. We meet the Little Mermaid living at the bottom of the Hudson River in a kingdom of discarded trash, the legendary witch of Russian folklore - Baba Yaga, and we have some fun with Prince Charming as he runs for re-election as the town's mayor. I think the jokes are fun, the settings are intriguing, and the girls are tested more than they ever have been. Plus, lots of Puck and the return of Mr. Canis.
I think where this book stumbles is that the pacing is a bit off. I cram a lot into a day and these poor girls are running all over town - no one eats, no one sleeps - it's very manic. It's something I have to work on - but I admit, I've seen Raiders of the Lost Ark too many times and Indiana Jones never went to bed - not once!
For fans, this book is important because we learn a lot about Granny Relda and her relationship with her late husband, and her two sons, Jacob and Henry. It's a complicated relationship filled with a lot of hurt feelings, especially when long lost Uncle Jake returns to help save the day in a fumbling Harry Potter in a leather jacket sort of way. I've also heard some weird complaints about what a fairy tale is as if that was actually defined somewhere. For some reason people get a bit uncomfortable when characters from other books intermingle but to be honest those people probably hate it when their pork chops touch their apple sauce, too. The first page of the first book is a promise to readers that I'm going to stick in everyone I can that makes sense because I'm trying to create a new world where every great character from every great children's classic lives next door. That's how I've chosen to create conflict in the books so if you're going to keep reading you better get used to it. It might mean that the Jabberwocky will eat The Tin Man (He doesn't by the way - but hey, that might be a good idea for book 4!). Another problem is that Daphne has very little growth in this book (even if she is hysterical) which is something that has to change in future installments.
The big theme of the book is Sabrina's addiction to magical items and how hard work is more valuable than taking the easy way. It also sets an important precendent for the character - Sabrina's addiction is a sickness, thus, magic will never be something she can wield to her advantage. She's going to have to rely on herself and not enchantments - steering this book away from being another fantasy book about a kid who can fly, or turn into a cat, or whatever else is going on out there.
So, I'd love to give this book a 5 but 4 is pretty good - again, the pace is frantic and the darkness might surprise some younger readers so 4 is more of a warning for everyone who might just be joining the series. It's a big departure for the characters but for people who are interested in Sabrina's journey its a pivotal book in the series.
Again, this one ends on a cliffhanger - but I promise you won't be disappointed with where I'll take you in Book 4. After all, wouldn't you want to meet Puck's family?

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enchanting!, May 19, 2006

By 

Miriador "miriador" (New York, New York USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Problem Child (The Sisters Grimm, Book 3) (Hardcover)

For anyone who hasn't heard of the Sisters Grimm Fairytale Detective books, do yourself a favor and get yourself the whole set! They are WONDERFUL! And they're not just for kids! The style is very similar to JK Rowling's Harry Potter series, and The Sisters Grimm are certain to delight children and adults alike!

The books are told from 12 years old Sabrina Grimm's perspective. It turns out that she and her sister, Daphne, are descendents of the famous Grimm brothers who recorded many of the fariytales we know and love today. However, the fairytale characters actually exist and are living in secret in upstate NY! Prince Charming is the mayor of this secret fairytale town, and he is still courting Snow White (they've been having a lovers' quarrel for the past 800 years).

In this third novel, The Problem Child, Sabrina and Daphne are trying to confirm the identity of their parents' kidnapper and are doing everything in their power to save their parents. They are aided (and thwarted) in their quest by their Granny Relda, Puck the Trickseter fairy from A Midsummer Night's Dream, and a host of other characters from The Little Mermaid to Baba Yaga.

Michael Buckley keeps his readers guessing by taking many twists and turns, heightening the mysteries and throwing in very important life lessons. I loved this book! It took this 37 year old reader back to the excitement of being 12 again and delighted me to no end. I can't WAIT for the next book!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tales from the Hood, August 6, 2006

By 

Amanda Richards (Georgetown, Guyana) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Problem Child (The Sisters Grimm, Book 3) (Hardcover)

Book three is the darkest of the lot so far and picks up the plot from the cliffhanger ending of book two. Sabrina Grimm is in deep, deep trouble, staring down the claw of a Jabberwocky. Her arm is broken, and her only hope lies with Puck, who of course wants to be paid for the rescue.

It appears that her parents have been kidnapped and bewitched by Little Red Riding Hood, a mentally unbalanced child and certified nutcase, who may or may not be a ringleader of the scary Scarlet Hand movement.

This book introduces Daphne and Sabrina's Uncle Jake, who helps them in the search for their parents, and also gets them in a lot of trouble as he encourages them to break their grandmother's rules. They learn that the only way to defeat the Jabberwocky is with the Vorpal blade, a sword that has been broken into three parts. Once they get the first section, they find the clues they need to locate the other two pieces, but it'll take more than all the King's horses and all the King's men to put them together again.

To make things more complicated, this is an election year in Ferryport Landing, and for the first time ever, Mayor Charming has an opponent. Politics makes strange bedfellows, and the Grimms and Everafters need to form alliances against their enemies.

The moral of this story is that there's no such thing as a free lunch, every action has an equal an opposite reaction, everything has a price etc..etc.. but then I'm sure you knew that already. This book doesn't end as abruptly as book two, but again we're left with a tantalizing glimpse of what the next episode holds in store. Bring it on!



Amanda Richards, August 6, 2006