The Candy Shop War [Paperback]

Brandon Mull (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 17, 2009 | Age Range: 8 and up

Welcome to the Sweet Tooth Ice Cream & Candy Shoppe, where the confections are a bit on the . . . unusual side. Rock candy that makes you weightless. Jawbreakers that make you unbreakable. Chocolate balls that make you a master of disguise. Four young friends--Nate, Summer, Trevor, and Pigeon--meet the grandmotherly Mrs. White, owner of the Sweet Tooth, and soon learn about the magical side effects of her candies.

In addition, the ice cream truck driver, Mr. Stott, has arrived with a few enchanted sweets of his own. But what about the mysterious man in the dark overcoat and fedora hat? Why are all these "magicians" trying to recruit Nate and his friends? Who should they trust?

The mystery deepens and the danger unfolds as the four youngsters discover that the magical strangers have all come to town in search of a legendary, hidden treasure--one that could be used for great evil if it fell into the wrong hands. The kids, now in over their heads, must try to retrieve the treasure first. And so, the war begins . . .

Editorial Reviews

Review

Candy Shop was amazing!!!, August 29, 2007
By Customer

I am a big fan of the Fablehaven Series. When I saw Brandon had already written another book outside of the series I was anxious to read it. I got my hands on an advanced reader copy. This book was fantastic. Brandon is an amazing author. I love his sense of humor and the way he portrays his characters, they are very likable and you feel like you really get to know them. Just like Fablehaven I felt like the characters would do things and make similar decisions that I would do. Anyway, all those who love great books, be sure to read Candy Shop, you won't be disappointed!!

fabulous talent and book, February 07, 2008
By Bethany

Brandon Mull has done it again- this book is gripping right up to the end. With Mull's talent and a good storyline you can't go wrong. if you loved Fablehaven, you'll love Candy Shop war

Excellent For ANYONE!!, September 22, 2008
By Customer

This book is so great. I told my husband we were going to read it - he rolled his eyes... Then when I started he wouldn't let me stop! A great book for a family to read together, or grandparents to read to grandchildren! You'll wish there was a sequel!

 

--Bethany;Customer;Customer

About the Author

Brandon Mull, New York Times bestselling author of Fablehaven, travels the country visiting schools, promoting literacy, and sharing his message that "Imagination Can Take You Places." In his youth, Brandon won a gold medal at a pudding-eating contest in the park behind his grandma's house. His long-standing love affair with sweets continues to this day. Brandon lives with his family in Utah.

Product Details

• Age Range: 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Shadow Mountain (February 17, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590389700
• ISBN-13: 978-1590389706
• Product Dimensions: 5.1 x 1.1 x 7.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (128 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,892 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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

50 of 54 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars something fantastic and full of action September 10, 2007

By Heather Froeschl

Format:Hardcover

Never take candy from a stranger! Brandon Mull, New York Times bestselling author of "Fablehaven," likes to use the messages we all hear as kids, like, "Drink your milk," and this traditional warning to stay away from strangers bearing sweets. The similarities to anything you've heard before stop there. "The Candy Shop War" is something completely new and different, and I might add, something fantastic and full of action.

Brandon Mull has created a whole new world where special candy can make kids float, shoot electric shocks from their fingers, and even enter the land of wonder through the looking glass...but it isn't anything wonderful in there! Nate is new to the neighborhood, having just moved in, and the friends he makes in the first days will become the truest sort he can hope for. They will come to rely on each other in ways they never could have imagined. The kids start doing after school chores for the owner of a new candy shop in return for special treats. Here's where that warning comes in to never take candy from people you don't know. The chores turn into assignments, which turn out to be quite dangerous and progressively wrong. The temptation might seem sweet but Nate and his friend Trevor decide to hang in there for other reasons. There is a mystery to be solved, and it turns out that there is a rival candy seller who has an interest in what is discovered. A great legend comes into play, and while talking dogs and horses are very cool, what is going on is becoming terribly bad. It's up to Nate and his friends to put a stop to it, if they aren't eaten by giant black widow spiders, or turned to bones and dust first.

This middle grade reader is fantastically full of adventure and fun of a completely different sort.... While there is magic and wonder involved, it isn't like anything published in recent history. The underlying messages are well thought out, while the characters steal the show. Kids aged 8-12 will see themselves as Nate figures out what to do to save the day, and even as he bounces from rooftop to rooftop. Who wouldn't love to give their teacher fudge in order to make her forget about assigning homework? The writing is, as always, a pleasure to partake of. Brandon Mull is a gifted author who knows how to reach out to his readers even when giving them those important reminders to drink milk and not take candy from strangers. I will anxiously await even more published work from this author, and Shadow Mountain. Read more ›

23 of 26 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Another hit! September 20, 2007

By ST

Format:Hardcover

My students (I really am a school librarian)love Brandon Mull's books as much as I do and I'm thrilled to know that a Utah author is making it big. If you haven't discovered him, I promise you won't be disappointed! The action is lively right from the beginning, the characters are well-written and engaging and Mull doesn't talk down to his readers. You can't go wrong.
One note: How did all the editors of this new book miss a glaring error? It says (page 38) that Jefferson and Madison died on the same day, July 4th. Jefferson and ADAMS died on the same day, July 4th, 1826, and Monroe, not Madison, died five years later on July 4th.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Refreshing Imagery September 12, 2007

By B.S.L.

Format:Hardcover

Bradon Mull is a refreshing addition to literature, his book is new and exciting. I bought this for my daughter after reading both "Fablehaven" books (which are wonderful) and she loved it. Just good clean fun for the whole family my husband and myself have read them as well as my 15 year old. Everyone is waiting for the next one. He creates likeable characters with interesting personalities and great bad guys. The twists in turns in the plot are well developed. His adventures are every childs fantasy9 that of my were extra creative too). Give them a try you won't be disappointed.

19 of 24 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A sweet idea, but with a few sour drops in the mix October 29, 2007

By Amanda Richards HALL OF FAMETOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

World domination has a sweet tooth in Brandon Mull's latest fantasy adventure, about four kids who discover that too much candy can be REALLY bad for your health.

After a rather exciting prologue, the book slows to a moderate pace, with the new kid in town having to prove himself in order to join three other kids in their club. He does this by performing an impetuous* act which establishes him not only as a club member, but as a firm enemy of the inevitable gang of neighborhood bullies.

The next phase of the story revolves around the owner of a new sweet shop, who makes original confectionary in various forms, ranging from magical to addictive. Mrs. White, owner of the aforementioned shop, soon has the kids doing odd jobs in exchange for treats, but as the jobs get odder and odder, they begin to think there may be more tricks than treats in her bag.

Before long, the kids are breaking and entering, operating voodoo dolls, shape shifting, defying gravity and robbing graves, until an encounter with another magical sweet maker and a meeting with a stranger shifts their respective perspectives** somewhat. By the time you wrap your brain around all of that, Mull throws in a few space-time continuum mind teasers, takes you through the looking glass and then channels Ponce de Leon and the Holy Grail a la Indiana Jones.***

The sour drop I mentioned in the title of this review hit me early in the book, where the author on several occasions gratuitously* describes minor characters by their skin color, and then when the children magically change their appearances, he takes pains to mention not only that they change race, but also unnecessarily gives them a few stereotypical* traits in case you missed the previous race reference.... The book would have felt no pain from the surgical removal of these references.

As imaginative and innovative as Fablehaven and its sequel Rise of the Evening Star, Candy Shop sometimes gets carried away with its cleverness, at times overdosing the reader with too much of a good thing. Notwithstanding* the aforementioned problems, however, the unique story line and interesting characters and character development makes for good reading if you don't mind the occasional inedible bit.

* big word
** two big rhyming words
*** I watch a lot of movies, don't I?

Amanda Richards, October 30, 2007 Read more ›

20 of 26 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Definitely Different June 25, 2008

By Dr. Jane Nixon White

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

The Candy Shop War is definitely a departure from Brandon Mull's highly successful Fablehaven series. A stand-alone book, though as full of magic as the Fablehaven series is, that is where the similarity ends. The magic here is darker, and more violent, and could be frightening to younger children. The main characters are believable as children, but the narrative is often stilted to the point of feeling almost contrived. The vocabulary level is extremely rich, but the author seems to go out of his way to use the most difficult word choice possible, which at times distracts, and is sometimes annoying. After enjoying the Fablehaven books, I was disappointed in this book. I had to make myself keep reading to the end.