Book Club Kits: The Fairy Tale Detectives

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In Book One of the series, we meet two sisters, Sabrina and Daphne, who have been sent to live with their mysterious grandmother, Relda Grimm. From their first day in Ferryport Landing, the sisters begin to unravel a mystery that reveals a family secret. Sabrina and Daphne learn they are descendants of the Brothers Grimm, whose famous book of fairy tales is actually a history book. Snow White, the Three Little Pigs, the Big Bad Wolf—they're all alive and now neighbors of Granny Relda in this community of Everafters, as magical folks like to be called.

But life is not a fairy tale in Ferryport Landing. Someone has set a giant loose on the town, and it's up to the sisters Grimm to stop the giant and find the Everafter behind its murderous rampage. Is it Mayor Charming, formerly Prince Charming, who may have plans to get his kingdom back? Or Jack, the erstwhile giant killer, now working at the Big & Tall store?

• What difficulties do Sabrina and Daphne encounter in the foster homes in which they stay?
  
  
• What are the rules of Granny Relda’s house?
  
  
• What is the secret to unlocking the door to Granny Relda’s house?
  
  
• Mr. Canis is Relda’s helper, driver, and assistant. But he is also something else. What is he? What are some of the clues to his secret identity?
  
  
• Many of the citizens of Ferryport Landing have jobs that relate to their fairy-tale backgrounds. List some of them and explain the connection.
  
  
• What are the bugs that attack Sabrina and Daphne in Granny Relda’s back yard? Why do they attack?
  
  
• Are there any characters that you think would do a better job than Prince Charming as mayor of Ferryport Landing? Explain your answer.
  
  
• If you lived in Ferryport Landing, would you rather be an Everafter or a human? Use examples from the book to relate the advantages and difficulties you would encounter.
  
  
• Puck says he is a villain. Are his actions villainous? Give some examples and explain.
  
  
• The girls often encounter resentment towards their family from the citizens of Ferryport Landing. Why is this?
  
  
• Jack uses many words unfamiliar to the girls, such as “barmy,” “gob,” and “corking.” Explain what you think these words mean from the examples of how Jack uses them.
  
  
• What is “The Scarlet Hand”? Do you think Sabrina and Daphne heard the last of them? Why or why not?
  
  
• How does reading fairy-tales help the girls solve the case?
  
  
• Decide whether Mayor Charming is a hero or a villain. Explain your answer.
  
  
• Sabrina’s attitude towards Granny Relda changes over the course of the book. What does she think at the beginning? Why does this change by the end?