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Fairy Things
Her fairy dress came to just above her knees and seemed to be made of yellow and gold crinkly marigold petals in a sort of overlapping striped pattern. She had the same fawn belt and slippers as her aunt. The crown of flowers contrasted beautifully with the golden brown curls on her head, and the petals of her wispy dress shone like the sun. Beth, who never cared much for her looks before, had to admit she was a beautiful fairy.

Aunt Evelyn landed beside her with a small whoosh, taking her hand and saying, “Now we’re going to fly. Go on, try your wings.” Beth looked over her shoulder and tried to move her wings. Just by thought, her wings began moving very fast, in whispery waves that tickled her ears, and she was lifted several inches off the sofa, her aunt beside her. She then concentrated on slowing her wings and landed with a slight bounce.

“Good job!” exclaimed her aunt. “Now we’ll try going around the room.” They lifted off, still holding hands and circled the room three times. “Just imagine a nice soft landing,” Aunt Evelyn instructed, and they floated down, landing gently on the sofa. Beth, excited and proud, was all smiles as her aunt hugged her tightly.

Nine-year-old Beth Parish dreads spending two summer weeks with odd Aunt Evelyn. Things change when Evelyn reveals she and Beth are fairies. With Evelyn’s guidance, Beth, a marigold fairy, learns how to transform, fly, and use her wand. When the Feather of Hope (which keeps hope alive in the world) is taken, Beth, with her dachshund Pete, joins other fairies in a plan to retrieve it from a gremlin-occupied house. This first title of the originally self-published Fairy Chronicles series combines traditional fairy and contemporary elements with a likeable protagonist, who comes to appreciate her new abilities and responsibilities. The rescue is suspenseful, and Sweet laces the story with light humor and abundant fantasy details (fairies communicate via “nut messaging”). The colorful, classically styled illustrations, new to this edition, occasionally don’t match the text (characters drink root beer from bottles not mugs as shown), but they are quite appealing as is the use of decorative lettering here and there. An accessible, enjoyable story for readers who can’t seem to get enough about such magical spirits.


Sweet Story, Special Book
I was really amazed I liked this so well. The fairies are interesting characters and the girls who harbor the fairy spirits are also interesting. A young girl, Beth, finds out she is a fairy and discovers a few things about the magical world of fairies. She then goes to a fairy circle, which does not have to be circular, and meets a few new friends. Her friends seem even more like "characters" than she is, but she is still learning about everything and isn’t quite as forward as the others. The fairies have to help the brownies, who are boy fairies, solve a problem involving gremlins and the Feather of Hope. Beth, who is also Marigold, gets her dachshund to help because dachshunds are one of the three things gremlins fear. The other two things are pretty cute. The ending is of course happy, but shows a nice journey of discover for Beth because she learns to look at certain things in the world much differently, not necessarily through magical eyes but through the eyes of someone who has had them opened to a diversity in the world. Beth’s journey is very special because she learns to accept her aunt (the older fairy teaching her about the fairy world) for who she is. Beth is even able to find beauty in certain places she wasn’t able to before. That’s what makes the book a sweet story and even more special than just a magical book about fairies.


BOUGHT THIS FOR MY NIECE, BUT MY NEPHEW LOVES IT TOO!
I bought this book for my sister’s daughter’s birthday, but read it to both kids. Megan’s little brother kept taking it into his room, so I had to go back to Borders and buy another one.
I bought the second in the series and they both love it too.
This author is a very talented writer. I could care less if she publishes her own books or a publishing house publishes them, TALENT WILL OUT!
I’m pleased for her that her marvelous, original characters are becoming so very popular with the younger generation. Fine, moral books like this are needed in today’s world.
Thanks, Ms. Sweet, for bringing these gifts to delight our children for generations to come. -

"My Daughter’s New Favorite Book"
She has read it about four times. This is a pretty special book for her to take an interest like that. I read it yesterday and I like it myself. Maggie is ten but this would be good for younger and older girls too. Just use your judgement if they like fairies or not. We like the fun fairy wands and the dog Peanut best. The gremlins and what they are scared of is cute too. Maggie is also hunting around the garden for gnomes but we know we won’t be able to see them in their disguises. It’s just fun.

Great for Fairy and Fairytale Lovers
I have been reading the Fairy Chronicles series for about two years now, both the online e-Books and the first two published books. My daughter and I love the stories of trolls, dragons, elves, Jack Frost, etc. The first book has a wonderful storyline with fairies, gremlins, and an adventure to recover the Feather of Hope. It is a short book, but it is a lovely fairytale. I will be reading this again for pleasure in the years to come. I recommend it for all ages of fairy and fairytale lovers.

"A New Fairy Tale Writer"
Except for Tale of Despereaux and a few "cautionary tales" there aren’t very many new fairy tales being written. This is a higher reading level than Red Riding Hood and Goldilocks. I would say more along the lines of Rapunzel and Cinderella, two of my kid’s favorites. However, this book is more modern. There are some morals worked into the story but nothing directly religious. The young girl heroines are very independent and confident for their ages and are good role models for girls. This book would appeal to younger boys too because of the boy fairy brownies, gremlins, dachshund, and because they will probably admire the strong little girls. The brownies also have an incredibly important job in spreading hope over the entire world. I recommend this book for girls 6-12 and boys 6-10. It would be a good read-aloud book for 3-6 year olds. There is also a strong nature aspect to this book because the fairies protect nature. Good story and my kids and I are looking forward to more in this series.


Nice, Shining Tip of an Iceberg.,
This is a nice beginning for a wonderful, extended series of fairy tales. At first I was skeptical of so many books in a series, but I have found out that all of the books are very different. With 60 books to this series, this book seems to be a tip of an iceberg, but it is a nice shining tip.

The first book is good and lays a foundation. Beth is Marigold and finds out she is a fairy. She learns about things like how to fly and use her wand and fairy handbook. She has a fun adventure and saves the world with the help of her friends and an adorable dachshund. I think the writer must have a dachshund (but I read on her website that she has an imaginary dog) because she gets the personalities of dachshunds just right for this story. Peanut seems to come to life.

I have read all of the books so far that are free on the Fairy Chronicles website. Free is good. The books are all different: And the books have gotten better. This is one of those things that started off good and has become excellent. I am so impressed.. I liked reading the first few books, but I love reading the more recent ones that have been added. The mind of this writer is very unique. I have not really read other stuff this clever. That I actually get, that is. I really get the messages in these books and some of them are pretty serious.

Okay, now I can_t resist telling you which of the books are my favorites: Sniggerbly Wiskerfink 29, The February Garden 24 (I want a husband like Jack Frost), the Basket of Understanding 23, and the Flying Turtle 30 — in that order. The Ship of Pools and Big-Wag books are also really terrific and funnier than some of the other books, but don_t read about Mimosa in book 8 unless you want to cry. It is sad. Ginger_s story is also good in #27 with the purple Ibex.

I am a teacher and a mother and I love these fairy tales. My kids aren_t quite as excited about them as I am but they are teens and busy with other things. Except I saw my niece reading the BigWag book on her computer so kids definitely like this stuff. Five Stars and counting. Kudos.

AWESOME FAIRY ADVENTURE...
WOW! A LITTLE GIRL WITH A FLOWER FAIRY SPIRIT AND A BUTTERFLY MENTOR! Grabs you right up front, doesn’t it?
Well, that’s the magic about this author; she weaves a story around a real child, then surrounds the child with the most marvelous playmates, gives them wonderful adventures, and OFF we go ... for the fantasy of a lifetime.
Author Sweet is a really "sweet" storyteller (pun intended). Wonderful characters; great dialogue; and out-of-this-world adventures. Don’t miss this fun-to-read book! I highly recommend it.

THIS IS A REALLY COOL BOOK! AWESOME!
My Aunt Evelyn gave me this book because I love fairies. I’m happy there’s a lady in the book named Aunt Evelyn. That makes it more special.
I loved the fairies, gremlins, and all the fun characters.
Peanut is so cute and funny.
I loved the way they all talked and I hope the author writes another one soon.
My name is Heather. I’m ten years old.
Thank you, lady, for the cool book.

A Modern Fairy Story,
I just had to read this book after seeing all the rave reviews. I thought it was a little pricy, but hoped it would be worth it. I just read it to my 7 and 11 year old daughters. The 11 year old is long past any interest in fairies, but something in this story kept her coming back to hear more. The story doesn’t take place in some fantasy world for the most part, it takes place in our world. The story just introduces us to some fairies, brownies and gremlins that we might "overlook" in our day to day lives. We really enjoyed the fresh approach, that Beth/Marigold was just an ordinary girl, and her transformation back and forth between fairy and little girl was something we could all relate to without a huge stretch of the imagination. The story doesn’t talk down to children, and while short, it is wonderfully creative. I think my money was well spent and hope to see book 2 soon! My older daughter says she especially liked Aunt Evelyn because of her colorful personality.


This book has been valuable to me.
I run a small daycare center and I read this book aloud to the kids. They loved it! Especially the gremlins and the dog. One child told me that gremlins might be the reason her mother’s dishwasher broke. Because of this book we have had a visit from a dachshund, which the kids all loved, and this has started a weekly pet day for us. We have also had a visit from a pet shop owner who brought several pets and told the kids which pets are best for which types of people. We are now reading some of the free online books of this series aloud. I didn’t get into this business for profit so free things are greatly appreciated. The kids love the stories so far about elves, trolls, giants, goblins, etc... And they are learning about nature and recycling. We have looked up things like nightingales, jackrabbits, calliope hummingbirds, orb weaving spiders, chameleon lizards, etc... They have learned a lot from these stories. I think this book would be more suitable to be read alone by 8-10 year olds, but it is fine for reading aloud to all ages of youngsters. The kids are especially fascinated by the different types of fairy wands like braided orangutan hairs and pine needles. We haven’t come across any two wands that are the same in the series. There is a nice mix of ethnic backgrounds in the group of fairies too (Asian, Hispanic, African American etc...), just like the mix in my group of kids here at the daycare. It is good for kids to read about a variety of other children. They especially like the Native American fairy because there is a great influence of that culture in our area. This book has been useful to me in my work and it is a good story.

Extremely Imaginative, but Traditionally Written
We received this book as a donation to our school library. After screening it, I couldn’t help but read it. It is a delightful story of fairies, brownies, gremlins and a dachshund. Though the girls in this book are modern, the story is written in a very traditional manner. The writer is a good storyteller and does not seem to be trying to invent a new way to tell the story, which is refreshing to me because I think many children’s books these days try too hard to be clever, and the inventiveness of some modern children’s writers seems to detract from the storyline rather than add something to it.
This book is very well written. The story is highly imaginative and original, but it flows very much like the books I read growing up such as the Oz series, Pippi Longstocking, and various Beverly Cleary books. I am particularly pleased that the writer did not feel the need to make the lead character an orphan being raised by abusive relatives, escaping the situation only by some magical means. Although that scenario works well in many popular children’s books these days, that theme is completely overused, adding very little substance to the events of the stories.

Although this book is short, it is rich in meaning, detail and depth. Some of what I am describing is mentioned in other reviews, but I don’t think anyone has truly hit on the essence of this book. Beth (Marigold) is very much like any normal young girl, and is special even without the added gift of a flower fairy spirit. All human beings are extremely important, even those without obvious exceptional gifts. I am pleased that this is evident in this book, specifically in the quote from Mr. Forrester’s journal stressing what he feels is important in life, "...how we treat other people and what we teach to children." I think more adults should read this story and take it to heart.

This book will teach kids lessons, but they will be entertained without knowing they are learning something. I would like to know when more books of this series are going to come out, so I can begin to stock my home and school bookshelves with these wonderful stories. This book is absolutely recommended by a school librarian.

Engaging Fairy Tale
I debated over whether to give this book a four or five star rating, but when my daughter came rushing into the room asking frantically, "Where’s my book?" (I was flipping through it to do this review.), the decision was made. She had read half the previous night, so her excitement about finishing it clinched the higher rating. This is an interesting story about a girl finding out she is a fairy and learning to be one. She then has to help on a mission to keep all hope from fading in the world. There are many clever aspects to this story, some of which are very amusing such as what gremlins fear. (stainless steel, vacuum cleaners, dachshunds) Many small elements of the story are also very charming such as the description of a fairy circle gathering - it does not have to be circular.

If I were going to dissect this book, I would say that it is different than other fairy books in existence today, but that doesn’t necessarily mean bad. When it arrived in the mail, I read it through without stopping - the story was that engaging. Marigold and the Feather of Hope took me over an hour to read, and I am a fairly quick reader. My daughter and I are both fans of the Pixie Tricks and Fairy Realm series. In comparing this book to our other favorites, I noticed that the print is slightly smaller with less spacing between the lines. I can only assume the publisher did this to conserve paper since this would be a fatter book if printed in the manner of many other books for younger readers. Or maybe the publisher used less child-like print to appeal to a variety of age groups, because fairy tales are both ageless and timeless. The book also does not have illustrations; however, I was able to see the fairies and the action very clearly in my mind from the author’s descriptions. Although I would prefer fairy books to have lovely pictures, there is definitely something to be said for the imaginative power of our own minds to make the images personal. I did feel very connected to the story based on my own frame of reference. I imagine my daughter is envisioning the scenes differently based on her own fairy perspective. I have discovered that there are 60 e-books in this series, and I am looking forward to reading some of them as well.


Great Book,
I got this book for my birthday. I read it on the weekend. It is great. Fairies like lemon jelly beans. The dog is cute. He has a hot dog toy. I like the cover of the book. The fairies have to try to get along with the brownies. They fight with gremlins but no one gets hurt. Mr. Forester gets a puppy in the end so he will not have any more gremlins in his house. One of the brownies likes Marigold and sends her a note in a nut message. This book is great.

Great Pixy Tale with Wonderful Detail
I love pixy folk. This book is so much fun and a magnificent beginning to a wonderful fairytale saga. There are so many interesting segments in this book. For example, I didn’t know that fairies love lemon jellybeans and can get lost in jigsaw puzzles, or that the fairy handbook is everchanging and interactive, or that gnomes add colors to nature. I am also delighted to find out that gnomes can disguise themselves, which is why I never see any in my garden. The job of the brownies is very interesting too, along with the three things gremlins are afraid of. The detail in this book is really incredible. My daughter was so excited to discover that trees have meaning. This story really peaked her interest, and we have since looked up tree and flower meanings. Also, I had no idea that marigold flowers can repel bugs. That is great information to know. I love the various forms that mother nature can take, and the mention of migrating monarch butterflies. My daughter looked up migrating monarchs right after reading this book. I am impressed that she has learned so much just from this story. We are now both excited to read additional books of this series, especially since we have found out that there are bat, spider and snake fairies to read about.

Exceptional Book, Highly Original
I can’t say enough good things about this book. It is wonderful. The characters are well-developed, the plot is original and exciting, and the concept of the Feather of Hope is very clever.

This is a new and enlivening world of fairies, gnomes, brownies, gremlins, etc. The magical creatures in this book are not patterned after those in movies or other books. I applaud this author for not following trends or getting stuck in a well-worn groove of tradition.

This book is nothing like other children’s fantasy books, which is what makes it so incredibly interesting. The Fairy Chronicles is a fresh take on the fairy world with more intricate elaborations on fairies, gnomes, brownies, and gremlins than I have read in any book, and I am a lifelong fairy enthusiast. This book may fall loosely into the same category of other fantasy books, but there are no books at all similar enough to do a side-by-side comparison. This story is much different. It is a fairy tale, and a very good one, but truly innovative.

My kids and I love this book and have started reading the rest of the series online. The saga so far is magnificent with extremely unique elements. Bravo to J. H. Sweet for creating a brave new world of fairies and wonderful adventures for us to enjoy.