Title: The Fairy’s Mistake

Author: Levine, Gail Carson

Book Preview:

Rosella gave an old lady (who was really a fairy) a drink.  When the fairy was done she said, “Your kindness merits a reward.”

Suddenly Rosella felt something hard under her tongue and in her cheek.  She spat into her hand.  She was holding a diamond and two opals!  Rosella was surprised!  She thought, “How did this little, old lady make diamonds come out of my mouth?”  Rosella would soon learn that a gift can sometimes turn out to be a punishment.

Rating:

I loved the description, but it could be improved if the author used more words than one or two to describe things. It also could be improved if the author made the words more detailed ones. For example, the kingdom was big should be the kingdom was enormous.

The introduction was like all fairy tales, like once upon a time. It wasn’t that exciting until I got to the middle. The author should put exciting events in the beginning to get the reader’s attention.

The events were silly, funny, weird, and unusual. For example, the people had to be forced to go a party so Myrtle won’t talk! There were many more confusing ones that could be improved. There was a part that said Myrtle could be nice and mean at the same time.

The characters were very funny, interesting, and unusual, too. Well at least I haven’t seen a person with gems coming out of her mouth! My favorite character was Ethlinda because she was described very beautifully.

The ending was okay, but I wish they had ended in a different way ( not like most fairy tales.) [Ami]

The Fairy’s Mistake had a very interesting introduction, which made me want to read more to find out what was going to happen next. For example, when Rosella was at the well, the author described every little detail.

All events in this book were described very well. It was so descriptive that while I was reading, I could picture it in my head! For example, the author was described how Rosella’s throat felt "dry, itchy, soar" with the diamonds coming out of her mouth. I could really picture how Rosella’s throat felt.

The Fairy’s Mistake was a real page-turner. I couldn’t put the book down because the events were very exciting! Every page had something different that was interesting.

It was well organized because it didn’t jump around like other books I’ve read! The plot was well thought out, and it wasn’t confusing. It got me interested in what I was reading.

When Myrtle didn’t give the fairy a drink she was punished by having bugs come out of her mouth. When Rosella gave the fairy a drink she was rewarded by having diamonds come out of her mouth. This shows that the real life lesson in this book was to always be kind and considerate of others. I learned to treat people the way I want to be treated.

One of the reasons I liked this book was every time Rosella or Myrtle tried to talk, diamonds or bugs would come out of their mouths. I liked this because that would feel weird to be coughing up bugs or diamonds. I think this book could have been better if the author explained more about how the characters lived at the end.

The Fairy’s Mistake and Ella Enchanted are both fantasy stories. They are stories that would never really happen, but are fun to read. I liked The Fairy’s Mistake better than Ella Enchanted because it had a lot more exciting events that were fun to read and it made me believe that I was actually in the fantasy. [Missy]

The introduction is interesting. You are introduced to Rosella (the good twin sister), Myrtle the (rotten twin sister), and Ethelinda (the fairy). There is also an exciting event that happens that starts you right into the story. I began reading, and with each sentence, I became more curious and interested in the story. The descriptions of the characters, the setting, and the events gave a good picture of what was going on.

The characters were fun. Rosella is honest, cheerful, friendly, thoughtful, and helpful. Her twin sister, Myrtle, is nasty, cruel, rude, unkind, and offensive. The fairy, Ethelinda, disguised as a little old lady, meets Rosella and is touched by her kindness.

This story has some exciting events. Ethelinda casts a spell on Rosella, so that each time she speaks, precious jewels flow from her mouth. I like Rosella. Her sweet and kind heart makes you feel really good inside. Jealous Myrtle also has a spell cast on her. But because Myrtle is rude and greedy, her spell is to have bugs, frogs, and snakes flow from her mouth when she speaks. Myrtle's character makes you feel sometimes like you wish you could say the things she says, but at the same time you know she is cruel. Ethelinda planned on giving a good spell to Rosella, and an awful spell to Myrtle, but what really happened was the opposite. Myrtle used her "bugs" to get people to give her everything she wanted. The people of the town, on the other hand, used Rosella, so that they could become rich. You also meet the character of Prince Harold, who realizes that Rosella is spilling jewels from her mouth. Greedy, he sees a way to have enough money to build a bigger, better castle. He marries Rosella.

The Fairy's Mistake kept my interest. It was easy to read, and one event ran into the next event. The characters were interesting, and the descriptions gave a clear picture of the story. This story was fun and quick to read.

The real life lesson in this story is the "golden rule" treat other people the way you would like to be treated. Think kind things, and kind words spill from your mouth. Think nasty things, and nasty words spill from your mouth. [Emily]

The Fairy’s Mistake had a decent description. Since this is a fairy tale, I think it was the author’s intent to make the book interesting by making up places and objects. Some of the words and phrases were also made up and make believe. It was difficult to get a clear picture of what the author was talking about.

The book had an interesting introduction. It kept my interest in the beginning, but as the book went on, it began to get boring and unimaginative. It was hard for me to visualize and understand some of the phrases the author used.

The lesson was that if you do good deeds for someone, you will get rewarded. The old lady, who was really a fairy, rewarded Rosella for the drink of water.

This book wasn’t very exciting or action packed. The characters didn’t play any exciting roles that would make you want to find out what was going to happen next. Also since the book was a fairy tale, if it had any events, they wouldn’t be interesting because the book wasn’t adventurous or exciting - it was more joyful and happy.

It had a decent ending. The book ended like a typical fairy tale. I was glad the story ended on a happy note, but I wish more adventurous events had taken place. [Tara]