The Grimm Legacy

The Grimm Legacy
by Polly Shulman

What if Fairy Tale magic really existed?

Lonely at her new school, Elizabeth takes a job at the New-York Circulating Material Repository, hoping to make new friends as well as some cash. The repository is no ordinary library. It lends out objects rather than books - everything from tea sets and hockey sticks to Marie Antoinette's everyday wig.

It's also home to the Grimm Collection, a secret room in the basement. That's where powerful items straight out of the Brothers Grimm fairy tales are locked away: seven-league boots, a table that produces a feast at the blink of an eye, Snow White's stepmother's sinister mirror that talks in riddles and has a will of its own.

When the magical items start to disappear, Elizabeth and her new friends embark on a dangerous quest to catch the thief before they're accused of the crime themselves - or the thief captures them.
(description taken from inside jacket copy)

I loved this book...really loved it. I borrowed it from the library, but I think I'll be purchasing this one so that I can read it again. As a Librarian, I was tickled pink with both the setting and premise of this book. As a fantasy lover, the plot rocked. While I was reading, all I could think was that when I'd been a tween this probably would have become my absolute new favorite book.

The description of Elizabeth's new job is really cool. The Repository is a fascinating place, even without the "magical" collections. I love decorative arts items, things like furniture, clothing, jewelry, sculptures...all of the "things" that represent daily life in a culture's art. The idea of being able to run through stacks of objects like these...so cool!!

The idea of a Grimm Collection...even cooler. The objects that Shulman inserts into the story are fun, interesting, and actually fit realistically into the plot of the story, which was really well done. I'd been worried that a lot of things would just be described and then passed by, but almost all of them are actually used by the characters!

The relationships that build between the teens working at the Repository are rich and complex. At first, they are all friendly, then they all become suspicious of each other as objects begin disappearing, and its not until they are forced to work together to solve the mystery and do some rescuing that they are brought together and they determine who really is trustworthy.

A very, very well done, fun read. Great for anyone who loves magic and the idea of being able to live in a fairy tale...even for just a short while!