THE FAIRY-TALE MATCHMAKER by E. D. Baker

Cory Feathering discovers that being a tooth fairy is just not her calling. She knows she wants to be a help to others but she doesn't know what she wants to do with her life. While she tries a variety of odd jobs in search of her calling, the tooth fairy guild gets nastier and nastier in their efforts to force her back into their employ.

For a long time as I read this, I wondered where the "matchmaker" part was going to come in, but that didn't materialize until close to the end. The rest of the story was a great introduction, though, to Cory and her friends, family and community. I liked Cory's desire to help others and her perseverance with the guild business and with her efforts to fix difficult situations. There is a love story as a minor part of the plot. I have enjoyed other books by this author, and I would read more from this series.

4 out of 5 stars
This book releases on October 7, 2014.

* I received an electronic copy of this book from the publisher for free in the hope that I would review it honestly on my blog. Regardless, I only review books I enjoyed. I don’t believe in passing on negative reviews. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

THE BRAVEST PRINCESS by E. D. Baker

Princess Annie and her magical immunity are back to try and save the day. This time she has seen her sister successfully married, and Annie is off to help her friend, Snow White. Snow's evil step-mother has escaped, and Snow is on a fast track to marriage so she can leave her kingdom and go somewhere safe. She wants Annie's help in choosing the right prince. Annie also has her own troubles to deal with in this story -- someone has figured out a way around her magical immunity, and Annie is in real danger.

It took me several days to get started on this book, so I had it on display in the library for awhile in my "What I'm Reading Now" spot. Student after student asked if she could check it out and were crushed to discover it was my personal book and not part of our school library. I was surprised by how many girls requested the book but hadn't read the first two books in the series. The cover really captured their attention! Happily, I could steer them toward the start of the series while they wait for me to get a copy for the school.

This was a great adventure story and a terrific continuation of the series. There's great development of the relationship between Annie and Prince Liam - including some realistic tension between Annie's desire to be helpful and Liam's desire to keep her safe. Another good happily-ever-after for a princess in Annie's world, and hopefully more adventures to come in the Wide-Awake Princess series.

4.5 out of 5 stars
No AR reading level at this time

CHAPTER BOOK: Unlocking the Spell by E. D. Baker

Princess Annie is back! Only weeks after she saves her kingdom from a sleeping curse, she's off on another adventure. This time she is looking for the dwarf who turned her sister's true love into a bear. Liam goes with her as they know they make a good team, but Prince Beldegard goes along to help them track the dwarf, and Gwen insists on joining them rather than be without her prince. Along the way, the group encounters Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, the Three Bears, the Three Pigs, Snow White, the Evil Queen and the Seven Dwarfs, although not every one is who he/she appears to be at first look.

Great story and a great sequel. There's more in this book than the first one about the relationship between Liam and Annie as well as Gwen and Beldegard, with the ups and downs that come with young love. Lot's of fairy tale characters and stories weave in and out of the group's quest for the evil dwarf. I hope there will be more chapter's in Princess Annie's story. She's a great character! I love the things that happen to unsuspecting magic users when they try to curse her and their magic bounces back on them.

4 out of 5 stars
AR Reading level of 5.3

Recommended for: fans of the first book and/or other fairy tale-based stories, readers looking for a romantic story that is appropriate for pre-teen readers (it's not a major part of the story, but it is a thread that holds the story together)

Cautions:  none

CHAPTER BOOK: The Wide-Awake Princess by E. D. Baker

A delightful twist on familiar fairy tales! Princess Annie's fairy-godmother gift at her birth was an immunity to magic. Because of this gift, Annie is not affected when her sister, Gwen, pricks her finger on a spinning wheel and all the castle inhabitants fall asleep. It is up to Annie to save the day. She meets up with a guard from her castle who was away when the curse struck. Liam vows to keep Annie safe as they try to find a way to break the curse. Along their journey, Annie meets several princes who agree to try to wake Gwen with a kiss. She also runs into parts of a variety of classic fairy tales -- Hansel and Gretel, Rapunzel, The Frog Prince, the Princess and the Pea, etc.

This was a great story. I am a huge fan of fairy tales and fairy tale re-tellings and this was a winner! There's a great twist towards the end that ramps up the tension and excitement right at the end. Plenty of loose ends for the sequel to address.

4 out of 5 stars
AR reading level of 6.0

Recommended for: fans of fairy tale stories like the Whatever After series or the Twice Upon a Time series (by Wendy Mass)

Cautions: none