"My Fairy Grandmother"

Let me just start by saying that this book is adorable. "My Fairy Grandmother", by Aubrey Mace, fulfills every little girl's dream to be special. When 9-year-old Kaitlin finds out that she is a descendent of fairies she is absolutely thrilled. A part of her knows that it is most likely not true, but the greater part of her (the part that wants to be special) believes every word that her grandmother tells her. Viola, the grandmother, has an amazing past and she has been waiting for the right moment to share her heritage with her granddaughter. So when Kaitlin and her mom, Megan, come for a visit she decides that it's time to share her life story with her son's daughter.

Viola is part fairy. Because of this she has certain gifts, one of which is a heart-breakingly beautiful voice. The gifts don't come without some consequences though, and when the wrong person hears about her voice, he decides to kidnap her and make her his own personal songbird. After years of captivity she has to use one of her gifts to escape and save her only friend in the process. The book switches back and forth between the current story of Megan and Kaitlin visiting Viola, and Viola's past being told as if it were happening right then. I'm glad it was written like this because it makes Viola's story that much more engaging and I found myself not being able to put the book down until I finished a section of Viola's past. 

This book was a complete surprise. I kept putting off reading it because I thought that it would be just some cheesy little kids book about a grandma with wings and a wand that makes her granddaughters wishes come true. I could not have been more wrong. It's actually a very engaging story that takes the fairytale of fairies to the next level and makes it seem very real. It is a light and easy read. This is what I would call a 'vacation book', because it's perfect for relaxing. It would also be a really neat book to read with your kids. Check it out!