 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Once Upon a Marigold
- By Jean Ferris
- Genre: Fairy Tale
Common Sense Media says
Delightfully offbeat fairytale full of surprises.
Parents say
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know this book has some classic fairytale situations including romance and an evil queen. There is talk of love, marriage, adoption, and murder by poison.
What's the story?
Christian and Edric the troll's paths cross one day when Christian runs away from his uptight family. Determined never to go back, Christian makes Edric and his two dogs, Beezlebub and Hecate, his family. They live a good life until Christian falls in love with Princess Marigold and decides that he should see more of the world -- the world around Marigold's castle. When Christian discovers a plot against Marigold and her father, he enlists his family to help break out of prison, prevent Marigold's arranged marriage, foil Queen Olympia's murderous plot, reunite several families, and reveal his true and forgotten identity. Oh, and learn about Princess Marigold's curse, whew!
Is it any good?
Quirky characters, fun and unusual elements, and surprising plot twists make ONCE UPON A MARIGOLD a must read for tweens. Jean Ferris has created magic in this fun-spun fairytale. There's royalty and weddings, fashion and trolls, plots and action, a geography-challenged tooth fairy, and inventions, p-mails, triplets, crystals, and a sick ficus.
Ferris' plot may be more tangled than the tooth fairy's maps (which is why she's always lost), but it all comes together wonderfully in the end. And while part of it is predictable -- it's a fairytale after all -- the details of the conclusion are anything but. Kids and parents will love the modern twists and delight in the details Ferris uses to richly embroider this tale.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about what it means to be a family. Do you need to be related to be a family? In what ways does Edric act like a parent toward Christian? Do you know someone that has a non-traditional family?
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AGE
Dull, boring and unexciting.
This book is dull, boring and unexciting. It was one of three choices of compulsory summer reading for 7th graders, and while it was the lesser of the three evils, still it's not a very good book. It's lackluster, the characters are extremely superficial, you never really find out why the main character ran away from home at 6 years old, other than he said he didn't like rules... The dialogue between characters lacks depth, it's especially corny between Christian and Marigold. A 7-year old might find it somewhat appealing, but for a 7th grader it's very dull. If the purpose of making kids read is to teach them to love to read, this book definitely achieves the opposite.
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Kid, 12 years old
December 10, 2010
AGE
i loved it! but i lost the book somewhere and i want to read the rest really badly!!! can anyone tell me where to go?
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Kid, 12 years old
November 7, 2010
AGE
Perfect
A nice tale. I think that most kids(girls at least) should read this. On a scale of 1-10, I rate it an 11.
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AGE
AWESOME BOOK
Three words: LOVE THIS BOOK!!! A fairy tale that is beautifully written and constructed. One of the best books I've read. It has funny, edge of your seat, romance, fantasy, sad, and hilarious parts. Read this book NOW!
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AGE
good fairytale for kids, preteends, and teens.
I read this book about 2 years ago and really loved it! I think this book is good for ages 8-14. Loved it!
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AGE
Loved It!
I just finished reading this book and it was amazing! It's very good for any teen who loves a good fairytale. I like the cover. It says: part romance, part comady, part everything-but-the-kicten sink.
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AGE
Read it.
Really really good book. Keeps your attention. My problem is that at times Christian and Marigold get so lovey dovey that I feel uncomfortable, almost like I'm listening in on their conversation. I loved it and everything about it. Read the second novel.
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AGE
I love it. Once Upon a Marigold is a very good novel. When i was ten i saw it and thought that I would not like it, but it turns out I did. :)
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| Author: | Jean Ferris |
| Book type: | Fiction |
| Genre: | Fairy Tale |
| Publisher: | Harcourt |
| Publication date: | June 1, 2004 |
| Number of pages: | 272 |
| Hardcover price: | $17.00 |
| Paperback price: | $5.95 |
| Publisher's recommended age(s): | 9 - 12 |
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