Parents' Guide to

Fairy Mom and Me, Book 1

By Darienne Stewart, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 7+

Fluffy fun for fairy fans encourages teamwork, patience.

Book Sophie Kinsella Fantasy 2018
Fairy Mom and Me, Book 1 Poster Image

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What you will—and won't—find in this book.

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What's the Story?

FAIRY MOM AND ME introduces Ella and her mom, who -- with a magic word -- sprouts wings and a crown and practices magic with help from her digital Computawand. Ella's mom isn't very good at magic yet, however, and her spells often backfire. When she tries to speed up a checkout line, she just creates a mess. When she tries to clean the house magically, the animated cleaning tools refuse to work. Then she tries to treat her case of fairy flu with magic, ending up with a green face, a bodybuilder's arms, and a bed that won't stop bouncing. When Ella's fairy aunt tries to give Ella a magical advantage at field day, though, her mom insists Ella compete fairly -- and both mom and daughter find teamwork is the best way to get things done.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

Sophie Kinsella makes her chapter book debut with slight but amusing stories of a cheerful young fairy-to-be and her hapless magical mother, whose misadventures in the human world cause comic mayhem. Fairy Mom and Me loosely strings together giggle-worthy scenes with just enough plot to support gentle messages about working together and being patient.

Ella is sweet and likable, and her mother has a strong moral code -- along with an impatient streak that sometimes gets her in trouble. Other characters are barely sketched out and are used to prop up the story -- particularly Zoe, introduced as Ella's "worst enemy," and Emma's dad, who reinforces the idea that Ella's mom isn't good at magic. Illustrations by Marta Kissi (Gabby Garcia's Ultimate Playbook) help bring some of the magic to life.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how Ella and her mother view the use of magic in Fairy Mom and Me. When is it OK to use magic, and when is it inappropriate? How do those rules compare with your family's guidelines for using digital devices?

  • Ella's mom makes it clear that Ella can't use magic to cheat. Does her mom model good use of magic?

  • Do you find shortcuts tend to backfire on you, as they do for Ella's mom?

Book Details

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