“The Wishing Spell” by Chris Colfer is the first in the “Land of Stories” series. The book follows twins Alex and Conner when they fall into their Grandma’s old fairy tale book that is actually a portal to the fairy tale world.

The book is their adventure as they look for ingredients for the “Wishing Spell” so they can wish themselves home. The nerve-racking journey takes them to every corner of the land of stories. It isn't easy, as they almost get eaten by a witch, they meet up with the big bad wolf and his pack, they are kidnapped by trolls, and they are almost killed by the evil queen herself. They meet many people along the way who help them on their journey, like the fugitive Red Riding Hood, Queen Cinderella, and a helpful frog. Will Alex and Conner ever make it home to their mom?

Conner was my favorite of the twins because of the way he worked through his problems. It seemed lazy, but in reality, he just looked at problems differently than others. My favorite person they meet along the way is Red Riding Hood, who now goes by Red. She is on the run, having been accused of a crime she didn't commit, with no way to clear her name till the kids come along. Sir Lampton is a close second when he secretly helped the twins.

I would give this book 5 Cardinal heads. I really like this book because of the twist it has on the original fairy tales. The book goes through all the old fairy tales and nursery rhymes like they were all in the same realm. The book is an updated version of the old fairy tales, more for teens than for little kids.