What a great tale! "The Witch in the Woods: Volume 1" by Michaelbrent Collings is a wonderful middle-grade fantasy story corresponding with the Grimm's stories. I love the Grimm's stories, so I was sold on the premise of this book. This is the first book in the series and a great start to it.

The book follows the adventures of the almost eleven-year-old twins, Willow and Jake Grimm, in the Grimmworld. When the twins' parents are offered a job at the Think Tank Company based in New Marburg, Idaho, they relocate there, but the kids aren't happy with the move. Meet the family:

* Pun-loving father named Phil, a quantum physicist.
* The mom, Dorothy, is a mechanical engineer and a genius inventor.
* Willow - a social kid. She loves to read fantasy and Sci-fi, easygoing, smart, athletic, artistic, and advantageous to boot.
* Jake - the quiet one and lacks confidence. He is kind, full of book smarts and science smarts, and has a good memory.

Even before they start the long drive to their new home, odd things start to occur. The twins are attacked by a weird man spitting garbage words. When they try to tell their parents, their parents ignore them. There are bizarre things in the new town as well, such as flying cars, talking robots, and other wonderful inventions they haven't seen before.

The twins start a new school and have to deal with a mean teacher who hates them for reasons unknown (at first) and makes their life a living hell. They befriend two kids, Hank and Pearl, and try to make the best of a worse situation. The plot thickens when their school turns into a medieval castle, the horrible hall monitor turns into a giant, and they are whisked into the world of tales, Grimmworld, into the story of Hansel and Gretel, no less. Thus starts a fantastic adventure featuring neat tidbits, a mysterious wizard, an evil witch, and a talking naked mole rat.

This book is the perfect example of why I love children's novels so much. It is creative and full of imagination, and, as with all fables, there is a moral at the end. I loved the puns and riddles and the twist the author took on the original tales. I also enjoyed the way the main characters grew and developed as the tale unfolded.

It is a beautifully written book with great world-building that captures the imagination of the reader from the first chapter. The technical explanation of the worlds slows up the pace a bit and should be shortened, as it interrupts the flow of the story. That was my only issue with the book.

Although written for children, it is also a delightful read for adults who are young at heart. The author certainly knows how to capture your imagination. I loved the book although I am not the target audience. The author ties most of the loose ends, but he ends the book with a cliffhanger. I would love to read the second book in the series when it is out. Anyone who loves fairy tales with a twist or fantasy adventure will enjoy reading this book.

* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc. All opinions are my own.

This had a feel of 'Coraline' in which two kids move to a new and odd town with their scientist parents. I loved the mystery ANF strangeness. It was fun and so intriguing. There were parts that slowed the story and were unnecessary.

Thank you, MichaelBrent Collings and NetGalley, for the ARC. I leave this review voluntarily and happily. Also, thank you publishers for your hard work!

This was an enjoyable read. It's definitely a different twist on the Grimms tales. It's not so dark you're looking away in terror but just enough to truly enjoy yourself and have your imagination go wild. This definitely is suitable for young adults and older if they are interested in such things. This has futuristic themes and a different yet refreshing take on the Grimms tale Hansel and Gretal.

You don't have to worry about gore, blood, or anything too much along those lines. It's more towards imagination and visualizing what's happening. The writing is wonderfully done, and the use of words certainly is great. Certainly, has you looking yhem up if you don't understand them.

This book had me rooting for the main characters and booing the evil characters. In the end, you wish for more. I hope to see more from this. It does leave off with a cliffhanger.

Read together with my son. He was drawn to it initially by the cover but he absolutely loved the story too!

It's easy to follow and understand for older children but a great read for adults too

The middle grade adventures coming out this fall are FIRE and this one adds a lot of fuel. I was completely taken in by the imaginative blend of 21st century science and traditional Grimm fairytales in this fast-paced and fascinating mystery-adventure. The modern day Grimms, Willow and Jake, are as appealing a set of characters as I’ve come across. They display the best and worst of sibling rivalry and support - very real life. The theme of family devotion and strength runs throughout the story, leading up to an ending that points to more adventures to come.

Well done!