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Once Upon A Toad (2012)

by Heather Vogel Frederick(Favorite Author)

3.87 of 5 Votes: 3

ISBN

141698478X (ISBN13: 9781416984788)

languge

English

genre

Fantasy

publisher

Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

review 1: *3.5 stars*A cute and different retelling of the Toads-and-Diamonds fairytale. In this case, the lesson to learn is not about rewarding kindness, since the 'good' sister gets the toads and the mean one the diamonds, but about recognizing the good in each other and being forced to cooperate. Friendship and family are key, the characters are quirky and likeable (for the most part), and the plot is engaging. The book deals with, among other things, blended families, bullying, and music. My main problem was that my question of why the nice sister got the frogs was never answered and I was looking for it the whole time - I didn't understand the purpose of that twist.
review 2: A clean middle school book for those who are interested in a little fantasy. 12 yr old Cat... more has just arrived at her dad's house to live for 3 months. Normally she just spends a week here and there with him but her mother, an astronaut, was assigned to a last minute space flight and she has no where else to go. Portland isn't too bad. She like her dad and her stepmother. Her half-brother is super cute. And she's made friends in the school band. The only problem is her step-sister, Olivia. Olivia and Cat do not get along. Olivia makes Cat life horrible. She refuses to make room in the closet, puts her stuff on Cat's side of the room, makes fun of her at school and does it while everyone thinks she is an angel. Desperate to get out of Portland she calls her mom on the space station and asks for help. Help arrives in the form of Aunt Abyssinia who decides that what is needed is for the two girls to have a common problem. So Aunt Abyssinia curses both girls. You see Aunt Abyssinia is really a fairy godmother. Every time Cat speaks toads fall from her mouth. Every time Olivia speaks flowers and diamonds fall from her lips. Will this common problem bring the girls together or will it drive them further apart? less

Download links for: Once Upon a Toad

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