The Candy Shop War

The Candy Shop War #1

by Brandon Mull

What if there were a place where you could get magical candy? Moon rocks that made you feel weightless. Jawbreakers that made you unbreakable. Or candy that gave animals temporary human intelligence and communication skills. (Imagine what your pet would say!) Four young friends, Nate, Summer, Trevor, and Pigeon, are befriended by Belinda White, the owner of a new candy shop on Main Street. However, the gray-haired, grandmotherly Mrs. White is not an ordinary candy maker. Her confections have magical side effects. Purposefully, she invites the kids on a special mission to retrieve a hidden talisman under Mt. Diablo Elementary School. However, Mrs. White is not the only magician in town in search of the ancient artifact rumored to be a fountain of youth. She is aware that Mr. Stott, the not-so-ordinary ice cream truck driver, has a few tricks of his own.

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Young Adult, Fiction, Adventure, Childrens, Magic

404 pages, Hardcover

First published September 11, 2007

About the author

BRANDON MULL is the #1 New York Times best-selling author of the Fablehaven, Dragonwatch, Beyonders, and Five Kingdoms series. A kinetic thinker, Brandon enjoys bouncy balls, squeezable stress toys, and popping bubble wrap. He lives in Utah in a happy little valley near the mouth of a canyon with his wife, Erlyn, their eleven children, and three mischievous cats. Brandon loves meeting his readers and hearing about their experiences with his books.

Reviews

[Nikola · Rating 2 out of 5]

Powiem szczerze, nie skończyłabym jej gdyby to nie był Mull.
Ta historia jest niedopracowana (ciągłe powtarzanie, że te cukierki to nie narkotyki, serio?), postacie są głupiutkie, aż mnie skręcało jak czytałam o ty jak łatwo dawali się manipulować.

[Kellie O. · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to love this book from the very beginning. I absolutely loved the colorful, glittery cover, and the premise seemed like such fun. And I admit, I really liked the story. However, one thing will keep me from being able to recommend this title to others: the author's use of race. It made me very uncomfortable. From the start he unnecessarily describes non-white characters by their race. In an even worse example, when the main characters take a magic candy that is supposed to temporarily change their ethnicity as a way to disguise them, one girl becomes Chinese. She doesn't have a mirror, so she feels her face and guesses that she is Asian. I just felt the author was thisclose to mentioning that she felt her slanty eyes.

Ugh. That major issue aside, I did like the story and the characters. It's about a group of 5th graders, 3 boys and 1 girl, who become friends with an old lady in town. She's just opened a brand new candy shop, and enlists the help of the kids. Soon enough, though, they find out that it's no ordinary candy shop; Mrs. White creates magic candy. She has the kids do "jobs" for her that involve breaking the law in the pursuit of a mysterious treasure, then pays them in more magic candy. Eventually the kids realize they're in the middle of a "war" and are stuck trying to figure out what's right and who's good and who's bad.

Like I said, I loved the story, I didn't want to put it down. I'm just really sad that I can't recommend it to kids when they're looking for something good to read. I just wouldn't feel right handing them a book that unnecessarily describes someone as a "black female police officer."

[give me books · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5 GENIALNA HISTORIA 🩷🩷🩷

[Lindsey Daniels · Rating 4 out of 5]

[4.5 Stars]

[Connor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really, really enjoyed this! I had my doubt while reading if I was going to continue to like the characters, but they are so well done! I didn't expect the small things mentioned in the beginning to come back at the end and have an impact, so that was fantastic! I'm really curious to what will happen in the second book. I feel like there is enough history and magic to continue this story for a while if he wanted, so I'm excited to see which facet he decided to explore more.

[Luann · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book! I've been looking forward to reading it for quite a while. Unfortunately, there were too many parts that bugged me. It got better through the second half, but not enough to make me forget the things I didn’t like in the beginning. Some of the things I liked: the time traveling and how it was used to further the plot, the Brain Feed that allowed animals to talk, and the surprise use of candy at the end. One of the things that bothered me was the unflattering descriptions of many of the characters. I've never read a book with so many "flabby," "chubby," "pudgy," and downright "fat" characters. I thought the description of the teacher was particularly mean. To be fair, I might not have been so aware of the character descriptions if I hadn't read a review here on Goodreads complaining of the racist descriptions of characters – and while I didn’t necessarily feel they were all racist, there were plenty of descriptions that centered around race. Why? Is that really necessary? I also didn’t like that the four main characters were often asked to do dangerous and illegal things - especially in the beginning when they were working for Mrs. White. I had to keep reminding myself that this is a fantasy story and in no way meant to be thought of as realistic. In the end, I guess what it all boils down to is that I didn't enjoy this one nearly as much as I've been enjoying the Fablehaven series.

[Connie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a lot of fun, it's exciting, it's not overly scary, and the ending is set up very nicely well in advance (although I must say I didn't see it coming). It's well-written, and if the ethical dilemmas the kids find themselves in aren't very novel, well, at least they make a clear moral message. (Remember, kids, robbing graves is wrong!)

So why only three stars? Well, because even though the writing would normally cause me to give this book four stars, I yanked a star off for the race issues.

Yes, it's gonna be one of those reviews. Deal with it.

There are a lot of, uh, issues in this book, and they're all woven in a messy little package of ick that really mars this otherwise great book.

Let's start with the demographics of the main characters. We've got four kids (and their families, but for the sake of convenience I'll count each family as one unit), three bullies, two magicians, and a mysterious guy whose job I can't divulge for spoiler reasons. And a teacher, and a janitor.

All these people are white and non-Hispanic, in a state where non-Hispanic whites actually make up less than 50% of the population. That's just unrealistic. I should be suspending my disbelief to deal with magic, not messed-up racial demographics.

And I *know* these people are right because of the OTHER big problem in this book: How non-whites are described.

Hoo-boy. The white people are described with a variety of adjectives - "honey-blond hair", "portly", "bleary-eyed in a stained corduroy jacket", "short, pudgy with thick black hair", "blond with curly hair", and on one memorable instant "plump, balding, with a goatee". (The last is not an exact quote.)

The non-whites (all minor characters, I can't think of any that persist for more than a page or two) are described... with their race. They're black, Asian, "Asian with sliver eyes" (wtf?), or Indian. Compare "a black female police officer" with "the police officer, a muscular man with short hair and chiseled cheekbones" and something starts to seem... wrong. It's like the author thinks that simply giving somebody's race is sufficient to describe them. Unless they're white, of course, because the hidden message here (although I'm sure it was unintentional) is that white people a. are normal and b. all look different from each other. The few times another adjective is used, it's something that's stereotypically of that race - a woman is Vietnamese, "small and slight". A crying kid is Asian and also "tiny".

Likewise, when the children change appearance, the book makes a point of mentioning that what changes (and the ONLY thing that changes) is their race. They look like them, but Asian or black or Hawaiian or "full-blooded Native American". The comments they make ("I kinda was hoping for black" or "Now would be a great time for a victory hula") smack of exoticism, and why? Because white people are normal.

I know, I know, he didn't mean anything by it! I'm sure he didn't. I'm sure the author is not really a bigot, and is probably quite a nice person who believes in equal rights for everybody, etc. etc. etc. This does not mean that the underlying message in these lopsided descriptions isn't there.

There's also the thing with the candystore wooden Indian, an "ancient chief" with feathers and buckskin and a tomahawk, who looks "weary but courageous". He also - SPOILER ALERT! - comes alive midway through the book and violently steals an important object. I'm actually gonna give this one a pass on the (admittedly dubious) grounds that the owner of the wooden Indian presumably got/carved it way way way back in the day when this sort of casual racism was widely considered to be okay, and anyway, by that point in the book we know she's evil.

I took away one star, and I suggest that you read this book before you buy it, especially if you plan to use it in a classroom. It's not really the lack of non-white characters (if that's your criteria, the unfortunate reality is you'll find yourself with very few books indeed that you can read with your kids, and most of the ones you have will be depressingly "uplifting" instead of fun), but more, as I said, how they're described. The cumulative effect of all this left me feeling exhausted, and I'm not sure I want to read this with my young nieces.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

So...I am pretty impressed with Brandon Mull. I have read a lot of YA fiction recently since I try and read everything Jdog wants to read before he reads it. I think Mull is easily the best recent writer. Since Rowling I don't think anyone has WRITTEN a series as well as him. There are other fun series like Percy Jackson, Ranger's Apprentice, Artemis Fowl, etc but they are not written as well. This guy is actually a great writer!!

I loved the Fablehaven series. Candy Shop War is not quite as good. This book is similar but different enough that if you weren't looking for it you probably wouldn't be able to tell. The major con with this book...made me super hungry for milkshakes and chocolate all the time!! Great for any age but probably made for slightly younger young adults :)

[Tanis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brandon Mull writes the BEST kids' books. I get a kick out of writing directed to younger writers, but Mull's books are among my favorite. I'm reading the Fablehaven series too, and those are awesome, but I think this was my favorite of his so far. This book is so imaginative and fun. I really couldn't put it down! I highly recommend this book to anybody who likes adventure and fantasy.

[Ian Epp · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book in which a group of kids wish to find a way to make more exciting. Maybe go on an adventure together. Well, when a new candy shop opens the kids go in wishing for some sweet treats. But they get more than they could have ever hoped for. Candys that makes you weightless, gum that makes you a super athlete, sweets that change you'relook but only for a time. In exchange, they go on adventures for the owner. But what does the owner really want?

[thebooksthief_ Ania ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,25/5
Bardzo przyjemna książka, ma dobrze wykreowanych bohaterów. Jednak Nate jest okropny 👹, jego zachowanie jest strasznie irytujące. Podoba mi się rozwiazanie akcji i motyw słodyczy.

[melodia.słów · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5💫
Naprawdę świetnie się bawiłam!
Czytając, czułam się trochę jakby była w Magicznych Dowcipach Weasleyów 🤪❤💥

[Arnis · Rating 3 out of 5]

https://poseidons99.wordpress.com/201...

[Kasia (kasikowykurz) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nie zaczęłabym tej serii w tym momencie, gdybym nie zobaczyła audiobooka na Empik Go. Ale był, kusił i musiałam sięgnąć. No i się nie zawiodłam, dostałam dokładnie to, czego oczekiwałam od ulubionego autora. Podoba mi się bardzo pomysł na magiczne cukierki i magiczny sklep z cukierkami, wojny czarodziejów i ogólnie fabularnie jest mega fajnie. Fakt, że te dzieciaki są strasznie naiwne, ale kurde, czy jakbym była dziesięciolatką i ktoś by zaproponował krówkę, albo inny ulubiony wyrób i powiedział, że ma magiczne właściwości, czy byłabym w stanie się oprzeć? Pewnie nie, więc jestem w stanie totalnie to zrozumieć, zwłaszcza, że sprawiali wrażenie społeczności, gdzie każdy każdego zna. Jestem mega ciekawa, jak wypadnie kontynuacja, a zwłaszcza finałowy tom, który powstał po prawie 10 latach :O

[ChristopherL_E2 · Rating 5 out of 5]

After re-reading this book, I am starting to discover many more themes that I did not notice the first time around; for example, a theme that sticks out through out the entire book is that trust is earned, not given freely. Near the beginning of the book, the blue falcons discovered Mrs.Whites magical candy and blindly trusted Mrs.White, even though she did not do any thing to gain their trust. Soon they discovered that Mrs.White was evil and was after an ancient yet powerful treasure, at the same time discovering they have gotten themselves tied into a magical war between magicians who are content on using them as pawns. Later on in the book, the blue falcons met John. John earned his trust by spilling all of the secrets the magicians denied. Even after their past experiences with Mrs.White, the blue falcons couldn't deny their trust. In the end, John proved to be faithful, and supported the blue falcons in the defeat of Mrs.White, and prevented a catastrophe.

[E1 Jimin Park · Rating 5 out of 5]

To all the readers that like to read mystery and fantasy books, I highly recommend this novel, The Candy Shop War written by Brandon Mull. This book is about four students that formed a club called Blu Falcons, visiting the Sweet Tooth Ice Cream and Candy Shoppe and faces problems not just like getting bullied by older students, eating lunch by themselves, but giving them the power to rule the world into wrong/evil hands. The kids do not know who to trust, Mrs. White the owner of the candy shop, Mr. Stott, the ice cream shop driver, or the mysterious man wearing a dark overcoat and fedora hat that tends to spy on them. If you want to find more about what secret the candy shop and many other "magicians" in the book holds, then I recommend you to read this novel. If you liked Harry Potter series, then you will also like this book a lot.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an "interesting" book. I loved the premise - kids eat magical candy that give them powers. However, I didn't like the adult situations the kids were put in - robbing a museum, digging up a grave, etc. Also, all of the adult eat addicting white fudge and are basically "drugged out" the entire time. I read this book with Lindsey and she absolutely loved it! She and I were able to discuss the parts I was most uncomfortable with, so it led to a few good talks. Overall, the book wasn't bad, but I'm not sure I'd recommend it for younger kids.

[Książkomanka · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5 ⭐

Bardzo fajna, inna niż Baśniobór, ale wciąż wspaniała. Wzmianka o tym, że cukierki to nie n@rk0tyk| pojawiła się tylko 3 razy. Polubiłam bohaterów, widać że to jeszcze dzieci, więc często nie wiedzą, jak powinni postąpić. I tak szczerze, jestem od nich 2 razy starsza a sama bym pewnie nie wiedziała XD Jestem ciekawa, czy na przestrzeni kolejnych tomów będzie widać rozwój pisarski Mulla (pierwszy tom w Polsce ukazał się w 2013, drugi w 2014 a trzeci będzie dopiero w tym roku)

[Rebecca · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was reading this book to my younger brother and kept coming across weirdly racist comments. You would find that he would describe every white character (you assume they are white, never actually confirmed) as having "golden hair" or "soft skin" but any time he introduced a poc he would say "the Vietnamese cop" or "the Indian" without giving any further detail. I just found this very odd and made me uncomfortable and kind of ruined the book for me. I don't recommend this book for anyone especially impressionable young kids who might not notice the racism and subconsciously implement it in their own lives.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every kid's dream: the new candy shop in town is stocked with magical candy that can disguise you, make you float, make others do your bidding . . . you name it! The downside: the owner wants you to "earn" it. With a little treasure-hunting. Grave-robbing. You know, the usual.

Fun book with believable young and old characters, loads of action, and a totally inventive plot!

[antek · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,2

[Stephi · Rating 3 out of 5]

fun and interesting premise. the villains were a little too over-the-top. the race-changing stuff was a little discomfiting.

3 stars

[tentremxoxo · Rating 3 out of 5]

AAAAA
Jak byłam dzieckiem, bardziej podobała mi się ta książka. Teraz jednak uważam że jest taka średnia XD
No czy to nie jest dziwne że babeczka daje im MAGICZNE cukierki za okradanie muzeum albo cmentarza? XD myślę że w wieku 10 lat jakiś rozum powinny mieć bo to jednak dziwne jest.
Później zaufali drugiemu czarodziejowi, który już miał trochę lepsze zadania, jednak teraz okradać bibliotekę..
Bardzo podobają mi się moce tych cukierków i jeszcze to jak Nate skakał w czasie. Mocny plus idzie dla fabuły i jak to wszystko jest opisane. Mimo że dzieciaki bardzo ufne to jak na to że to ma być opis 10.latkow uważam że jest nawet odpowiedni.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the first two Fablehaven books with Emily, so we thought we'd go for another book by Brandon Mull. We read most of it driving back and forth visiting family, and it helped the hour commute go by quickly and enjoyably.

I didn't gel as well with the characters; Nate and Trevor seemed pretty much the same and Summer was flat as well. Pidge had some roundness to him, but there wasn't much character development.

The plot was a little slow at times; most of the book lacked an overarching motivation. The end, however, came off perfectly.

I most enjoyed his exploration into the magic that the candy provided. My favorite scene is in the graveyard when Pigeon is sucking a "Sweet Tooth":

"Am I Hawaiian?" Summer said.
Pigeon nodded. "You should do the hula right now," he urged.
Summer started waving her arms and shaking her hips. A moment later she quit the dance and swatted him on the arm. "I know what you were doing and it still sort of caught me off guard," she said. "Spit that thing out."
"I don't want to waste it," he said. "I should probably keep it in."
You're right," Summer said.
"You ought to hurry back to your post," Pigeon suggested.
"Okay," Summer said. "Good job." Crouching, she dashed up the slope.
Pigeon grinned. (May 4, 2008)

Some books aren't as good the second time through, some get better. This one got better. Somewhat remembering what is coming somehow made everything better. I felt I had a better handle on a plot that turns out to be fairly complicated. We're looking forward to reading the sequel.

[Selah Latshaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! Such a great book. While being adventurous and exciting, it was also funny and witty. This book is perfect for 6th, 7th, and 8th graders who are looking for a good read. I used this book for my summer reading and I definitely don't regret it! 403 pages of great material worth reading. If you're looking for a new book, this is one I would FOR SURE recommend! Although I said it was a great book for middle schoolers, it is also a FABULOUS book for adults and teens. The characters and everyone in the book were developed so well. I can't believe how much I enjoyed summer reading this year. Great book.

[AlexB_E2 · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot of the book was a very strange plot but Brandon Mull somehow managed to pull it off. I really liked how he pulled away from the generic knights and dragons and trolls and did something much more diverse and different than what many of his other book and authors. I really appreciate that.

[AndrewH · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to able to jump like you're on the moon, or to be invincible, or to even be able to change your appearance? Nate is the new kid, and he's made three other friends: Summer, Pigeon, and Trevor. The four of them eventually find a new candy shop owned by an old lady named Ms. White, who tells them she has magic candy. In exchange for the candy, they must complete tasks for her, but over time, these tasks get riskier and make the four wonder what Ms. White really wants.

[••• Emilee •••]

I saw this in a book store today and I had a HUGE flashback. I totally forgot about this book!!! I feel all wonky now.

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun family read-aloud that had everyone engaged at times (even my 4-year-old). I love that the kids felt like kids. They weren't perfect and it gave us some great family discussions. We are excited to read the next book in the series.

[juliszkroichleb · Rating 4 out of 5]

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