In a Blink

Disney Fairies: The Never Girls #1

by Kiki Thorpe

The Disney Fairies star in a magical all-new early chapter book series for kids ages 6 to 10—The Never Girls!

The smell of salt water, a gust of seabreeze, and the bell-like ringing of a fairy's laugh are the only hints that something magical is happening to Kate, Mia, Lainey, and Gabby. In a blink of an eye, the four friends are whisked out of their ordinary lives to the most wonderful place of all—Never Land, home to fairies, mermaids . . . and now four lost girls. The girls don't want to leave right away, but Queen Clarion and Tinker Bell have figured out a way for them to get home. Will Kate, Mia, Lainey, and Gabby's fantastic adventure end before it's barely begun? 

Genres: Fantasy, Childrens, Fairies, Fiction, Chapter Books, Middle Grade, Magic

118 pages, Library Binding

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

KIKI THORPE has written or adapted over fifty books for children. A former children's book editor, she now writes full time from San Francisco.

Reviews

[Tara · Rating 1 out of 5]

همونطور که همه‌مون می‌دونیم بچه‌های این دوره خیلی باهوش هستن و با کتاب‌های احمق و شخصیت‌های احمق‌تر دیگه حال نمی‌کنند. درکل هر حرف یا هر چیز احمقانه‌ای تو کتشون نمی‌ره و نمی‌شه سرشون رو شیره مالید و خب اون دوره ما بود که اگه ته‌دیگ یا وسط هندونه رو می‌خوردیم، بابامون می‌مرد.
چهار دختر به اسم کیت، میا، لینی و گبی که درحال بازی کردن هستن با اشتباه یه پری به سرزمین جادویی نورلند وارد میشن جایی که به کمک تینکربل و ملکه کلاریون باید راهی برای خروج از اونجا پیدا کنند.
این کتاب واقعا مناسب بچه‌های 7 تا 12 سال نیست و شاید بچه‌های خیلی کوچیک مثل بچه‌های زیر 5 سال‌ این کتاب‌ها رو دوست داشته باشن(البته که من بعید می‌دونم!)
داستان و الخصوص تصویرگری کتاب ناامیدم کرد! ضعیف‌تر از اون چیزی بود که تصور کردم(من همیشه گول این کاورهای خوشگل کتاب‌ها رو می‌خورم).
من کارتون تینکربل رو زیاد ندیدم و یادم نمیاد اما تا جایی که میدونم انقدر بداخلاق نبود البته شاید هم من فراموش کردم، نمیدونم.
البته که کرم این هم دارم ادامه مجموعه رو بخونم و در وقت مناسب با اینکه هیچ هایپی واسه ادامش ندارم شاید مابقی مجموعه رو هم بخونم.
نمیدونم چرا نشر پرتقال یا حالا مترجم اسم کتاب رو تغییر داده و من برای پیدا کردنش خیلی اذیت شدم؛ توی ایران این مجموعه به اسم «در سرزمین پر‌‌ی‌ها» با ترجمه نیلوفر عزیزپور منتشر و اسم این جلد هم «گَرد جادویی» گذاشته شده.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, where is Peter Pan in all this? (My daughter cutely suggested that perhaps Peter Pan is on vacation and that "maybe Pixie Hollow has different rules than the rest of Neverland). What I mean is, why are the fairies and Clumsies so worried about being able to leave Neverland? Peter Pan took the Darlings back and should theoretically be able to take the Clumsies back. Peter Pan can fly back and forth between worlds after all. Perhaps, I missed the part in the book where we learn that there a Neverland rule that wouldn't allow that (there isn't). Since the girls seem knowledgeable of Neverland (they know about Skull Rock and the Mermaids), why don't they ask about Peter Pan and if he can help them?

Also, why did Tink suddenly get all misty eyed about the girls when she found out about the stolen fairy dust and Kate's secret meeting with Vidia. Personally, I think that a mad and spunky Tink should have added it to her list of reasons the Clumsies were pests. Something other than Kate stuck in a tree should have happened to change Tink's mind about the Clumsies. It seemed forced at the end...a let me hurry up and tidy up the end of this book type of writing, but I doubt that would bother a child reading this book. The ending is happy and leaves the reader wanting more, which is fantastic.

Overall, is a cute story line. I just hope the next book doesn't suffer from the same things this one does. Either way, I'm sure most little girls would enjoy this series. I've very rarely met a little girl who doesn't love fairies.

[Kaley · Rating 5 out of 5]

We are HUGE Peter Pan fans in our house, and could not be more thrilled with the many ways his legacy continues. This most recent nod to the boy who never grew up is every bit as much fun as we could have hoped for! This first book in a brand new series will delight parents who love Peter as much as the girls who will read it and want to be Never Girls themselves. My daughter is hooked already. Well done, Disney!

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fairy dust..magical fairy adventure.

[Giselle · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wish that children's authors would please realize that children for the most part are very smart. I wouldn't give this book to my (future) children because it's full of stupid characters being stupid. It also has no continuity with the Pixie Hollow books (which are a million times better than this! Even though they don't make much sense either...). I'm just sick of reading children's books where the author is so obviously writing for unintelligent people. The story didn't make sense, the characters were obnoxious and the art left much to be desired.

[Jazmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing story and I can't wait to read the second one

[Linda Lou · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book and the next one, The Space Bewteen, at Sams club. The titles intrigued me; but I was unable to open the books up since they ere wrapped in plastic. I did manage to get a peek, though, and decided that my six year old granddaughter would be able to read these, I gave in to my impulse to read In a Blink before sending it off to my granddaughter and I am glad I did. I found the story to be enjoyable and full of adventure. The development of the characters flowed well and they were believable. I didn't intend to read the second book; but of course I did. I also preordered the next one, A Dandelion Wish. I sent both books to my granddaughter who has started the series. We talk on the phone about the books, what was our favorite part, what will happen next, why did Katie do what she did...we started our own little book clutch! What a wonderful way for a grandma and granddaughter to stay in touch long distance!

[Yusra ❥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book for the first time probably a decade ago, but last week me and my sisters (we're all teenagers mind you) decided to revisit it. I read like two chapters out loud every night and it was such a wholesome experience 10/10 recommend haha.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun book! In a Blink is a quick read, but perfect for those 6-10 years old. I think this would be a great book for one of the book clubs I run.

Three friends, Mia, Kate and Lainey are playing soccer when the start to notice odd things happening. Then, Mia's little sister, Gabby begins talking to a fairy, and since she is known for her playing make believe, this does not strike them odd, until they all end up in Neverland! This caused quite a bit of chaos since "Clumsies" as the humans are called do not often come to Neverland. They are taken to Queen Clarion and they decide the best way to send them home. It is said that you can never retrun to Neverland once you go home. (I thought Wendy traveled back and forth, but I could be confusing the book with the movie.) The girls are in no hurry to return home, and they have some fun while in Neverland. The girls learn how to fly! All except, Kate, that is who has a little trouble, but she meets Vidia who promises to teach her. Anyone who follows the fairies, knows Vidia is always up to something!

The book was a lot of fun to read, and it brings in characters like Tinkerbell, Prilla, Queen Clarion, and Vidia. Tink's personality was perfect, a bit of a pouty brat with a spunky side. I never read the Disney Fariies series, but I think I may and use them also for book club.

[taylor ˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆]

I remember truly loving these in 3rd grade so I'm going to go from my small amount of memories of it and say they're pretty good lol.

[Hadley Hatch · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was very fun to read!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Mehsi · Rating 2 out of 5]

This looked like an interesting book, however I was mostly annoyed at the changing POVs at every moment, Tinkerbell is still a stupid fairy and should explode in a pile of fairy dust.

So since I am not really in the mood for a normal review, I will do my good/bad review.

Good:
-Yay! We are finally back at Neverland. So happy that someone decided to write books about it again. And this time not about Peter, oh no, about the fairies that live there.
-I love the fairies and their abilities. Each one had a certain ability, so you would have one that took care of the mice, one that did the harvest and one so on.
-Yay! Evil fairies. I love those, gives the story a bit of a spark and a much needed hint of evilness.
-Nice illustrations, however... (see bad points)
-Cover is nice.

Bad:
-Tinkerbell or should I say Tinkerhell or Tinkerkill, is just as bitchy as she was in Peter Pan and various other adaptations. Dear Lord, she is stuck-up, totally mean and rude to people who aren't her kind. Oh wait, unless it is Peterweter Panniwannie because she LUBS him (too bad for her he doesn't LUB her).
-Insert more Tinkerbell annoyances.
-The illustrations. They were nice, but I felt they were really lacking. Like they were meant to be in colour, but due to some magical reasons are now in black and white, which totally don't fit them and make them lacklustre and boring.
-The changing POVs, at times I just didn't know who was talking, and in the end I totally just went with the flow and just didn't care any more. This is a bad thing. Don't just change your characters at every moment! Bad, very bad thing!
-The ending was so predictable.
-It was a bit bland. It started off pretty awesome but turned out to blandness. I wish they would have visited Peter or had some adventures, but no, all they do is chat, chat, chat and do some stuff, but nothing really special.

Will I be reading the rest of this series? Nope. Sorry, my hatred for Tinkerbell is only growing and makes me want to throw with this book (not that I would ever, but well you all know the feeling).

Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/

[Megan Jacobsmeyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish found these when my daughter was really deep into the dreadful rainbow fairy books that were so formulaic. This is SO MUCH BETTER. First, it’s not a ghost writer. Second it’s connected to Peter Pan’s Neverland, so that’s fun. Lastly, it really did take the kids away into a magical world. I could see their faces drift and their mannerisms acting out some of the magic as we read. So cute. The ending was a total shocker for us. My recess readers will be back for more of this series.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 3 daughters loved it and we are on the search for the next one!

[Randi Paige Iwanowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Layla and I give this beautiful, magical book five stars!!!! Layla thinks I’m a Gabby but I think I’m more of a Lainey. I agree and Layla agrees she is a MIA! It was so fun reading this outside and believing we were fairies

Recommend!!!!

[Jenn G · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was very a cute and short story. I will read the next ones for sure! I love how this is inspired by the Tinker Bell movies!

[Lindsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Addi wanted me to read this and I love anything Disney, so this was adorable!!

[Bonnie Gutzman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute read aloud for my girls, and even the 10 yr old boy always snuck in to listen :-)

[Jessica Woodring · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a fun, fantasy/adventure series with great vocabulary and strong female characters. My daughter and I both loved it and can’t wait to read the next one!

[❦PoisonApple❦ · Rating 4 out of 5]

My little one enjoyed me reading this before bedtime ❤️ It's a cute story 😊

[Kat V · Rating 3 out of 5]

Neither good nor bad. Obviously I’m not the target audience. Hopefully students like it more than I did. 3 stars

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review by Grace, age 7, 3/17/18

This is a book about four girls: Kate, Mia, Lainey, and Gabby. When they were playing "Monkey in the Middle," Gabby saw a fairy in the flower garden. And then, suddenly, "blink!", they were in the fairy world - but they didn't know that! They didn't know where they were, and they started getting scared. But they actually made friends with the fairy and they got a room. They were happy, but they were scared that their mothers would be afraid. So they sent a note that said they were fine with the fairy Prilla. At the end of the book the fairy Prilla tried to "blink" them back home, but it didn't work. So they had many more adventures before them.

I would definitely definitely read another book in this series. It was the best! I would recommend this book to everybody.

[Rylan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was good it is for little kids like 10 and under,but i still liked it ..

[Jordyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book!! it was so awesome!!!!!!!

[Stacy Renee (LazyDayLit) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read Peter Pan to my preschooler recently and she LOVED it and has wanted more ever since!
We came across the first two books in this Disney 'Never Land' series and knew they were perfect for our nightly storytime! We read one chapter a night and it still seemed to fly by! We are looking forward to the second book!

My full review was originally shared on Lazy Day Literature.

The perfect chapter book series for young readers that love Disney's Peter Pan and/or Tinkerbell!

In The Never Girls series, four girls have been magically whisked away to Never Land thanks to a fairy's 'blink'. The fairy, Prilla, didn't mean to blink the 'Clumsies' to Pixie Hollow but now that they are on the island the way home is too far. Queen Clarion sets Tinkerbell with the task of watching over the girls until they can find a way home for them and in the meantime, the girls explore and learn the ways of the fairies and have a lovely time as Lost Girls!

I read an abridged chapter book version of J.M. Barrie's 'Peter Pan' to my daughter over the summer and she adored it, as I had hoped. She already knew about Tinkerbell but didn't know much about Peter Pan or the pirates (because we didn't own the movie at the time) and now she knows the full story and we've since watched the cartoon, the live-action film, and even Hook, as well as all of the Tinkerbell films that are on Netflix. We found the first two books in The Never Girls series at a thrift store in perfect condition and dug right in knowing that they are about the fairies that live in Pixie Hollow!

My daughter is younger than the suggested ages but she requested that I read chapter books to her earlier this year so I have obliged and these 'early chapter books' are the perfect length and font size for us! Depending on how tired we are, we either split a chapter or read one whole chapter a night. They don't take long to get through so we're already looking to buy the rest of the series!

I love that this series continues the Peter Pan storyline of children being whisked away to the magical island of Never Land where fairies, mermaids, and even pirates live. This story is a little more innocent though and reminds me much more of the Tinkerbell movies than the rough-and-tumble adventures of Peter Pan. My daughter loved that one of the girls was a lot younger and that they all were able to fly like the fairies!

We're looking forward to continuing this wonderful series!

[Kirjapallo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tykkään tosi paljon Disneyn keijuleffoista, mutta valitettavasti nämä kirjat ovat ihan erilaisia. Niissä on jopa melkein eri maailma. Lapsille varmaan tosi hämmentävää!

Tämä kirja kertoo kolmesta kolmasluokkalaisesta tytöstä ja yhdestä pikkusiskosta, jotka yllättäen joutuvat Mikä-mikä-maahan keijujen riesaksi. Sanon riesaksi, koska tytöt onnistuvat möhlimään aika monta asiaa - ja ajatelkaa nyt kuinka työlästä heitä on ruokkia!! Ainakin minulla oli lukiessa tosi vaivaantunut olo koko ajan, eikä kirjan loppu yhtään parantanut asiaa...

Mutta ehkä lapset eivät huomaa tuollaisia?

Teksti oli melko väljää ja kuvat oli kivoja, voisin suositella kakkosille ja kolmosille. Ja ääneen luettuna nuoremmille.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Started reading this series with my seven year old niece. She will read a couple pages then I read her four to five pages then she finishes out the chapter. We will be slow adding these on here but she really enjoyed the first book and can’t wait to read more of the girls’ adventures

[Sakura Windsong · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was so happy to see this as a library book, because I had been wanting to read it, but it is very short and they don't even give you a real sample if you want to consider it for purchase. Thank goodness I didn't pay for it either, because it is definitely not worth the cost! I do not recommend it to fans of the Tinkerbell movies either. Tinkerbell comes off as rude and it's mentioned that she doesn't like any "Clumsies" except Peter Pan and the clumsies a.k.a. humans even noticed that the first time she ever laughed was when she was laughing at someone's misfortune. Now is that the Tinkerbell any of us have grown to know and love? Also, another thing that drove me crazy was the use of a derogatory name for the humans. In the movies, they just call them humans (also in the movies Tinkerbell loves humans and is so fascinated by them she can't stay away). I don't understand the point of a derogatory name for any group, especially in a children's book. Now you might say, c'mon Sandra, what about Harry Potter and the usage of the word Mudblood? You never complained there! Now then, you'd be right, but the difference is that the word in Harry Potter was expressly written as a derogatory term and the people using it were seen in a negative light for doing so. In this book the term clumsy is used without anyone reacting in any way at all. Everyone uses it. The word "clumsy" has negative connotations by itself as well, so it's not even the context in which it is used, although targeting another group that is different than you and giving them a name can often be considered alienating at the very least, but as a "clumsy" myself, it is definitely offensive. Even one of the girls expressed that she is not clumsy and she took ballet for years, but the fairies don't apologize or change their wording! This is the kind of book that should have some sort of lessons in it, but everything that could have some sort of turnaround just gets glazed over. Perhaps you have to buy several books to see some real character growth, but I just read the one book and don't plan on reading anymore after how this one was written.

Another gripe I had was the liberty taken with the pre-existing characters. They turned Vidia into a pretty terrible person/fairy and in the movies she was always MAYBE bordering on naughty or rude or just on the wrong path, but she seemed to have a good heart underneath it all. Without giving any spoilers I will say there doesn't seem to be that good heart anywhere in this book. Definitely skip this one. Don't buy it for your child either unless you are ready to explain how it's not nice to call people names and you shouldn't be rude to people you've just met... *Sigh* How is this a children's book with such poor role models throughout? Tinkerbell eventually comes around to liking her SECOND human, but it was too little, too late in my opinion.

[Sharon Tyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a Blink is a childrens book written by Kiki Thorpe and illustrated by R.H. Disney. It is scheduled for release on January 8 2013, and will begin a new Disney series titled Never Girls for readers between 6 and 10. Never Land is a place with a mind of its own. Sometimes it travels close to those that believe enough to visit. The story starts with three friends playing in the back yard. Kate, Mia, and Laney are having fun. However, they are quickly distracted by strange things happening and little sister Gabby joining the group, fairy in hand. Somehow the group is transported to Never Land with the fairy, and the adventure really begins. The girls enjoy visiting Fairy Hollow are, but Queen Clarion discovers a way for the girls to get home. No one is really ready for the adventure to end, but their fun could be just beginning.

In a Blink is a fun chapter book for the elementary school set. The girls; Kate, Mia, Lainey, and Gabby get along well but are all very different. The descriptions of the fairies and their talents also made it clear that everyone is an individual, rather than just placeholders in the story. Getting to see some of the fairies I already recognize by name have a bigger role here, and I get to see more personality and though from them than I have before. I liked that the book made it clear that differences are good and what makes each of the girls, and fairies, special. Kate in particular has her moments of personality in this story, showing her need to succeed and be good at everything, which plays a role in the book. The set up for the series is well done, and I think the series as a whole will be a hit with the intended audience.

I recommend In a Blink to young readers that like fairies ad stories that they might recognize themselves in at least one of the characters. It is a fun, safe, and simple adventure that will make many young readers happy.

[Books & Vodka Sodas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was absolutely adorable, clever, and very very well written.

This is a series I have to catch up with my daughter because she's on book six and she wants to buddy read. In the AR book system this is rated as 3.4 which is nearly halfway through third grade. This was a quick, yet clever and quite engaging read. I liked how each girl had a very solid personality, I found myself engaging more than others. Each fairy was adorable and I could see them in my head from the movies. Tinkerbelle seemed a bit more edgy. You know, the tink we grew to love from the original Peter Pan. She was sassy, quarky, and quick to huff but when push came to shove she came through for this age group.

I did think calling humans 'clumsies' was a bit odd, but original, and something that middle grade readers could identify with. I kept having to remember this book was geared for 8 year olds at times, but it kept me wanting to read more, get to the trouble, and then solve it all with a life lesson and good ending. I'm still a little unclear on how 'blinking' works, I'm not sure kids would care, but I would imagine that the author would be abl to better explain it to a childlike reader when she was so good and bringing to life the rest of Pixie Hallow. Remember, she writing a pre-determined reality, while still giving a bit of her own spin on it.

What I would like to see in this series: Growth in the girls. Time will have to pass and I know how my daughter was from age 8-10 and I hope the author reflects those changes because it will help the younger reader to keep engaged in the story arcs. I would like the life lessons and trials to become just a little bit tougher.

I highly recommend this for ages as young as second grade. If they like the Tink movies they will really enjoy these adventures.

*I read a copy via the Los Angeles County Library Overdrive System*