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Ever After High: A School Story #2
Kiss and Spell
What's a girl to do when she accidentally turns her crush into a frog? Ginger Breadhouse had a hard time growing up with the Candy Witch for a mom. It's not easy making friends if everyone believes your mom tried to cook Hansel and Gretel! But now that Ginger's attending Ever After High, she has a chance to forge her own path, and she's trying to make a name for herself as the host of the MirrorCast show Spells Kitchen. The problem is, she needs viewers!
Ginger hopes a magical recipe from Professor Rumpelstiltskin will be a showstopper -- but when the magic backfires, it turns Hopper Croakington II, son of the Frog Prince, into a small green amphibian! And the longer he remains under the spell, the more froglike he becomes. Can Ginger turn Hopper back into his regular self before it's too late?
Don't miss the companion activity book, Science and Sorcery!
Ginger hopes a magical recipe from Professor Rumpelstiltskin will be a showstopper -- but when the magic backfires, it turns Hopper Croakington II, son of the Frog Prince, into a small green amphibian! And the longer he remains under the spell, the more froglike he becomes. Can Ginger turn Hopper back into his regular self before it's too late?
Don't miss the companion activity book, Science and Sorcery!
224 pages, Hardcover
First published April 7, 2015
58 people are currently reading
1603 people want to read
About the author
Suzanne Selfors
67 books844 followersSuzanne Selfors lives on an island near Seattle where it rains all the time, which is why she tends to write about cloudy, moss-covered, green places.
She's married, has two kids, and writes full time.
Her favorite writers are Kurt Vonnegut, Charles Dickens, and most especially, Roald Dahl.
Please visit her at www.suzanneselfors.com to learn more about her books.
She's married, has two kids, and writes full time.
Her favorite writers are Kurt Vonnegut, Charles Dickens, and most especially, Roald Dahl.
Please visit her at www.suzanneselfors.com to learn more about her books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 119 reviews
April 19, 2015
While Ginger Breadhouse isn't as conflicted a character as Duchess Swan, the heroine of Selfors' previous EAH novel, she's also more relatable in many ways: Ginger knows who she is and who she wants to be, but she has to become comfortable with the fact that not everyone will be able to see or understand her. The book nominally focuses on Ginger's cooking show on the in-world version of YouTube and her crush on Hopper Croakington, but the real heart of the novel is her relationship with her mother, the Candy Witch of "Hansel and Gretel." Ginger, who doesn't want to follow in her mother's footsteps, is embarrassed by her mom, and her mother makes an attempt to make her daughter's life easier. The Candy Witch truly loves her daughter and accepts her for herself, the first adult in EAH's world we've seen be so understanding. It is Ginger who must come to terms with her mother rather than the other way around, as we've seen with Raven and the other rebels; and when Ginger learns to appreciate what she has is when she is finally able to become who she wants. It's a very nice message well told, and while Selfors doesn't have the fairy tale rhythms Shannon Hale did in her EAH novels, she does have something more important in the middle grade genre - a warm heart.
May 31, 2015
Uh....what?
I went in with low expectations.
Honestly, I got an okay story out of it, which was nice. And that was about it.
The story itself I had no problem with and I loved seeing more of Ginger and Melody(who just pops in every now and then in the webisodes).
My issue, like with the previous one were with the characters. Characters that I was okay with in the web series. Blondie being the main one. Sheesh, that girl is ANNOYING. And do no get me started on the Royals(Apple, Briar, ect). I feel like their characters were tossed out the window and replaced with shadows of their former selves.
I went in with low expectations.
Honestly, I got an okay story out of it, which was nice. And that was about it.
The story itself I had no problem with and I loved seeing more of Ginger and Melody(who just pops in every now and then in the webisodes).
My issue, like with the previous one were with the characters. Characters that I was okay with in the web series. Blondie being the main one. Sheesh, that girl is ANNOYING. And do no get me started on the Royals(Apple, Briar, ect). I feel like their characters were tossed out the window and replaced with shadows of their former selves.
February 14, 2016
A new part in this series and with a new character. This time we meet with Ginger, the daughter of the Candy Witch. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, that Candy Witch from Hansel and Gretel. But as we know, in this series most of the stories are quite the same, but there are some differences. For instance, The Candy Witch doesn't even eat children. Apparently Hansel and Gretel were a couple of annoying, f-you, we-don't-care and lying kids. The other things match, the Candy Witch makes candy, she likes poisoning people (she needs guinea pigs for her tests after all, and since no one is volunteering (gee, how come?)). I really like this twist that she is actually not that bad, I was already kind of hoping for it.
Only thanks to all that Hansel and Gretel stuff, everyone now thinks that the Candy Witch is bad (like worse than bad), and this also causes trouble for her daughter. The poor thing is shunned by people, she had quite a past of people running away from her or her mother. I just felt so sorry for her, and I could understand why she was trying so hard to change things. To show that she wasn't like her mom, and to show them that her mom could also look normal (with a lot of effort, I must say).
It is something typical from this series, you feel sorry for the characters that should be evil, or have evil in their blood. Most of these kids don't want to be bad, they actually want to do something else, they want to live their lives as they want, not dictated because of what a story tells them. With each passing book, I just feel more and more sympathy for the Rebels and the ones with a story that forces them to become bad.
I loved Ginger, she was a great character, though I wish she would speak up a bit more. She is quite silent, even though she is so outgoing on other fronts. I would have loved to see some illustrations, as I love the descriptions of her dress and how she dresses. I wouldn't mind a dress that looks like a cake or something delicious.
Her crush on *insert character name* is so adorable and I was just hoping things would turn out to be good for her, she deserves happiness.
The show she was hosting was interesting, though I can kind of understand why people wouldn't want to watch, with so many other options a cooking show can be missed, and maybe people are just not that interested in cookies and cakes. I loved how she fought to get the show to stay, how she tried newer things, and found out a way to keep her show forever.
She grows in this book, from a timid mouse with a love for cooking, to someone who is more open and also more happy, but also has more respect for her mother.
I loved the Candy Witch, it was great fun to see her appear in this book, and while she was quite evil, I could also sense that she only became really evil was because everyone in her family was that. And that by now she just doesn't know better. It is quite sad and shows once again that destiny is fun and all, but not for those characters that might not want to be evil, or might be totally different if they had had a chance to look at other options.
Blondie just keeps getting better. At times I was annoyed with her and how she acted (she is so nosy), but at other times she was a terrific friend who helped out the best she could.
Of course we also see the various other characters that we already met in the previous books. I didn't particularly like Briar in this one, she was snobby and a bitch.
I still really like the world building in this one, and at times I would love to take a peek at this world and enjoy a (school) day in this weird and wonderful world. I am sure they got some great and wickedly fun lessons that you normally won't find in a normal school. And I am sure I could lose several hours just exploring the world they are in.
The ending to this story was great, I really enjoyed it.
All in all, I would recommend this book. It is a fun book if you like Fairy Tales, boarding school and a spotlight on a new character each time.
Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/
Only thanks to all that Hansel and Gretel stuff, everyone now thinks that the Candy Witch is bad (like worse than bad), and this also causes trouble for her daughter. The poor thing is shunned by people, she had quite a past of people running away from her or her mother. I just felt so sorry for her, and I could understand why she was trying so hard to change things. To show that she wasn't like her mom, and to show them that her mom could also look normal (with a lot of effort, I must say).
It is something typical from this series, you feel sorry for the characters that should be evil, or have evil in their blood. Most of these kids don't want to be bad, they actually want to do something else, they want to live their lives as they want, not dictated because of what a story tells them. With each passing book, I just feel more and more sympathy for the Rebels and the ones with a story that forces them to become bad.
I loved Ginger, she was a great character, though I wish she would speak up a bit more. She is quite silent, even though she is so outgoing on other fronts. I would have loved to see some illustrations, as I love the descriptions of her dress and how she dresses. I wouldn't mind a dress that looks like a cake or something delicious.
Her crush on *insert character name* is so adorable and I was just hoping things would turn out to be good for her, she deserves happiness.
The show she was hosting was interesting, though I can kind of understand why people wouldn't want to watch, with so many other options a cooking show can be missed, and maybe people are just not that interested in cookies and cakes. I loved how she fought to get the show to stay, how she tried newer things, and found out a way to keep her show forever.
She grows in this book, from a timid mouse with a love for cooking, to someone who is more open and also more happy, but also has more respect for her mother.
I loved the Candy Witch, it was great fun to see her appear in this book, and while she was quite evil, I could also sense that she only became really evil was because everyone in her family was that. And that by now she just doesn't know better. It is quite sad and shows once again that destiny is fun and all, but not for those characters that might not want to be evil, or might be totally different if they had had a chance to look at other options.
Blondie just keeps getting better. At times I was annoyed with her and how she acted (she is so nosy), but at other times she was a terrific friend who helped out the best she could.
Of course we also see the various other characters that we already met in the previous books. I didn't particularly like Briar in this one, she was snobby and a bitch.
I still really like the world building in this one, and at times I would love to take a peek at this world and enjoy a (school) day in this weird and wonderful world. I am sure they got some great and wickedly fun lessons that you normally won't find in a normal school. And I am sure I could lose several hours just exploring the world they are in.
The ending to this story was great, I really enjoyed it.
All in all, I would recommend this book. It is a fun book if you like Fairy Tales, boarding school and a spotlight on a new character each time.
Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/
December 27, 2020
Everything was okay. I especially love the parts when Ginger started to cook or think of cooking something. It makes me wanna bake something, which I did (I baked cake). The only part I don't enjoy was the pacing. I find it very slow and I keep on waiting for something to happen. But of course, it's a kids book, which I feel it is a good pacing for them but not for me.
August 1, 2017
I'm collector of Ever After High dolls so I loved this a lot.
April 13, 2015
Check out www.UtopiaNeverComes.blogspot.com for more reviews on new and upcoming releases.
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I am such a tweenage girl, because I can never get enough of Ever After & Monster High. I love the books, the animated shows, the MH movies, and even the dolls... yes, I am a grown man who loves dolls... well, Ever After High & Monster High dolls, at least. I was a little concerned of the changes that were being made in the books when Selfors took over writing what Shannon Hale had started. While I love the fact that we are getting the perspective of new characters with different lineage, I think there is a loss of the narrative omniscient voice that was present in the beginning of the series. While some people may enjoy the changes being made, I just find them to be a little out of character for the how the series began.
Kiss & Spell brings us a story in the eyes of Ginger Breadhouse, the daughter of the Candy Witch from Hansel & Gretel, with whom the readers met in Next Top Villain. Very much like Raven Queen, Ginger is rebelling against her story in that she also does not want to take over as the Candy Witch. While she does love to bake, she doesn't want to poison anyone. She doesn't want to be a Villain at all. This book follows Ginger as she tries to make her MirrorCast show, Spells Kitchen, a success. We also learn that she has a big crush on Hopper Croakington II, son of the Frog Prince.
This story definitely gives a lot of information on Ginger's back story and what happens to make her not want to be a Villain, as well as a small look into a few other character's lives. While Raven & Apple do make appearances in this book, they again are only in supporting roles.
Like all of the other EAH books, this book is quite short and definitely meant for a younger crowd, but if you go in expecting it to be a short fun read, you won't be disappointed.
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I am such a tweenage girl, because I can never get enough of Ever After & Monster High. I love the books, the animated shows, the MH movies, and even the dolls... yes, I am a grown man who loves dolls... well, Ever After High & Monster High dolls, at least. I was a little concerned of the changes that were being made in the books when Selfors took over writing what Shannon Hale had started. While I love the fact that we are getting the perspective of new characters with different lineage, I think there is a loss of the narrative omniscient voice that was present in the beginning of the series. While some people may enjoy the changes being made, I just find them to be a little out of character for the how the series began.
Kiss & Spell brings us a story in the eyes of Ginger Breadhouse, the daughter of the Candy Witch from Hansel & Gretel, with whom the readers met in Next Top Villain. Very much like Raven Queen, Ginger is rebelling against her story in that she also does not want to take over as the Candy Witch. While she does love to bake, she doesn't want to poison anyone. She doesn't want to be a Villain at all. This book follows Ginger as she tries to make her MirrorCast show, Spells Kitchen, a success. We also learn that she has a big crush on Hopper Croakington II, son of the Frog Prince.
This story definitely gives a lot of information on Ginger's back story and what happens to make her not want to be a Villain, as well as a small look into a few other character's lives. While Raven & Apple do make appearances in this book, they again are only in supporting roles.
Like all of the other EAH books, this book is quite short and definitely meant for a younger crowd, but if you go in expecting it to be a short fun read, you won't be disappointed.
October 18, 2015
I am not liking this run very much. I got about half way through and then stopped reading every word and pushed through to the end.
There are some more logic-holes in this one, like the last one. Like, how did true-love's-kiss work and then she's just like "yeah I'm not ready for true love yet, he can keep fawning over Brier for a while." I mean, don't get me wrong, STOKED to see the maturity for her to know she's not ready something as metal as true love, but... can you just walk away from true-love like that? When it obviously IS true love, because the kiss worked. And what does that mean for him? I'm just not sure what's really being said here.
And that line-up of girls tromping out to the swamp to kiss a boy they have always been fairly dismissive of... some of them were there because they actually wanted to help him *cough*Raven*cough* but most of the rest of them just wanted to prove their own princess-validity, and it feels... reductionist? Cruel? I'm not sure. Something. It was funny, but I also feel like it shouldn't be funny. It's funny because "look at all the girly-girls in the swamp, totally grossed out, trying to out-do each other." I don't love it.
I will say that the Candy Witch was very excellent. And I like Ginger's groundedness, that was also great. Once again, solid principles and ideas, but the execution was lacking.
There are some more logic-holes in this one, like the last one. Like, how did true-love's-kiss work and then she's just like "yeah I'm not ready for true love yet, he can keep fawning over Brier for a while." I mean, don't get me wrong, STOKED to see the maturity for her to know she's not ready something as metal as true love, but... can you just walk away from true-love like that? When it obviously IS true love, because the kiss worked. And what does that mean for him? I'm just not sure what's really being said here.
And that line-up of girls tromping out to the swamp to kiss a boy they have always been fairly dismissive of... some of them were there because they actually wanted to help him *cough*Raven*cough* but most of the rest of them just wanted to prove their own princess-validity, and it feels... reductionist? Cruel? I'm not sure. Something. It was funny, but I also feel like it shouldn't be funny. It's funny because "look at all the girly-girls in the swamp, totally grossed out, trying to out-do each other." I don't love it.
I will say that the Candy Witch was very excellent. And I like Ginger's groundedness, that was also great. Once again, solid principles and ideas, but the execution was lacking.
October 27, 2016
I wanted to love this book because Ginger Breadhouse is one of my favorite characters in the series. But with this one and the one before it, all I could think was "I miss Shannon Hale". Suzanne does well at telling a cute story but it's missing that fantasy excitement that Shannon gives all of her stories. I think I'll go back to the original 3 books and read them again instead of reading any more in the new series. I'll just end up disappointed again.
October 17, 2025
This story was cute 🥺
August 9, 2016
"Kiss and Spell" takes you back to the world of Ever After High where the children of all of our beloved fairytale characters are going to school together. This story is about the best chef in all of the fairytale kingdom, Ginger Breadhouse (Daughter of the Candy Witch). She has her own cooking show that is about to be cancelled which will take all of her dreams of becoming a famous chef with it. In one last attempt to increase the number of viewers, Ginger decides to bake a wish cake. It will grant whomever eats it one small wish. Except the magic backfires and turns Hopper Croakington (son of the Frog Prince) into a permanent frog. The longer he stays in his amphibian form, the more froglike he becomes. Ginger has to figure out how to turn him back before the frog in him completely takes over.
"Kiss and Spell" is a fun continuation of the Ever After High stories. This one was written by a different author than the first three, but you have to pay really close attention to notice the difference in writing style. Since these books are meant for youth, I don't think any of the intended readers will see a difference. The story is so fun and describes what it was like for Ginger to grow up with the Candy Witch for a mom who always put something nasty in her recipes. Kids will definitely be able to relate to the characters and the story includes some old favorites like Raven Queen, Briar Beauty, Madeline Hatter, and Apple White. The text is clean and easy to get through. 5 out of 5 stars. I would highly recommend this for anyone with fantasy-loving kids.
"Kiss and Spell" is a fun continuation of the Ever After High stories. This one was written by a different author than the first three, but you have to pay really close attention to notice the difference in writing style. Since these books are meant for youth, I don't think any of the intended readers will see a difference. The story is so fun and describes what it was like for Ginger to grow up with the Candy Witch for a mom who always put something nasty in her recipes. Kids will definitely be able to relate to the characters and the story includes some old favorites like Raven Queen, Briar Beauty, Madeline Hatter, and Apple White. The text is clean and easy to get through. 5 out of 5 stars. I would highly recommend this for anyone with fantasy-loving kids.
August 14, 2015
Ginger Breadhouse is the daughter of the Candy Witch, the woman whose house was rudely eaten by Hansel and Gretel. She didn't try to eat them, but that doesn't make her "good." She definitely loves her poisons. Either way, she has a reputation and that reputation has followed Ginger her whole life. Now at Ever After High, Ginger is trying to follow her passion of baking yummy foods, but at every turn has to confront suspicion that she too is a poisoner.
I found it refreshing that this book has moved on from the destiny and choice theme so present in all previous books. While it's still a question (obviously Ginger doesn't want to poison people), this book discussed being true to yourself, no matter what others think of you. Coming to terms with who you really are is a life-long lesson. People have expectations and we all have stories in our families to live up to (or not), but in the end, we need to be what makes us happy. And for the first time, I feel like a student in conflict with her destiny had the full support of her parent. I love that.
I found it refreshing that this book has moved on from the destiny and choice theme so present in all previous books. While it's still a question (obviously Ginger doesn't want to poison people), this book discussed being true to yourself, no matter what others think of you. Coming to terms with who you really are is a life-long lesson. People have expectations and we all have stories in our families to live up to (or not), but in the end, we need to be what makes us happy. And for the first time, I feel like a student in conflict with her destiny had the full support of her parent. I love that.
April 9, 2015
The second "Ever After High, A School Story" book authored by Suzanne Selfors continues to highlight the lives of the sons and daughters of fairytales at Ever After High. This time, the focus is on Ginger Breadhouse, the daughter of The Candy Witch from the tale of "Hansel and Gretel".
As typical with this series, you can't help but like the characters who are supposed to be evil in their fairytale stories. Well, maybe there are exceptions for some… There are some interesting twists in this book as well, almost like a retelling but in a small scale. As with the previous "A School Story" book, the story focuses primarily on the main character. However, it doesn't directly relate to the Headmaster of Ever After High.
Keeping in mind the target audience, the conflict in this story applies to the character appropriately considering her experiences up to now. While not overly complex, her conflict involves others as well, addressing how she relates to them now and in the future.
I really enjoy the world of Ever After High and this book brings a greater understanding of finding one's destiny, whether foretold or created.
As typical with this series, you can't help but like the characters who are supposed to be evil in their fairytale stories. Well, maybe there are exceptions for some… There are some interesting twists in this book as well, almost like a retelling but in a small scale. As with the previous "A School Story" book, the story focuses primarily on the main character. However, it doesn't directly relate to the Headmaster of Ever After High.
Keeping in mind the target audience, the conflict in this story applies to the character appropriately considering her experiences up to now. While not overly complex, her conflict involves others as well, addressing how she relates to them now and in the future.
I really enjoy the world of Ever After High and this book brings a greater understanding of finding one's destiny, whether foretold or created.
June 19, 2015
Ginger Breadhouse, daughter of the Candy Witch (you know, the one in the Hansel & Gretel fairy tale), has one wish (well, maybe two)...for her Spells Kitchen, a MirrorCast Shows production to be a hit and for her heart-throb, Hopper Croakington to fall in love with her. Problem is, no one wants to watch her show, knowing that her destiny is to create poisonous treats. In her heart, though, all she wants is to make delicious treats for her classmates to enjoy and viewers to drool over.
With ratings dropping, she enlists the help of evil Rumpelstiltskin for a fool-proof Wish Cake recipe that will turn her ratings around. After eating the mini-wish cake, the lucky participant will be granted "one little wish". Ginger chooses Hopper for her experiment...but, as with most evil recipes, it totally backfires, and backfires big! Now what to do?
Using help from another unexpected source and with calm and reasonable thinking, Ginger puts things back on track, while losing ground in other ways. Will her second wish ever come true? Stranger things have happened in fairy tale land!
With ratings dropping, she enlists the help of evil Rumpelstiltskin for a fool-proof Wish Cake recipe that will turn her ratings around. After eating the mini-wish cake, the lucky participant will be granted "one little wish". Ginger chooses Hopper for her experiment...but, as with most evil recipes, it totally backfires, and backfires big! Now what to do?
Using help from another unexpected source and with calm and reasonable thinking, Ginger puts things back on track, while losing ground in other ways. Will her second wish ever come true? Stranger things have happened in fairy tale land!
April 25, 2016
I loved pretty much every bit of this story. for one, Blondie Lockes didn't annoy me like she did in the previous novel and well everyone loves an unrequited love story, right?
that's not what this novel was mainly about though, this story was about Ginger Breadhouse accepting who her mother is while wanting to be accepted for who she is as an individual ; i.e. not being judged for being the daughter of the Candy Witch from the Hansel and Gretel fairytale and others assuming that she is going to follow that prewritten destiny.
I also liked the plot "twist" in that the original Hansel and Gretel tale was a lie. In truth it was that the two children invited themselves into the witch's house and started eating it, they got caught and when the witch called their parents, they lied about why they were there to avoid getting into serious trouble and that was the story that got recorded in the book of legends.
The character that did annoy me in this one was Faebelle, she was just there to be mean and cause drama, which got over looked anyway.
regardless, I still love the series and excited to start the next one.
that's not what this novel was mainly about though, this story was about Ginger Breadhouse accepting who her mother is while wanting to be accepted for who she is as an individual ; i.e. not being judged for being the daughter of the Candy Witch from the Hansel and Gretel fairytale and others assuming that she is going to follow that prewritten destiny.
I also liked the plot "twist" in that the original Hansel and Gretel tale was a lie. In truth it was that the two children invited themselves into the witch's house and started eating it, they got caught and when the witch called their parents, they lied about why they were there to avoid getting into serious trouble and that was the story that got recorded in the book of legends.
The character that did annoy me in this one was Faebelle, she was just there to be mean and cause drama, which got over looked anyway.
regardless, I still love the series and excited to start the next one.
April 7, 2015
Signs of quality: I finished it in one day.
It contains a great message - Be yourself! Stay yourself! Not the first book to feature that advice but that doesn’t diminish the value of it.
BUT
Selfors writes the students a notch nastier than Hale.
Missed opportunity in the scene where the princesses argue about the kissing. It could be even funnier if the author didn’t insist on so-reasonable-is-boring!Raven.
It contains a great message - Be yourself! Stay yourself! Not the first book to feature that advice but that doesn’t diminish the value of it.
BUT
Selfors writes the students a notch nastier than Hale.
Missed opportunity in the scene where the princesses argue about the kissing. It could be even funnier if the author didn’t insist on so-reasonable-is-boring!Raven.
July 15, 2016
can't get over how stinkin cute these stories are
October 21, 2025
*4.5*
I return to my fandom roots in the world of Ever After High once again. This book displays some of that storytelling potential that has always made Ever After High so appealing to me. The lore of the series has always evoked big questions about pre-determined fate versus free will, or the predictability of fate. When you take fairytale legacy characters and stick them in high school together, they're bound to "rewrite their own destinies"-- that's what adolescence is about. Kiss and Spell explores these themes with Ginger Breadhouse (which I think is one of the silliest names in the franchise, but that's not Selfors' fault), daughter of the Candy Witch from the Hansel and Gretel story.
As is the case with most of the fairy tales EAH depicts, I have long thought Ever After High's take on Hansel and Gretel is really interesting in the way that it asks you to consider perspective. Ginger's mother is no doubt a "villain" in a classic, stereotypical way, but the story as she tells it reveals the "heroes" are no angels either. It calls into question this manufactured divide between good and evil that the school teaches them. I could go on, because having philosophical discussions about this franchise is part of the reason I have been attached to it for over a decade, but I'll digress for now.
The book centers on Ginger and her struggle to be accepted by her peers and seen as her own person unbound to her mother's reputation. Ginger is not nearly as rejected by her peers as she thinks, as she has a number of friends and seems generally well-liked by other students despite lingering suspicions that she might poison them. I liked that about the book, because it's a pretty realistic depiction of the feelings of isolation middle graders can feel.
The "mirror-casts" (livestreams/vlog channels) Ginger, Blondie, and Daring run at the school are also another device through which perspective and acceptance are explored in the book. Ginger's "failure" is the result of low viewers or an unsuccessful spell on her mirrorcast, while Daring is celebrated for doing absolutely nothing notable on camera because he is already popular. Ginger isn't bad at what she does just because it doesn't pull in viewers online, and Daring's online popularity doesn't come from anything special he's doing. I think this is another great lesson for the audience it was intended for, especially in the 2010s as children began to grow up in the culture of this technology.
This book has the benefit of pulling from the lore of Ever After High, so it doesn't necessarily need to develop its characters too much (which also lets them keep the pace moving and the page count down). Ginger and her mother are the only characters depicted with much complexity. I appreciate that so much attention is given to the relationship between mother and daughter, as you can tell that the way the Candy Witch's reputation has affected Ginger hasn't made her love her mother any less. The other characters get their moments in other books and episodes, so I don't think it hurts this book too much, but if you pick up this book with no prior knowledge of the franchise, the characters may feel one-note. Briar probably suffers the most from it here.
I return to my fandom roots in the world of Ever After High once again. This book displays some of that storytelling potential that has always made Ever After High so appealing to me. The lore of the series has always evoked big questions about pre-determined fate versus free will, or the predictability of fate. When you take fairytale legacy characters and stick them in high school together, they're bound to "rewrite their own destinies"-- that's what adolescence is about. Kiss and Spell explores these themes with Ginger Breadhouse (which I think is one of the silliest names in the franchise, but that's not Selfors' fault), daughter of the Candy Witch from the Hansel and Gretel story.
As is the case with most of the fairy tales EAH depicts, I have long thought Ever After High's take on Hansel and Gretel is really interesting in the way that it asks you to consider perspective. Ginger's mother is no doubt a "villain" in a classic, stereotypical way, but the story as she tells it reveals the "heroes" are no angels either. It calls into question this manufactured divide between good and evil that the school teaches them. I could go on, because having philosophical discussions about this franchise is part of the reason I have been attached to it for over a decade, but I'll digress for now.
The book centers on Ginger and her struggle to be accepted by her peers and seen as her own person unbound to her mother's reputation. Ginger is not nearly as rejected by her peers as she thinks, as she has a number of friends and seems generally well-liked by other students despite lingering suspicions that she might poison them. I liked that about the book, because it's a pretty realistic depiction of the feelings of isolation middle graders can feel.
The "mirror-casts" (livestreams/vlog channels) Ginger, Blondie, and Daring run at the school are also another device through which perspective and acceptance are explored in the book. Ginger's "failure" is the result of low viewers or an unsuccessful spell on her mirrorcast, while Daring is celebrated for doing absolutely nothing notable on camera because he is already popular. Ginger isn't bad at what she does just because it doesn't pull in viewers online, and Daring's online popularity doesn't come from anything special he's doing. I think this is another great lesson for the audience it was intended for, especially in the 2010s as children began to grow up in the culture of this technology.
This book has the benefit of pulling from the lore of Ever After High, so it doesn't necessarily need to develop its characters too much (which also lets them keep the pace moving and the page count down). Ginger and her mother are the only characters depicted with much complexity. I appreciate that so much attention is given to the relationship between mother and daughter, as you can tell that the way the Candy Witch's reputation has affected Ginger hasn't made her love her mother any less. The other characters get their moments in other books and episodes, so I don't think it hurts this book too much, but if you pick up this book with no prior knowledge of the franchise, the characters may feel one-note. Briar probably suffers the most from it here.
May 23, 2024
RATING IS 3.5 STARS
I decided to reread this as I first read it years ago back when I was around 9 and EAH obsessed. This is still such a charming, fun book. It was a nice simple reread and it was very enchanting. Ginger is such a sweet character and I loved following her story and being immersed into the Ever after High world again.
The pacing is a little bit slow but I didn’t mind as much as I would’ve if it were a book that wasn’t tied to EAH - I wholeheartedly liked every second due to the fact it was revolving around the EAH universe.
I love the message of this book about staying true to yourself and how it explores how hard it can be to stay strong in your identity and being comfortable with not fitting peoples expectations of you.
I really enjoyed how the dynamic between Ginger and her mom (the Candy Witch) is explored, as both learn to accept each other for who they are. It shows that even if you struggle to understand others choices and reasons, you should still love and support them.
The writing is light, concise and cute, it doesn’t stand out from other kids books in that sense but I still think Selfors did a great job. She really made me feel a connection to Ginger and took the time to explore her motives and insecurities which made me feel even more of an affinity towards Ginger. She builds upon the characters and EAH universe nicely.
My only issue with this book is just the ending, when she kisses Hopper (his tale is the frog prince where the only way his curse can be broken is by a princesses kiss) and breaks his curse despite not being a princess, it’s not explored further?
The last thing that ties it up is just a few sentences about how Ginger just wants him to be happy and she knows that him believing Briar was the one who kissed him is what will make him happy & she’s fine waiting for him.
That’s a mature thing of Ginger to do, but for a middle grade book where it’s about fairytales you’d think they’d of explored it more…
I just feel like there should’ve been another layer to why Ginger chose to keep the kiss a secret - I would’ve liked more insight into her choices. For that reason I wish they’d of had a couple extra chapters to explain more, but it is what it is.
Alas, I adore this book and will always reread every few years because it’s just so light and sweet! This is a really good read even if you’re not an EAH fan and just want a fluffy, magical filler read. I definitely recommend it, it’s only 210 pages with very simple writing and I could’ve easily read it in under 2 hours but I’ve been very busy with exams so had to read it in shorter bursts, anyways it’s super amazing!!!!
I decided to reread this as I first read it years ago back when I was around 9 and EAH obsessed. This is still such a charming, fun book. It was a nice simple reread and it was very enchanting. Ginger is such a sweet character and I loved following her story and being immersed into the Ever after High world again.
The pacing is a little bit slow but I didn’t mind as much as I would’ve if it were a book that wasn’t tied to EAH - I wholeheartedly liked every second due to the fact it was revolving around the EAH universe.
I love the message of this book about staying true to yourself and how it explores how hard it can be to stay strong in your identity and being comfortable with not fitting peoples expectations of you.
I really enjoyed how the dynamic between Ginger and her mom (the Candy Witch) is explored, as both learn to accept each other for who they are. It shows that even if you struggle to understand others choices and reasons, you should still love and support them.
The writing is light, concise and cute, it doesn’t stand out from other kids books in that sense but I still think Selfors did a great job. She really made me feel a connection to Ginger and took the time to explore her motives and insecurities which made me feel even more of an affinity towards Ginger. She builds upon the characters and EAH universe nicely.
My only issue with this book is just the ending, when she kisses Hopper (his tale is the frog prince where the only way his curse can be broken is by a princesses kiss) and breaks his curse despite not being a princess, it’s not explored further?
The last thing that ties it up is just a few sentences about how Ginger just wants him to be happy and she knows that him believing Briar was the one who kissed him is what will make him happy & she’s fine waiting for him.
That’s a mature thing of Ginger to do, but for a middle grade book where it’s about fairytales you’d think they’d of explored it more…
I just feel like there should’ve been another layer to why Ginger chose to keep the kiss a secret - I would’ve liked more insight into her choices. For that reason I wish they’d of had a couple extra chapters to explain more, but it is what it is.
Alas, I adore this book and will always reread every few years because it’s just so light and sweet! This is a really good read even if you’re not an EAH fan and just want a fluffy, magical filler read. I definitely recommend it, it’s only 210 pages with very simple writing and I could’ve easily read it in under 2 hours but I’ve been very busy with exams so had to read it in shorter bursts, anyways it’s super amazing!!!!
February 16, 2021
This is a very cute book which I expect from an Ever After High book, so in that regard, it was exactly what I expected.
Looking at it from the perspective of a children's book, it was quite good. It could be read stand alone as, within the first chapter or two, everything you need to know is explained. The story keeps moving at a steady pace once it starts and nothing is overly convoluted. There is a clear message that is trying to be presented and I feel it does it pretty well. For an adult, it might seem a bit obvious or heavy-handed, but I feel that for children it is presented in a way they will understand without being hit over the head with it.
That being said, I love that this was written with characters that generally don't get a lot of attention in the books or the animations. Ginger was adorable and suffered through something that most people at some point feel. Different circumstances, but the same feeling. I love that Rumpelstiltskin was so present (mostly because I love the idea of him).
Overall, I just think it was a really good book and recommend it if this style of book is your sort of thing.
Looking at it from the perspective of a children's book, it was quite good. It could be read stand alone as, within the first chapter or two, everything you need to know is explained. The story keeps moving at a steady pace once it starts and nothing is overly convoluted. There is a clear message that is trying to be presented and I feel it does it pretty well. For an adult, it might seem a bit obvious or heavy-handed, but I feel that for children it is presented in a way they will understand without being hit over the head with it.
That being said, I love that this was written with characters that generally don't get a lot of attention in the books or the animations. Ginger was adorable and suffered through something that most people at some point feel. Different circumstances, but the same feeling. I love that Rumpelstiltskin was so present (mostly because I love the idea of him).
Overall, I just think it was a really good book and recommend it if this style of book is your sort of thing.
April 27, 2020
Ginger Breadhouse is a fantastic baker but with the Candy Witch as her mother its hard to get people to try her sweet treats. Ginger wants to make her own mark on the world and not just be the next Candy Witch. She doesn't consider herself a rebel, but she is working hard to be taken seriously as a baker, not a poisoner.
Ginger does what she thinks people wants sadly it just doesn't turn out right and she has to fix her messes but along the way she finds her path and the right way to get people to see the true her, not just her fairytale. By the end Ginger has worked out that just being herself and excepting others for who they are is the only way to get your happily ever after.
A fun, friend filled finding your own story book life.
Ginger does what she thinks people wants sadly it just doesn't turn out right and she has to fix her messes but along the way she finds her path and the right way to get people to see the true her, not just her fairytale. By the end Ginger has worked out that just being herself and excepting others for who they are is the only way to get your happily ever after.
A fun, friend filled finding your own story book life.
February 6, 2017
I admit: I had pretty low expectations (I'm a big Shannon Hale fan, so I wasn't completely floored that she was able to turn a giant marketing enterprise into actually good books, but...). However, I was pleasantly surprised! This was a super-quick read, but it had more substance to it than I expected from a "just-for-fun" tween-focused book. The main character is cute; she has a lot of confidence about who she is and who she wants to be, but still suffers from a realistic amount of self-doubt. And her interactions with her mother were very well handled. All in all, I'm looking forward to reading the other books in Selfors' editions of the Ever After High saga.
May 13, 2017
The book Kiss and Spell by Suzanne Selfors was an amazing book. This book is about a girl named Ginger Breadhouse who is the daughter of the Candy Witch. She is put into a magic class with Rumpelstilskin and she is told to do a magical recipe that will wow him. Ginger knows just the thing to do, but it all doesn't go as planned. She accidentally turns her crush Hopper Croakington the 2nd into a frog. Ginger has to figure out how to turn him back into a person before the spell is permanent. I would recommend this book to anyone who needs a good book to read right now.
July 25, 2022
Whenever I read this book, it always make me think about my mother and how I could relate to Ginger — especially when I was at my age where I want to fit in with other kids, that I want my parents to be like the other kids' parents too. Overall, it gave me a better view about mother and daughter relationship. It was shown pretty well through this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 6, 2023
I read this book after realizing my 10 year old has been reading some. At her age I would've loved it. Even now as an adult I found it lovely. Its such a creative spin on fairy tale characters and how to become who we believe we are meant to be.
It was fun and quirky but with a good life lesson. Just like a good fairy tale ought to be
It was fun and quirky but with a good life lesson. Just like a good fairy tale ought to be
November 2, 2017
These books are a little too filled with pop culture for me. They're cute, but it feels like the author is trying to hard most of the time. Your young girl would love them, but they'll probably outgrow them quickly.
December 13, 2018
My granddaughter gave this to me to read. It is a cute fairy tale with the Princesses all wanting to kiss the frog and it ended up being Ginger (who had a crush on Hopper, the frog) who kissed him and turned him back into a boy.
October 31, 2021
This took me a long time to get into, but it was cute just like the original series. I love the idea that the candy witch from Hansel and Gretal had a daughter that wants a cooking show. A great lesson in being yourself and happiness can only be gained by doing so.
August 7, 2023
Meh. Not too shabby, but not very special either. Ginger is just one of those characters who hangs around the others, in my opinion. Blondie's and Hopper's inclusion were more fun. Fine for a quick read during a couple of hours.
May 25, 2017
This was a dramatic improvement from volume 1.
September 2, 2017
Good start and finish.
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