Goldilocks Breaks In

Grimmtastic Girls #6

by Joan Holub, Suzanne Williams

Welcome to Grimm Academy, where beloved fairy tale characters are BFFs -- and saving the world from the E.V.I.L. Society, one magical adventure at a time! Once upon a time, in faraway Grimmlandia . . . Goldilocks is so eager to make friends at Grimm Academy, she's even tempted to accept an invitation to join E.V.I.L. -- it's just nice to be included! But she doesn't want to be a villain. Can Goldie get inside the secret society and do some good?

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Childrens, Fairy Tales, Fiction, Fractured Fairy Tales

192 pages, Paperback

First published April 28, 2015

About the author

NY Times bestselling children's book author:
GODDESS GIRLS series + HEROES IN TRAINING series (w Suzanne Williams); THIS LITTLE TRAILBLAZER a Girl Power Primer; ZERO THE HERO; I AM THE SHARK. Lucky to be doing what I love!

Reviews

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughter (12) read and reviewed this book for Mother Daughter Book Reviews.

This book tells the fractured fairy tale story of Goldilocks. Goldilocks is fairly new to Grimm academy and wants to make a lot of new friends but when she gets an invitation to join E.V.I.L. society she finally feels like she has friends. But she doesn’t really want to be a villain so when Red, Cinda, Snow and Rapunzel discover Goldilock’s invitation, they realize that Goldilocks could help them defeat E.V.I.L. society! Now Goldilocks must figure out a way to pretend to be a member of E.V.I.L. and keep it a secret.

I really liked how Goldie was like a double agent pretending to work for E.V.I.L., except she was actually trying to stop E.V.I.L. I always like books where the villain is pretending to be nice because they think the main character is on their side until they realize that the main character is actually trying to stop them. I learned from this book that all you need to do to make friends is to be true to yourself and don’t try to be anyone else. It’s really hard to be the new kid in a school, but in time, you make friends who are just like you.

I really liked the cover of the book. It’s really cool because at first glance you think, “Oh look! It’s the Library of Grimm Academy with random stuff in it”. But when you look at it closely you realize that it’s the “B” section of the library and everything starts with the letter “B” (bears, books, bubbles, basket, banjo, bell, butterfly) everything except for Goldilocks and her ring of keys (which she uses to open a safe in the library).

I thought this book was really cool and fun. I read it in only one sitting because I couldn’t put it down! I think girls 7-12 would like this book.

[day · Rating 4 out of 5]

Growing up is realising Foulsmell is the best prince

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm always looking for somewhat offbeat fairytale characters to read about, with unique stories. This book checks those boxes. It not only incorporates Goldilocks but a super cool fairytale academy setting as well. It had some moments of suspense that sort of surprised me. Normally, kids books of this variety don't come with many surprises. But I was delighted by the fun storyline and relatable characters in this novel.

[Doni · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one had very interesting themes of good and evil and whether people are born so or whether they have choice in the matter and how necessary both are to making sense of literature.

[Srushti · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was boring but Ok I liked it.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Creative and interesting, wanted to keep on reading it

[Clara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I say 4.5

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book with a girl I babysit for, and it was so cute. It also had some great lessons on the value of friendship and doing what is right.

[Aria · Rating 5 out of 5]

grimmtastic

[Hazel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved when ms. Wicked turned out to be in E.V.I.L

[Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was not quite interesting .

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this one in this series. It’s a fun retelling of a familiar tale, and I love how it considers what it means to be “good”. And Goldie is a delight!

[Amber Greer · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was cute. If you like fairytale retellings or want a cute book to read, then I recommend Goldilocks Breaks In. It would be a good book for a little girl, about 5-7 years old.

[Kamal Alharbi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice

[zapkode · Rating 5 out of 5]

{My Thoughts} – Goldilocks has a tale that we are all to familiar with. She is this little girl that is off wandering in the woods that happens upon the cottage of the three bears. Her tale within the pages of this book are quite similar but with a different sort of twist at the end of it I suppose you could say.

Goldilocks is approached by Cinderella’s step-sisters with an invitation to join E.V.I.L. She isn’t sure if she is a bad character or not but she has come to believe that she is a rather good person at heart. Although it is hard for her to directly assume that she may be good or she may be bad, sometimes the only solution in situations such as hers is to wait and see what unfolds.

Goldilocks has this idea that she wants to make friends and she thinks that the only way she is going to be able to do that is by bringing back or finding Principal R. She is fairly certain that the acting Principal Wicked had something to do with his disappearance and she wants to be the one to save the day and find him. However, she isn’t the only one that believes that the acting Principal Wicked had something to with the disappearance because almost all the GOOD characters in Grimmlandia seem to have come to the same conclusion, although none of them are actively seeking the truth or trying to locate the missing Principal R.

If you want to know if Goldilocks chooses to join E.V.I.L. or if she ever locates the missing Principal R, you are going to need to read the book. If you have read the previous five and were content with them then I am fairly certain that you will feel the same way about this book. I was very pleased with the ending of this book and the fact that it tied up some of the story line and also left room for more of the story line to be added. That is always a good thing in my opinion. I do hope that we have more books to look forward to within this series as this has become one of my favorites to read with my daughter and I do not like the thought of the series just ending after a mere six books!

[Mehsi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well this was a disappointment. Just the same story, stretched endlessly long (seriously, how much longer will this story be stretched out? 20 books? 40 books? 100 books?) and with each book having a new character it is also not really helping.

Sure, I am happy that we have new characters, but I would prefer to have the main characters to stay the same. For instance Goldilocks in this one? She just was so stupid and frustrating. Constantly worrying and downgrading herself, or asking herself enormously stupid questions. The whole thing with the bear cottage? Shouldn't she like, um, know her own story and know what not to do? Or am I thinking too simple about this? It just stood out. I also didn't like her constant lock-picking and that she is apparently not able to open doors normally.
Her use of the same catchphrase also got quite annoying, yes, it is part of her tale, but was it necessary to just use it every time?

Why are the students (and some of the teachers) the only ones to know about Ms. Wicked's wicked ways? How come the heads didn't know it, or wouldn't believe it when being told about it? What the hell?

I also didn't like the magical friendship part, it happened in all the books, and by now I am not seeing it as awesome, or cute, but more as something that was added for the sake of it. Sure, I was happy for Goldilocks, but it just felt weird and out of place.

I was pretty much bored out of my mind for most of the book, it did pick up at the end (with some great action happening there and some good stuff), but finding out that there will be yet another book.... no.

So I am going to drop this series. Maybe I will pick it up one day when the series is truly complete. Truly done. Because I am guessing this one will just proceed for a long time, and I don't feel like hoping it will be finished with each book, only to be disappointed.

Would I recommend this book? No.

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

[American Mensa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Goldilocks Breaks In is the sixth book in the Grimmtastic Girls series. Goldilocks is new to Grimm Academy. Throughout the story, she tries to make friends. It is a challenge because there is the E.V.I.L. society. Goldilocks doesn’t know who is in it, and who isn’t! Who can she trust? In this tangled tale, there are LOTS of big twists and turns throughout the book!
My favorite part was when Goldilocks gets to practice the Bubble Charm for her first time in Bespellings and Enchantments class. I can’t decide if I like Goldilocks or Rapunzel better. They are both my favorite characters! I also enjoyed how the author brings the three bears into the plot by giving them a new role as curfew guards to the students. What a great variation on the classic fairytale of Goldilocks and the Three Bears!
Now that I’ve read this book, I am eager to read the other five books in the series! I give this book a 5 star rating. The book is 179 pages and is best suited for third through sixth grade girls. I also recommend this exciting book to fans of fantasy adventure stories!
Review by Brooke Z., age 8, Delaware Valley Mensa

[✨Jinglemarco✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.55 stars.

I don't really know how to rate this book. It is nice, yes, but I was waiting for more. This series is definitely below the Ever After High series, in plot development and writing style (no many puns about fairy-tales and funniness :P). I reall liked Goldilocks the protagonist, but she says a pair couple of things not too smart, even though in general she is alright.
Goldilocks and the three bears is my second favorite fairy-tale, so it's logic I appreciated so much the main character. But also the story isn't relly bad. A little more lackluster and lukewarm than I thought, maybe.

[Kelly Carey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Is Goldilocks a good or bad character? She is known for breaking and entering, but does that mean sh is cut out to be in the E.V.I.L. society. E.V.I.L. might be the only way to make and keep friends.

[NatalieO7 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the G.O.O.D acronym. Grimm Organization of Defense

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars.

[Lorraine Der]

Library Catalog

[Balters' 3rd Grade Class · Rating 5 out of 5]

J.M. 5 stars