The Grimm Legacy

Written by Polly Shulman

Narrated by Julia Whelan

Elizabeth has just started working as a page at the New York Circulating Material Repository - a lending library of objects, contemporary and historical, common and obscure. And secret, too - for in the repository's basement lies the Grimm Collection, a room of magical items straight from the Grimm Brother's fairy tales. But the magic mirrors and seven-league boots and other items are starting to disappear. And before she knows it, she and her fellow pages - handsome Marc, perfect Anjali, and brooding Aaron - are suddenly caught up in an exciting, and dangerous, magical adventure.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Penguin Random House Audio
• Release date: Mar 29, 2012
• ISBN: 9781101568323

Reviews for The Grimm Legacy

[wrightja2000 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I liked it a lot though the romance part of it could have been toned down.

[robinsonstef · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I love fairy tales and was thrilled when I found a copy of The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman at the book fair at school. I was drawn to the cover because it looks magical and whimsical. The tree looks like it holds a lot of secrets! Not only was there suspense and action, but I learned a lot about the Brothers Grimm along the way. I want to learn more about them and where they got their ideas from! Being a page sounds like such a blast! I already visit the library every chance I get, but now I am even more curious about what could be hiding behind some of the walls. I think Elizabeth is someone that I would be friends with because she is kind towards others and will go out of her way to help the people around her. Also, she tries to follow the rules, but is willing to take risks to solve mysteries. I think this book is great for anyone in fifth grade and up because the main characters are in high school and there is a little romance sprinkled in with the fantastical adventure. You won’t want to stop turning the pages and I bet you will be thinking about the objects you would want to borrow from the Grimm Collection.

[velmeran · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I checked this book out from my local library.

I really enjoyed this fantastical book about a teen stumbling into the greatest part time job EVER! She gets to work in a library of things; a material repository. Some of the things she gets to assist with have a magic all their own. With contributions from fantasy and fiction, the story involves interesting characters and high adventure along with a little teen romance. I think you'll enjoy the ride.

[abbylibrarian_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Elizabeth does not have your average after-school job. She works at the New York Circulating Material Repository, a library containing all sorts of objects, some commonplace and some very rare. The rarest of all are housed in the special collections, including the Grimm Collection, a collection of magical objects from Grimm fairy tales. When Elizabeth discovers that someone's been stealing objects from the collection and draining them of their magic, she and her friends will have to figure out what's going on. This is a delightful book that will certainly please any fairy tale fan. The concept is very creative and I loved Polly Shulman's descriptions of the items (both magic and real) found in the Repository. Elizabeth is a likeably imperfect protagonist with a multicultural cast of friends (also likeably imperfect and well-developed). The book leaves room for a sequel or two and I certainly hope that's what Ms. Shulman and her publishers are thinking, too!

[shadrachanki · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

2.5 / 5.0

The concept of a library that lends out objects rather than books is very fun, and it makes a very good setting for any number of stories. Adding in the fairy tale elements just makes it more intriguing.

When it comes to characterisation, however, this novel falls rather flat. None of the characters really seem to have much depth, even Elizabeth as the narrator. Additionally, several things are just quickly glossed over in the telling, and a number of things got solved too quickly, in my point of view.

Still, it's a quick, fun read. And a good way to spend an afternoon.

[kmajort · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Nice little read - lots of components I enjoy: NYC, magic, fairy tales, libraries....
Pretty lite, but would be a next step from Ella Enchanted & Enchanted Forest Chronicle.

[laurochka-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Light hearted, good fun. I love the idea of the Grimm Collection.

[hawaiianmermaid701 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I love this book, I recently rediscovered it and fell in love all over again! I want to work in the New York Circulating Material Depository, it sounds like the greatest after school job ever!Elizabeth is a likable main character and she doesn't fall into the usual YA heroine stereotypes. She is smart, funny, and likable which was a nice change for me (I'm tired of brooding main characters). The story was fast passed and engaging without being confusing. I also applaud Polly Shulman for telling a complete story in under 400 pages!

[shasita123 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This a good book to read if you like to read about magic and fantasy. What could be more magical than a Grimm collection in the basement of a depository, a table that sets itself, Hermes shoes, and the wig of Marie Antoinette?

[salsabrarian · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Lovers of libraries, fairy tales or magical fantasy: here is a book to take you away! Elizabeth gets a part-time job as a page at the New York Circulating Material Repository, a library that loans out objects instead of books. The library also holds the Grimm Collection, a collection of magical objects straight out of Grimm's fairy tales. Elizabeth is promoted to access to the collection but she learns from the staff that items have been going missing. She and her fellow pages decide to find out what's going on, even as they suspect one another of being involved in the disappearances. Readers will revel in the library's world, a mix of magic and old school atmosphere, with its pneumatic tubes, call slips and vast aisles of shelving and file cabinets. And who wouldn't love to check out items from the Grimm Collection and enjoy their magic, as Elizabeth and her friends do?

[ritapt · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

the fairytales tie in, was great. Elizabeth was a typical teenager with a cinderall complex, over all good.

[2wondery_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The book moves quickly in audio, but I went back to read the print book after finding some very nice details in the second book. It doesn't shine so well in print. Chapter 21 is possibly the best, while the kids are first messing with the articles in a concentrated way. I used the tag 'knack' because each of the employees senses the magic in a different way. Those were nice descriptions. The Garden towards the end of the book, and the roc cross bird are particularly good. Definitely will read more of this author.

[sheilacornelisse · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

After submitting an essay on the Grimm Brothers, Elizabeth is given the opportunity by her teacher to work as a page at the New York Circulating Material Repository, a lending item of objects - some ordinary and some possessing secret powers. Fascinated by the Grimm Collection and its magical menagerie of items taken straight out of Grimms fairytales, Elizabeth and her friends at the repository are entangled in a web of mystery as items and people begin to disappear.A highly recommended read for fantasy and adventure lovers.

[patiencefortitude · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Set in a library in New York, with magic elements based on fairy tales. YA with a strong ensemble cast. (One of whom is named Elizabeth and doesn't have a sense of direction...)

There are so very many reasons I loved this book. LOVED it!
Got it out of the library, want to own it. So I can reread it and lend it to people.

[ecataldi-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Shulman, Polly. The Grimm Legacy. 8 CDs. unabridged. 9 hrs. 19 mins. Dreamscape Media. 2013. ISBN 9781624068454. $59.99. What if fairy tales and legends weren't just stories, what if they were real? Elizabeth finds out first hand at an after school job at an unusual lending library in New York City. The library houses the mysterious Grimm collection containing: Cinderella's slippers, magic carpets, Puss's boots and every other imaginable magical object. The adventure begins when magical objects start to go missing and Elizabeth and her new friends take it upon themselves to try and track down the thief and preserve the magic before others steal items and use them for evil. The bizarre escapades that Elizabeth and her friends get in will have young reader's hearts pounding and begging for more. Romantic intrigue also ensues as the friends find themselves turning to each other for support. Earphones Award winner, Julia Whelan does a masterful job of switching between characters and conveying their youthful tones and excitement. For young fans of fairy tales and fantasy, both boys and girls will get into the action, adventure, humor, and fairy tale intrigue. - Erin Cataldi, Franklin College, Franklin, IN

[lilibrarian · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Among New York City's many museums and libraries, the New York Citculating Material Repository is unique in that it lends out actual items. Even more unusual, it has a collection, the Grimm Collection, of magical fairy tale items available. When Elizabeth takes a page job in the repository, she finds herself in the middle of a magical mystery, where items are going missing and losing their power.

[ddbrown201 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Imagine being able to check out magical items. Wouldn't that be cool! But, what would you leave as a deposit? Your sense of direction? Your sense of humor? How about your first and as of yet unborn child? Crazy to think about and fun to read.

[rosa.mill · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I absolutely loved this book just as much as I thought I would. Elizabeth takes a job work at the New York Circulating Repository, basically a library that circulates objects in addition to some (very few) books. I loved the Repository and wish I could be a librarian in a place like that. The author really makes the place come alive. I liked the plot, but was a little disapointed because I was able to figure out some things fairly easily. All of the characters were incredibly likable and I really enjoyed learing more about them. (Although there were times when I wanted to strangle both Aaron and Marc) I really hope that the author continues to write about Elizabeth and her friends and the Repository.

[cheryl_in_cc_nv · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

As delightful as I'd hoped. A little heavy on the romance, but that's ok... this is basically a juvenile fantasy adventure with enough 'big kid' stuff added so that younger teens will enjoy it. I am thankful that, unlike a couple of other fantasies I've tried to read that supposedly have librarians in them, the structure, collection, curatorship, of the Repository in this is key to the story. It's not a masterpiece, and it does end satisfyingly, so I don't think I'll look for anything more by the author. But I do recommend this to fans of juv. fantasy.

[lindap69 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Magical objects are available to borrow from the special Grimm Collection at the New York Circulating Repository (which Shulman creates as an almost real place, yes I did Google it) but be careful of what you choose to leave as a deposit for the return of the magical item! Mystery and adventure add to this fast-paced novel that creates a world and characters that are oh so believable.

[sparkleponies · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I liked the idea behind this book, a library where magical objects can be checked out. In the Grimm legacy of the depository patrons could borrow Cinderella 's slippers, the magic mirror from Snow White or a mermaid's comb. All a patron has to do is leave a deposit and return the object in perfect condition. How fun would that be? unfortunately, there is a down side as the characters in the story soon find out....but that's what makes it an adventure.

[a_reader_of_fictions · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Elizabeth Rew does not have any friends in her high school; unlike most teens, she actually gets the most joy out of her school work. After writing an A paper on the Brothers Grimm for her history teacher, Mr. Mauskopf, he offers to set her up with a job. She agrees and finds herself working at a freakin' sweet and unique library. Rather than lending books, this library (repository) lends materials, like chess sets, antique doublets, parasols and vases. In addition to that stuff in the main stacks, the 'dungeon' has all of the magical and science fiction-y items, straight out of fairy tales and novels. Elizabeth finds danger, excitement, friends and romance once she finally gets to open the door to the Grimm Collection in the dungeon.

The Grimm Legacy brimmed with magic. I love the premise; I so want to work at that library! The magical objects are hilarious to read about and Elizabeth is exceedingly likable. While many of the side characters lack depth, they were not totally static either. The focus of the book is more on Elizabeth's feelings about herself and development as a person that it is on the dastardly plot of a villain to steal the priceless items from the Grimm Collection. The whole mystery plot line is a bit absurd, with the bad guys never seeming any real threat and not being particularly hard to discern either. That said, do not read this out of a love for mystery.

This is a book for book lovers; Shulman's love of books and libraries exudes from every page. She compares Elizabeth to an ordinary fairy tale heroine throughout the story and makes some clever observations. It is always nice to find more teen books where the heroine does not have to be incredibly beautiful or a princess or an incredibly beautiful princess. Elizabeth is smart and, while certainly no troll, not particularly pretty. Her romance, too, follows a more believable pattern than I see in much teen literature.

This is a fun, fast-paced, magical read, well worth your time!

[amaraduende · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Bleh. The narration of the main character is often forced and trite. The dialogue at times is RIDICULOUS - the author puts her world-building or explanatory writing in the mouths of her young teenage characters and it sounds like they're reading out of a book, haha. I only finished this because it went by so quickly and I was too lazy to get up out of bed to find another book.

[teamdewey · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this book very much. If you ever watched the" Librarian" movies I think you would love this book. It is about a library that houses things from the past like the shoes from the story " Twelve Dancing Princesses" and most of the items have magical powers. The teens helping to take care of them try to solve the mystery of why some items have lost their powers.

[bunahslibrary · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Thanks to her science teacher, Elizabeth is offered a very unusual, new job. She works in a library that lends, not books, but objects. At first, it seems to be fairly straightforward. People check out period clothing for plays, tea sets for entertaining, tools for fixing things, etc. However, Elizabeth soon learns that some of the objects in their collection are not what they seem. She learns that there is a collection in the basement called The Grimm Collection, that holds magical items straight from Grimm fairytales. These items include seven-league boots which allow the wearer to travel seven leagues with one step, a table that creates a huge feast, the mirror that belonged to Snow White's evil step-mother, and much more. These magical items are very powerful, as well as dangerous in the wrong hands, and now these items are starting to disappear. With the help of her coworkers and some magical items, Elizabeth sets out to catch the mysterious thief.I really enjoyed this book. I felt that the story was a bit rushed in places though. For instance, the conflicts were resolved too quickly, and could have been drawn out a bit more. Overall, it was a fun read that most people would enjoy.

[macjest · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a great summer read! If I were a kid, I'd be begging to go to this place or better yet work there as a page. I've read some comments that this book wasn't developed as much as it could have been. I think perhaps that these readers were looking at it from too adult a perspective. This book spoke to the inner youth in me and I absolutely enjoyed the magical aspects. I read this on one sitting which says a lot for the book.

[stfrancisxavier · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

If you've ever worked in a library or wondered what it was like to work in a library, this book is perfect for you. Elizabeth works as a page in the New York Circulating Material Repository. But instead of renting books, people can rent all kinds of items - from shoes to tables. And like most libraries, this one has special collections. Only these collections are magical. This is a fun mix between fantasy and mystery, yet feels real. It reminded me of when I started out my library work as a page. Fond memories.

[eheinlen_1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

While I liked the concept of the book, the story and writing style were both too slow for me. I prefer to read books where the purpose of the story is introduced much earlier instead of just being hinted at. Hints just annoy me. Other people might like this book, I just didn't.

[tfs93 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

While I truly loved the idea of working at a "library" that lends out super cool items, some of them magical, I just didn't like the mystery aspects of the book. As far as I am concerned the mystery portions of the book could have been left out and the author could have expanded on what objects were available and what patrons did with them. The story could have been much better.

[kayceel_4 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

While I love the idea of a library that circulates, among other more ordinary items, magical items from beloved fairy tales, I ultimately disliked this book, thanks to the awful main character. One can check out Seven League Boots, or a mermaid's comb to enhance one's own hair, but in order to do so, you must leave something of your own behind: your sense of humor, or even your future first-born child.As much fun as the idea was, Elizabeth, the book's main character, got in the way. She was naive, selfish and so very frustratingly blind and foolish - the fact that this girl was chosen for such a delicate job made NO sense, which in turn made the rest of the story annoying. The Grimm Legacy proves that a poorly drawn, or unbelievable, character can ruin a great story.