Follows the adventures of long-haired Rapunzel who grows up in a wish-granting tower before meeting a stranger who tells her that the outside world is not as bad as the girl's witch guardian claims. - (Baker & Taylor)
Rapunzel believes she is the luckiest person in Tyme, because Witch tells her so, but when Jack climbs into her tower to steal an enchanted rose, he hints that Witch is not telling the whole truth and Rapunzel, driven by her anger and fear, descends to the ground for the first time. - (Baker & Taylor)
A middle-grade adaptation of the Rapunzel fairy tale follows the adventures of a long-haired girl who grows up in a wish-granting tower before meeting a stranger who tells her that the outside world is not as bad as the girl's witch guardian claims. Simultaneous eBook. - (Baker & Taylor)
"Think you know Rapunzel's story? Think again, because the tower was only the beginning..." -- Jennifer Nielsen, New York Times bestselling author of
The False PrinceIn all of Tyme, from the Redlands to the Grey, no one is as lucky as Rapunzel. She lives in a magic tower that obeys her every wish; she reads wonderful books starring herself as the heroine; her hair is the longest, most glorious thing in the world. And she knows this because Witch tells her so -- her beloved Witch, who protects her from evil princes, the dangerous ground under the tower, even unhappy thoughts. Rapunzel can't imagine any other life.Then a thief named Jack climbs into her room to steal one of her enchanted roses. He's the first person Rapunzel's ever met who isn't completely charmed by her (well, the first person she's met at all, really), and he is infuriating -- especially when he hints that Witch isn't telling her the whole truth. Driven by anger at Jack and her own nameless fears, Rapunzel descends to the ground for the first time, and finds a world filled with more peril than Witch promised...and more beauty, wonder, and adventure than she could have dreamed.
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Scholastic)
Megan Morrison is a middle-school drama teacher and a writer. She cofounded the Harry Potter fanfiction site the Sugar Quill, and has been developing the world of Tyme since 2003. She lives near Seattle, Washington, with her family. Please visit her website at www.meganmorrison.net and her blog at makingtyme.blogspot.com, and follow her on Twitter at @megtyme.
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Scholastic)
You know the tower, the hair, and the witch.
But in the land of Tyme, that's just the start of the story....
Rapunzel has never visited a fairy court, or won a jacks tournament, or slept under the stars. She hasn't outwitted a Stalking beast, or made a friend, or adopted a very opinionated frog. She knows only her enchanted tower, which obeys her every command, and her wonderful Witch, who guards her against evil princes far below. Beautiful, beloved, and innocent, Rapunzel can't imagine a happier life.
But when a thief named Jack climbs into her tower, that happy life breaks open forever. Because Rapunzel learns then that Witch is in terrible danger -- and to keep her safe, she must leave her tower and journey with Jack on a quest far across Tyme. There she finds a world filled with even more peril than Witch promised... and even more magic, wonder, and excitement than she ever dreamed.
Much more than just a retelling of the story of Rapunzel, Grounded is a marvelous adventure, a moving family drama, and a captivating introduction to the world of Tyme -- with many tales to come.
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Scholastic)
Booklist Reviews
Fairy tale meets funny in this fresh take on Rapunzel, the first of a planned series. Here Rapunzel is a perfect princess, kept in a tower by a witch for her own safety. Bolstered by stories of stupid, cowardly, and rude peasants and princes, she is happy to stay away from the rabble, but when thief Jack comes calling, she is delightfully surprised and more than happy to trade sharp wits with him. Rapunzel chases after Jack—just to chastise him—but she gets drawn in by the quick, playful boy and his quest to help the Red Fairies. She is soon in the thick of Tyme, a place she has never set foot before, and here she will find adventure and the courage to face anything, even her once-beloved Witch. The realm of Tyme fits in well with the current modern-fairy-tale trend, and Morrison's cuttingly clever take on classic tales will please readers and keep them hungry for more. Finding out the truth behind the tale has never been so snarky. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.
Horn Book Guide Reviews
Rapunzel adores her tower, but when she learns that her beloved Witch is in deadly danger, she accompanies a stranger named Jack on a quest across the land of Tyme to save her, even as she discovers that Witch was keeping dark secrets from her. Exceeding a simple retelling, the familiar fairy tale is imbued with fresh energy to create an inventive, compelling world.
Kirkus Reviews
"Stop calling her that witch. She's Witch," Rapunzel insists; she enjoys her easy life in a tower—and Witch's frequent, apparently loving, visits—until Jack Beanstalker tricks Rapunzel into leaving. Rapunzel knows that she possesses something called "innocence" that is important to Witch, and the text deftly translates that into naïveté, keeping things middle-grade-appropriate. Rapunzel's love for Witch is Jack's leverage for involving the braid-laden teen in what becomes an intricate quest. Orchestrated by the fairy Glyph, Jack and Rapunzel find themselves on a joint journey, with multiple goals. The novel does not miss a beat in creating Tyme, a beautifully described world with a seamless fusion of magical and nonmagical beings, scenery and objects. Although there are dark, suspenseful moments and some acts of violence, there is also plenty of humor, including a frog's wine-influenced exploits and Jack's clumsy attempts to explain pregnancy to Rapunzel . The playful use of Ubiquitous products—acorns that temporarily change into whatever one has paid for—is a pleasing nod to the author's stated admiration of Harry Potter. The characters are refreshingly three-dimensional, helping readers empathize with Rapunzel as she wrestles with universal feelings of love and betrayal—and priming readers of fairy tales to anticipate such novels as Wicked. Readers will be eager for more episodes of the intrepid team of Rapunzel and Jack. (map) (Fantasy. 10-14) Copyright Kirkus 2015 Kirkus/BPI Communications.All rights reserved.
Publishers Weekly Reviews
Those expecting a Disneyesque Rapunzel in Morrison's debut, first in the Tyme series, will be pleasantly surprised by the novel's emotional depth and inventiveness. Lulled into forgetting her past—including several princely attempts to free her—Rapunzel escapes the tower where she's been kept complacent and happy to save the woman she knows as Witch from supposed murderous fairies. With Jack (of beanstalk fame) by her side, and a grumpy fairy watching from the woods, Rapunzel is bidden to travel through the lands of Tyme. As she passes through its color-coded territories, Rapunzel discovers the truth about herself, the family she never knew existed, and the reason for Jack's helpfulness. Morrison turns the idea of a naïve, sheltered princess on its head, and when Witch's cruel actions are revealed, Rapunzel's brave decision offers a final act of kindness that adds to the story's already potent mythology and symbolism. The slow, circular dialogue at the beginning of the novel gives way to a full-bodied world worth revisiting. Ages 10–14. Agent: Ammi-Joan Paquette, Erin Murphy Literary Agency (Apr.)
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School Library Journal Reviews
Gr 6 Up—The traditional fairy tale of Rapunzel gets a new treatment in the land of Tyme, a mythical continent on the Tranquil Sea. Readers meet Rapunzel as a happy girl, delighted with her home and the woman she calls Witch, who tends to her every need. Princes have come and gone, vowing their love for her, but since "ground people are liars," she rebukes them and lives contentedly in her tower. That situation quickly changes with the arrival of Jack, a young boy who ascends the tower seeking a cure for a badly injured fairy. Remembering nothing of his previous visit, Rapunzel casts him out of the tower, but he returns the next day with more stories about fairies and their powerful magic that will bring harm to Witch. Concerned for Witch's safety, Rapunzel climbs out of the tower and hence becomes "grounded" with only Jack to guide her through foreign lands. The fairies capture Rapunzel and agree to spare her life only if she follows Jack on a journey to locate the Woodmother and learns the truth about her sheltered life. The story line moves swiftly as Jack and Rapunzel face evil Stalkers, thieving bandits, biting cold, and an uncertain food supply. The relationship between the characters develops in a predictable but realistic way and is woven into a story that has plenty of suspense and intrigue. The conclusion neatly ties up the major plotlines, while leaving sufficient room for a sequel. VERDICT Fans of traditional and fractured fairy tales will thoroughly enjoy this new twist on an old story.—Anne Jung-Mathews, Plymouth State University, NH
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