When I picked this up at a library book sale for ten cents, my expectations were low. I mean, look at the cover. It couldn't be more obvious that it's trying to appeal to a younger crowd. But I bit my tongue; after all, there's a certain kind of magic to be found in children's books. They're among the first thing a soon-to-be avid reader comes into contact with. There's a reason why kids read books like "Diary of a Fairy Godmother" that are supposed to kindle a love for the English language and continue reading thereafter. Something hooks them. And when I was finished reading, let me tell you, I could understand full-heartedly how this book could do such a thing for a child.

The first thing I noticed is that it's rather beautifully written, especially for a standard children's book. Before I receive any sort of wrath for that statement, let me say explain. Many children's novel authors seem to have this idea that they need to boil all of their sentences down to practically nothing to get their stories across, with perhaps a few metaphors thrown around like stale sprinkles if they want to splurge. You find this writing most commonly in mass-series books like "The Babysitters Club", but it's also present in other children's novels. This book is not like that. The writing is simple enough for a child to understand but certainly retains its own unique, recognizable style. There's a particularly awesome sequence where our main character looks into the dreams of one of her best friends; this is the text:

"Adorned in an armor of emerald scales and talon-like white fingertips with a matching bony crown, she looked quite beautiful and fearsome at once, wielding a scepter topped with a poison apple. Who dared approach this mighty queen? Oh, a Chameleon Prince, who wound his graceful tail around her and unsheathed his sword, lifting it high in her honor before slashing the hands off of a clock...on rows of shelves behind him, jars full of newts in every color swam in joyous circles at the prospect of their union...the scene was as dizzying to watch as the turning of a kaleidoscope."

That is way more detail than I expected this book to bring to the table in general, and that's only in the first thirty or so pages. When I read this from the eyes of a child, I don't feel like I'm being talked down to in the least. It's refreshing.

Now, don't get me wrong. It's still a children's book, not Hemmingway. The descriptive language at the beginning falls kind of flat, as the author needs to introduce her readers to the topsy-turvy world of witches where bad is good and good is bad. This partially isn't her fault, but talking about poison mushroom pizza and a Hogwarts joke doesn't flow very well. But that's minor, as the book picks up very fast from there. It is also important to mention that the story is fairly predictable. It doesn't make it any less worth reading, but it's still there. You know that our lead is going to become a fairy godmother despite being raised as a witch. You know that everyone is eventually going to accept her. And those are our two major plot points.

Regardless, this is something I would definitely give to a a child reader. It's relatively short for an adult, only clocking in at 167 pages, but it might prove to be a good lengthy read for its younger audience. It's definitely worth to be the center of your kid's book report, or a check-out at the library, or really, just an addition to a classroom. ( )

A lot of fun - Hunky Dory's been raised as a witch, and her mother and teacher have high hopes of her becoming the wickedest that ever lived, but Hunky is torn: what makes *her* happiest is granting wiches, not curses. But will her mother ever forgive her if she tells her that she wants to be a Fairy Godmother when she grows up?

There are a lot of funny plays on words, and my 9-year-old daughter enjoyed pointing out the different fairy tales sprinkled throughout.

Recommended! ( )

How did Cinderella find her fairygodmother? This and the answers to many questions about famous fairytale answers in this fun story. How Hunky Dory the witch becames the famous fairygodmother. ( )

Diary of a Fairy Godmother won the votes of our students as the best book they read in 2008-2009. They enjoyed the characters names, Acid Reflux, Twisted Ankle, Hunky Dory and they had fun with the mixed-up fairy tales woven through out the story. ( )

Another fun, short read from Esme Raji Codell. A fairy tale themed book about making things happen, especially great for young girls! ( )