The boys enjoyed this book more than I did. I bought it because it seemed humorous but the humor didn't hold up as well for me. Some nice word play and a fairly decent story with slapstick humor. ( )

Narrated by Renee Raudman. The sorceress Lady Lamorna wants a confection of an evil black dress to be made by the ancient crones, but realizes she doesn’t have enough gold to pay for it. Sweet Gracie is tormented by her stepfather and mean stepsister Foyce. Prince Marcus desires an adventure. Foyce convinces Lady Lamorna to team up in a scheme to blackmail gold out of the royal families. All of their paths eventually are intertwined with the ancient crones who are looking for someone new to maintain their weaving looms and the web of power.

Narrator Raudman's pleasant soothing voice is highly flexible in her portrayal of the characters, which gives this a Disney-like feel (her interpretation of Gracie has a touch of Amy Adams in "Enchanted."). There's also a snuggle-up intimacy to her reading that will appeal to children and young families listening together. ( )

High above the mountain village of Fracture, trouble is brewing. The sorceress Lady Lamorna wants a skull-studded gown of deep black velvet, but her treasure chest is empty of gold. That doesn’t stop her, however — from kidnapping, blackmailing, and using more than a little magic to get what she needs. Will her plans be foiled by the heroic Gracie Gillypot, a chatty bat, a gallant (if scruffy) prince, the wickedest stepsister ever, a troll with a grudge, and some very ancient crones? Humorously macabre and wickedly illustrated in black and white. ( )

A light fantasy read that will appeal to students who like humor infused stories. There's lots of girl power and kid power ( kids save the day!), talking bats, a goblin with his had on backwards and an evil sorceress. A good recipe for a fun read. ( )

Remez was reluctant to give this a shot so I read it first and recommended it to her. ; ) ( )