Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    The Problem Child
    The Problem Child
    The Problem Child
    Audiobook6 hours

    The Problem Child

    Written by Michael Buckley

    Narrated by L. J. Ganser

    4.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    The fairy-tale detectives set out to rescue their parents in The Problem Child, the third book in Michael Buckley’s beloved New York Times bestselling Sisters Grimm series.

    For Sabrina and Daphne Grimm, the latest in a long line of fairy-tale detectives, there is one mystery they want to solve above all others: Who kidnapped their parents? Sabrina finds the secret hideaway of the Scarlet Hand, the sinister group of Everafters who are holding her parents captive, and she has a chance to rescue their mom and dad. But her plan is foiled by the most famous fairy-tale character in the world. How can a human child defeat a magic one? With the help of her little sister (who is a lot tougher than Sabrina realizes) and a long-lost relative, Sabrina finds a powerful weapon … but discovers that magic comes at a high price.

    The beloved Sisters Grimm series is the perfect opportunity for existing fans to revisit the adventures of the Grimm family and for new readers to discover the magic of the series for the first time.

    “Kids will love Sabrina and Daphne’s adventures as much as I did.”—Sarah Michelle Gellar, star of Buffy the Vampire Slayer
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateMar 27, 2009
    ISBN9781436156134
    The Problem Child

    More audiobooks from Michael Buckley

    Related to The Problem Child

    Titles in the series (9)

    View More
    View More

    Related audiobooks

    Children's Mysteries & Detective Stories For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Wise old Mrs Merrow

      Jul 27, 2020

      Littlesea was everything the description said: a white stone cottage with beams and higgledy-piggledy walls and steps away from a tiny quay in a private bay. It would have been the perfect spot for honeymooners had it not had just the one single bed

      8 min read

    • Article

      The Chicken Line

      Mar 4, 2024

      The Chicken Line
      14 min read

    • Article

      The Witches Of Literature

      May 30, 2023

      Tor Books T. KINGFISHER challenges the idea of the “wicked witch” through the gravewitch in her subversive fairy tale Nettle & Bone. The nameless dust-wife—part witch, part gravedigger—is all too willing to help the novel’s heroine on her quest to ki

      2 min read

    • Article

      Books

      Apr 16, 2021

      Books
      4 min read

    • Article

      The Air You Breathe

      Aug 20, 2018

      The Air You Breathe
      23 min read

    • Article

      STEPPING Out

      Feb 26, 2020

      STEPPING Out
      10 min read

    • Article

      Book Club

      Aug 16, 2023

      Book Club
      5 min read

    • Article

      A Path Through the Woods

      May 30, 2023

      A Path Through the Woods
      3 min read

    • Article

      5 New Fantasy Novels Invigorate Old Tropes

      May 18, 2023

      Spell books, dragons, mermaids, fairies and a magic circus all take on new life in the pages of these five enchanting tales hitting shelves in May and June.

      5 min read

    • Article

      Book Club

      Aug 16, 2023

      Book Club
      5 min read

    • Article

      The Witch Finders

      Jul 16, 2020

      Beth pulled her cloak tightly around her. It was the very last day of October and the air was damp and chill. Dead autumn leaves lay in deep piles in the woods and smoke curled into the night air from her cottage. Not far to go now. She bent her head

      4 min read

    • Article

      Books

      Feb 16, 2024

      Books
      4 min read

    • Article

      Book Club

      May 25, 2022

      Book Club
      5 min read

    • Article

      The Evil Stepmother

      Apr 3, 2019

      The Evil Stepmother
      6 min read

    • Article

      Reading Corner

      Dec 4, 2023

      This extraordinary novel marries magical thinking with gritty reality and quite a lot of disturbing violence. It’s not quite like anything I’ve read before and it took me a while to settle into the style of writing but, once I did, I was hooked. The

      3 min read

    • Article

      Storytime!

      Dec 15, 2022

      By MIRANDA SMITH Farshore This is the ultimate gift for any dinosaur-obsessed kid: from the ferocious tyrannosaurus to gentle giant titanosaurus, this gorgeous book allows readers to dip in each day of the year to discover a new dinosaur. You’ll fin

      3 min read

    • Article

      Will You Be My Playmate?

      Jul 7, 2021

      Will You Be My Playmate?
      2 min read

    • Article

      The Growing Stillness Of Home, But Then Maya Came Along

      Jun 2, 2019

      I had been looking forward to the quiet. The house in which we raised six children was finally empty, save for a stray Millennial or two. The SpongeBob SquarePants toys had gone to charity, the Barbie Dream House was gathering dust in the attic and t

      2 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for The Problem Child

    4.5/5

    36 ratings12 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      After the cliffhanger ending in The Unusual Suspects, it was wonderful to finally read this book.
      Following the events, Sabrina wakes up to find that she has passed out. With Puck fighting the monster, she tries to face Little Red Riding Hood, a demented little girl; at first Sabrina doesn't realize it is the famous heroine because in the stories she wasn't an evil villain. Believing that the younger child is the mastermind behind the Scarlet Hand, Sabrina rushes to capture her, only to find that Riding Hood has a magic ring which transports herself and Sabrina's parents away. Puck and Sabrina rush out of the building, which the Jabberwocky monster begins to burn. After being chased and finding shelter, she passes out again.
      Waking up, she discovers that 1) her arm is in a cast, 2) Puck has drawn a mustache, goatee, and the words "CAPTAIN DOODIEFACE" on her face, and 3) her grandmother has forbidden her from searching for her parents. Eventually, the two sisters meet their long-lost uncle Jake who has armed himself with the aid of many magical assortments. But when Puck, who has decided to start playing the role of the hero, gets hurt, they realize that Puck needs to be with the Faerie folk. But to kill the Jabberwocky and tear through the magical barrier surrounding the town (so that they can get Puck out), the family must search for the Vorpal Sword. And so they set out on a quest to collect all the pieces of the Vorpal Sword and to find the Blue Fairy.
      This book gives the reader a deeper look into Ferryport Landing and reveals the past of the Grimm Family, especially the truth about Grandfather Basil's death. Sabrina also ends up learning that magic is an addiction and how to fight it.
      I love the series as how it presents the two sisters. Daphne, whom might come off as being naive, wholeheartedly believes in the Everafters and trusts them. She also seems to always do the right thing. On the other hand, Sabrina, whom is seen as basically the main character, rebels against everything. She never seems to trust anyone, including Granny Grimm. Even though Sabrina is seen to do the majority of everything, I believe the quiet Daphne is a lot smarter than she looks, even if she is younger. If children reading this series study the two they can learn how to really live a good life by following Daphne's actions.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      In this book Sabrina and Daphne are so close to getting their parents back. They find out that Little Red Ridding Hood had them kept hidden with her Jabberwocky. She wants to play house and still needs her dog and a grandma, which means Granny Relda and Elvis. In the story Puck gets badly injured, so Uncle Jake, Sabrina and Daphne are dtermained to help him, kill the Jabberwocky and save Sabrina's parents. They go on an adventure to find the three pieces of the vorpal blade. Jake defeats the Jabberwocky in the end, and Sabrina also has to choose between to important things. This story reminded me of Alice in Wonderland the new version with the dragon and the sword that had to defeat the dragon. It was fun and interesting to read. Sabrina had to have everyting her way though. She thought she always needed to use magic and have the wand always with her. She is so picky and stubborn. When they went to the witches house, Sabrina had to get the piece of the vorpal blade, but also have the wand since they traded. So she went back for it, but had made a big mistake. Her sister got mad at her. At the end when Uncle Jake had all the power, I am glad Sabrina made the right choice.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      This was another great book with all of the scary moments and the cliff hanging ending I cant wait to read the fourth book.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      In this third installment, there is a Jabberwocky lose in Ferryport. We also have the return of a long lost relative and Granny Grimm's reluctance to take on a case, which has Sabrina and Daphne worried. There is an election for Ferryport mayor and we meet the Little Mermaid, the Blue Fairy and Baba Yaga. Puck is gravely injured and it looks like the only way to save him and deal with the Jaberwocky is the vorpal blade... which was destroyed. Sabrina also learns how addictive magic can be and the high price one pays for using it. Very good!

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Eleven year old Sabrina Grimm desperately wants to find her kidnapped parents. She has a chance to rescue them but is foiled by a deeply disturbed Little Red Riding Hood and her pet Jabberwocky. Sabrina finds out that the only thing that can defeat the Jabberwocky is the vorpal blade, which is in three pieces and in three different locations. Sabrina, with the help of her Uncle Jake, sets out to find all three pieces and is willing to do anything, even magic, to get the pieces. But Sabrina finds out that while magic is easier, there is always a price for using it. I've enjoyed all the books in this series and "the Problem Child" is no exception. Michael Buckley does a great job playing with the fairy tale mythology and he'll surprise readers with how he treats certain characters such as Little Red Riding Hood, The Big Bad Wolf, Snow White, the Blue Fairy, and Prince Charming. Little Red Riding Hood is not the only problem child, Sabrina is so angry at the kidnapping of her parents that she will do anything to get them back, even if it means placing her family in danger. She is headstrong and flawed - a very believable character. Uncle Jake is in many ways a grown up version of Sabrina, although it's harder to forgive those kind of flaws in an adult who should know better. The fantasy elements are wonderful, although Ferryport is so fraught with danger I wouldn't want to live there! "The Problem Child" offers fantasy and fun for young and old alike.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      I love this series! So fun and fast-paced. Perfect.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      Still great! But, Sabrina is starting to drive me nuts. Would she just spank her inner child, trust her grandmother and I dunno... be nicer to her sister? Good stuff, though.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Darker than the first two books in the Sister's Grimm, The Problem Child is really terrific. I wouldn't suggest it for the very young, but it's a great read for teens and adults. Exciting and well-written. I can't wait to see what the Grimm girls are up to in book four.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 3/5
      This is the third book in the Sisters Grimm series by Buckley. It was a decent book in this series. If you liked the first two books you should enjoy this one as well. I listened to this on audiobook and the audiobook was decently done; the narrator isn't my favorite but he distinguishes between characters voices well.Sabrina and Daphne are on the hunt for Little Red Riding Hood, who they believe is heading the Scarlet Hand, which is the group who stole their parents. Little Red Riding Hood has a kitty (the evil and dangerous Jabberwocky) that is causing trouble though. Sabrina and Daphne also discover they have an uncle who is full of magical surprises; their uncle is more than willing to help but will he cause more trouble than he's worth?You learn more about the Grimm's past in this book than in any other book in this series so far. There was also more interesting magic in this book than in any of the previous books.Sabrina's uncle is an interesting, but mostly obnoxious, addition to the characters. Her uncle acts like a child throughout the whole book, sulking, not listening, and throwing fits. I didn't enjoy him all that much as a character. In fact a lot of the adults in this book act like children; making for unbelievable characters that were hard for me to engage with. I hate it when kids book have adults who act like children; kids can understand more complexity than we give them credit for and adults should act like the role models they are in these books...or at least act in a more complex way that assume kids can understand some complexity.Sabrina continues to be headstrong and bitter; I keep hoping she will grow as a character but she makes the same mistakes in every book and shows no sign of ever changing. To be honest I am quite sick of her and don't really enjoy reading about her. Daphne was busy giving Sabrina the silent treatment for large portions of the book. Little Red Riding Hood was as obnoxious as Sabrina and made for a luke-warm bad guy.I did enjoy the mystery and finding out some background on the Grimms. I also enjoyed the nifty magical devices used throughout and I enjoyed the way the story is broadening and not just focused on one little mystery. This story wraps up much nicer than the second book; no horrible cliffhangers../although things are definitely set up to start a new storyline for the next book.Overall this was an okay addition to the Sisters Grimm series. I enjoyed the mystery and the magical devices; I also enjoyed learning more about the Grimm's past. I do not enjoy the characters in this book; I find the majority of them to be obnoxious. Many of the adults also act like children; which is annoying to read and also doesn't give kids or adults enough credit. All in all if you have been enjoying the series you will enjoy this book. If you have been finding some of the characters annoying (mainly Sabrina) then you will continue to be annoyed. I personally am not going to read more of this series; I guess it is just not my thing.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 3/5
      Even though I still hate the narrator, I'm going to keep on with this series. The Grimm's search to recover their family is interesting enough to overcome the snotty twelve year old point of view.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      Wow this series keeps getting darker. Almost to the point where I question whether kids should be reading them. However, I'm enjoying the darkness. Red Riding Hood and the Jabberwocky were great. I'm starting to wonder, though, if they're going to run out of fairy tale characters to incorporate in the stories. It already seems like they're stretching a little bit (the Blue Fairy from Pinocchio? Really?) Regardless, I'm enjoying the series and eager to read the rest and find out the whole story behind the Scarlet Hand.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 3/5
      The third book in the Sisters Grimm series essentially begins right where The Unusual Suspects left off. Sabrina, having used one of the Little Match Girl's matches to go to where her parents are meets a young girl in a red cloak who has clearly been painting red hands everywhere in the room. Sabrina's parents are there, alright - in an enchanted sleep - but a Jabberwocky chases her away before she can do anything.Listening to this now made me that much more aware of how much mood can affect my enjoyment of a story. I really enjoyed The Unusual Suspects when I read it, and I'd be hard-pressed to tell you what made the difference between that and this book. But what was I thinking as I listened? How naive Sabrina seems for her age, how annoying she can be and how clearly poor some of her choices are, and what a hodge-podge of fairy tales, nursery rhymes, and certain classic fantasy stories (think Alice in Wonderland and the Oz books) Ferryport Landing is turning into. More and more characters from more and more tales are introduced, with no apparent rhyme or reason to which are included and which are not. This was true in the second book too, so again I'm not sure why it would irritate me now and not then. I was left with the feeling that I would probably share them with children of the appropriate age, but I will wait awhile before continuing the series for myself.

      1 person found this helpful