The Candy Shop War

This book is one of the most imaginative and original books I have ever read. I have lost track of the number of times I have read the book. I just finished reading the book to my six year old son. I love books that my children and I enjoy together.

Great character development. I have to keep reminding myself the kids are only 11! I love the fantasy of each character villain and each magic candy. The way the kids developed their courage with each escapade and how they chose each piece of candy to battle the bad guys was very entertaining. Can't wait to read book 2. Keep writing Brandon Mull and I will keep buying-not a disappointment yet!

A berry good book . Every little detail was put in and I loved it so much I will read the next book and will love it as much as I did this one. I did read all the fable haven books to and I think Brandon mull is the best writer ever, Lilly t

The Candy Shop War is definitely a departure from Brandon Mull's highly successful Fablehaven series. A stand-alone book, though as full of magic as the Fablehaven series is, that is where the similarity ends. The magic here is darker, and more violent, and could be frightening to younger children. The main characters are believable as children, but the narrative is often stilted to the point of feeling almost contrived. The vocabulary level is extremely rich, but the author seems to go out of his way to use the most difficult word choice possible, which at times distracts, and is sometimes annoying. After enjoying the Fablehaven books, I was disappointed in this book. I had to make myself keep reading to the end.

I think everyone should read this book because it’s so suspenseful and you feel like you’re in the book. Also they need to find out the mystery and it’s hard for them to get the magic candy that they need. I think this because every ending to a chapter is a cliffhanger.

My first reason is that they get in trouble a lot and need to get out of it. I think this because the story wouldn’t be good if they just found out the secret right away and they didn’t get in trouble. That would be so boring. But the author makes it so much better with plot twists. I think this is the reason anyone would chose this book.

My second reason is that they get captured all the time and they have to get out somehow and it’s one of the HUGE reason I like this book. Also that makes it so much more suspenseful and makes the characters more interesting because you learn more about them through this part of the book.

My last reason is that the crew barely escapes and solves the mystery. They finally capture Ms.White which was an amazing ending to end off a great book.

I think everyone should read this because it’s a great book and should win some prizes and this feels like Mr Lemoncello's Library with a twist.

An adult gives fifth graders candy that gives them temporary, special powers. She insists they perform certain tasks for her or permanently stop receiving the magical treats. Often vague regarding her ultimate goals, she is increasingly demanding and pushy. She does not take well to questions about whether her actions are proper. Right away, she insists they get their friends and family to begin consuming addictive, magical white fudge that clouds their thinking and causes them to notice very little.The kids are coerced into performing a variety of illegal and unethical acts. They make many poor choices - among them, sneaking out late at night, stealing from a museum, and robbing a grave - all at the direction of this adult. Many foolish risks are taken. The kids' lives are in peril on more than one occasion.

Nothing interesting happens until Chapter 3. Excessive description in places. Racial description is handled poorly. A lot of bad dialogue attribution. The story goes on too long. The amount of characters and a somewhat convoluted plot lead to confusion at times. While I did enjoy certain aspects, I was well ready to reach the end before I got there. Expanding vocabulary is noble, but choosing too many overly-fancy, uncommon words detracts from the story. An example is the word "puissant." According to the the store listing, this book is meant for kids as young as eight.

The most fun part was getting to leap around while using the "moon rocks." - Reduced gravity, being unbreakable, and having the ability to talk to animals are some of the more fun abilities gained by using the magic candy. A time travel element adds additional interest. In the end, things are resolved in a satisfactory manner. Worth reading (though I would not feel bad about skipping the first two chapters), but may or may not be appropriate depending on the age of the child. The children do learn from their actions, so this could be viewed as a good method to allow kids to consider the ethics of making certain choices. From what I have gathered, a movie seems to be in the works. If it comes to be, I will likely see it. I watched the book trailer for the second book. It sounds like it may be a worthwhile read.

This book had me at "magical candy"--every little kids dream. I liked the creative plot. Four friends go on an adventure that at first seems harmless. They meet the Sweet Tooth Ice Cream and Candy Shoppe owner and she sends them on missions that gradually become shady. I had to wonder what kind of parenting they had so far growing up because why would they go on these missions that involved breaking and entering and robbing a grave all for "sweet" rewards? Maybe kids have more of a weakness for candy than I thought. I enjoyed the payback scene giving school bullies a taste of their own medicine. I loved all the different candies with their magical effects and their names: Shock Bits, Frost Bites, Mirror Mints, Creature Crackers.

It sparked my interest with the introduction of the first character but then he disappears from the story for a LONG time. I wanted more of John Dart. He was mysterious, cool, and cursed.

The author does a great job writing from a kid's point of view. One of my favorite moments was when the kid Nate was temporarily a woman and his thought was that afterwards he wanted to get sprayed for cooties.

The book has themes throughout: the importance of family, trust, and being a loyal friend. I suppose I could also say that this story implies that too much candy is NOT a good thing. It goes along with the age-old warning--"NEVER take candy from strangers." I have to admit I kept sweets close by because when I read about fudge, truffles, and ice cream cakes-I started to drool. It was inevitable that my sweet tooth would be triggered. Fun and delicious read.

Having read and loved the Fablehaven series, I was excited to get my hands on anything else Brandon Mull has written. Let me start by saying, if you enjoyed the Fablehaven books, you'll really enjoy Candy Shop War. It's always nice to see an author progress as he writes more books, and this is exactly what happened with Mull. While at times I felt like the first two Fablehaven books were a little choppy in parts, by the third entry Mull had hit his stride. This book was released between the second and third books and is a joy to read.

My favorite thing about the book, and the Fablehaven series for that matter, is the inventiveness that Mull has. The names of the candy the characters interact with, as well as the magical powers they possess, are truly great. At times I found myself comparing the cleverness and imagination to that of the Harry Potter series. Additionally, another terrific aspect of the book is the relatability of the main characters. It is a children's book, yes, and the protagonists are in elementary school, but everyone remembers what it was like to have a group of friends you shared adventures with. Mull does a great job of this by having the characters say and do things that kids today would probably do.

The magic system in the story is wonderful and I enjoyed discovering, along with the characters, the world of magic that is brought to the small town they live in. The story progresses very well and there are plenty of twists that keep it interesting.

I recommend this book to everyone, especially those who are fans of the Fablehaven series. One word of caution I would mention is that there are some parts that may seem scary or a little disturbing to younger readers.

The Fablehaven Series had already made me love Brandon Mull but for some reason I was hesitant to pick up The Candy Shop Wars. Something about the description at the back of the book didn't appeal to me. But then, while I was walking around looking for some new books, I thought, well if he could create something even half as good, it will probably be a good book and I really like his writing. So finally, I picked up the book and brought it home. I'm glad I did, it was more than worth buying with the only positive going for it that I've liked the author's other work.

The Candy Shop Wars follows new kid in town Nate and his three new friends Summer, Trevor, and Pigeon when they stop in at the new candy shop in town and have their worlds changed. Mrs. White, the candy shop owner, offers them special candy, if they will do tasks for her to help her gather things she needs for her candy. They agree, the tasks seem pretty harmless anyway and the candy! If you could have candy that let you bounce around like you're on the moon or allow yourself to control people through the power of suggestion, could you turn it down? And even better, what if there was candy that could help you get back at the school bullies and keep them from bothering you? But is Mrs. White the honest old woman she appears to be or does she have a bigger, more sinister plan in mind?

Mull does a good job keeping both the excitement of discovery and the air of mystery alive in this work (which will soon be coming out with a sequel). The danger is ever present and always growing and you can't help but be sucked into the book as you wish you could shout advice and encouragement to these young heroes as they are faced with difficult decisions. There's never a full moment in this series and I can't wait to see where book two takes us (as well as the fates of certain characters from book one).

One particular thing I love about this book is that for once it explains why children would be the ones involved in these dangerous events and why adults would involve them. There are times when you can't help but wonder "would an adult really have a kid do that?" in some series (in Mull's Fablehaven he constantly has the grandparents trying to keep the kids out of it to no avail), but here we get a clear cut, quick answer, taking away all that speculation.

This book was fantastic! The Candy Shop War made me feel like such a kid again! This story has a wonderful way of making even the most outlandish ideas seem like a true possibility. All the characters are remarkable and their separate stories and very in-depth. The kid inside you will scream with joy while reading this! I don't care how old you are, the idea of magic candy and magic in general goes to everyone's heart. We all have a secret magical fascination. This book had a wide range of very eclectic characters but it was never too much. Even the characters that were mostly supporting characters had their day. The writing was smooth and the book was kept exciting and fast-paced. I don't remember a single dull moment throughout. The Candy Shop War is a perfect coming-of-age novel for children. Everyone loves to put themselves in the characters shoes and feel like they're the heroes of the story, especially as children. How often do children save the day? In this book, it's every single day. Brandon Mull really has a way of knowing how to get into the hearts and minds of children. He knows what they will find exciting and their limits when it comes to being scared or frightened. I really enjoyed reading this book and it's a fabulous and adorable story!

Brandon Mull, the author of Fablehaven, has done it again with his latest book, The Candy Shop Wars.

Nate is the new kid in Colson, CA. He becomes a member of the Blue Falcons, a club his new friends: Summer, Trevor, and Pigeon started a few years ago. The idea of the club was to seek treasure, but they never found any. The four friends meet a grandmotherly lady named Mrs. White who runs the new candy shop in town . . . The Sweet tooth Ice Cream and Candy Shoppe. The children just can't get enough of Mrs. White's confections and are more than willing to help Mrs. White around her store in exchange for her wonderful magic candy.

The children also learn that Mr. Stott, the ice cream truck driver, also has a few magical treats of his own. But who are the kids to trust? They've never met anyone who could make magic candy before. And what about the strange man in the overcoat that always seems to be around when the children are on a mission for Mrs. White?

Children will find themselves deeper in the mystery and danger with Nate and his friends as the story unfolds; revealing rock candy that makes you weightless, jawbreakers that make you unbreakable, kibble that allows you to talk to animals, gum that gives you speed and agility, and many other types of candies with special abilities.

Will Nate, Summer, Trevor, and Pigeon discover what these magical strangers are after? What legendary hidden treasure is hidden in the town of Colson? Are Nate and his friends in over their heads?

This fun, lively and sweet tooth adventure teaches children of all ages to be careful who to trust when candy is involved. Even the nicest of people are not always what they seem and sometimes taking candy from those we know isn't always a safe bet.

Children will learn to trust in their friends and to listen to that small voice in their heads when something sounds too good to be true . . . mostly likely it is!

From personal experience, I'd say that this book is definitely sweet. Candy that gives kids magic powers? That's like, totally awesome! But everything comes with a price and this candy is no exception. In fact, it comes with a price so big you might want to rethink taking it. The old saying, "Don't take candy from strangers" really comes into play here. I honestly just enjoyed this book so much and it is totally worth buying.