Celia and the Fairies

This is a terrible childish book I'm struggling to even get through. Structured like a bad movie. With lots of "hold on while we move from room to room" garbage. If your a more sophisticated reader don't let the reviews trick you into buying this book like they did for me.

Celia Lovejoy is ecstatic when she discovers her grandmother will soon be moving back into their home. Celia didn't know her Grammy had the same room she now inhabits when she was growing up.

She couldn't have even guessed that her grandmother climbed down the vines from the balcony of her bedroom at night to frolic in the Watchful Woods with the fairies.

You see, Celia's father has an old nemesis in town and her name is Vicky McClutchy. She wants nothing more to humiliate Celia's dad for withholding friendship and acceptance when they were kids. Her revenge will be to destroy the only home Celia's ever known and take the family business, Lovejoy World.  Not only is their highest selling game, Trixie-Dixie the Good Deed Game at risk but so are the employees they have treated like family through the years.

Celia and the Fairies is a story of the remarkable courage a ten-year-old child can muster when everything they love is threatened. It's a lesson in friendship and loss. While children may have nightmares about the shadow things that whisper fear into their ears, they will be empowered to believe in things that are far greater than themselves. For any child who has faced adversity or bullying, this book will give them hope to make the changes to improve everything.

I found this book enchanting. My boys are pretty grown now, but I have little nieces that would love this story and I plan on recommending the book to their parents.

As is often the case when it comes to magic, the adults in Celia's world don't realize all the wonders that are around them. But their every day actions and lives are shaped by magic and fairies.

In some ways I think the "shadow creatures" were not fleshed out enough, but I have to keep in mind that this book was intended for a much younger audience than me and if they were fleshed out more the book could cross over from enchanting to scary for a 9 year old.

I've seen other reviewers of this book mention the author was originally (and primarily???) a writer of regular fiction and crossed over into the YA/preteen set. I enjoyed this title enough to want to check out her more "mature" books.

Having two children, reading children's lit has become something of a hobby for me, as I try to build up a library of really, really good books for my kids. I've found that some children's lit really works, some does not work at all, and some falls flat. For me, Celia and the Fairies just fell flat. There were some things that I really liked about it but, as a whole, I just couldn't get into the book.

I think my biggest criticism of the book is that some sections of it felt too adult to me. I don't mean this in the sense that the sections were objectionable, but that they discussed concepts that I felt would be beyond the ken of the targeted age group. In particular, I didn't feel that the parts of the book that dealt with corporate corruption were really on the mark for a young children's book. A theme like this would work in a book targeted to teenagers, but I felt like it would go right over the heads of younger children.

Another disappointment for me was with the relationship between Paul and Celia. Paul just didn't feel developed enough for me, so I had a sense that he was there more to drive the plot than to serve as a full character in his own right. I was also disappointed in the way Celia treated Paul. Paul was painted as a selfish, bossy child, but I just felt like the way Celia treated him was too mean. She does apologize, but I would have liked to see some self reflection on her part. I think it would have been a nice message for her to reflect on how her actions caused hurt feelings in someone else.

What I really liked about the book, though, was that it avoided the simplistic trap that most children's works seem to fall into: it did not divide the world into a distinct good/bad dichotomy. I really liked the message of compassion. I thought it was great that Celia's grandmother explained to Celia that no one is all good or bad, and that she introduced Celia to the idea that sometimes people do mean or bad things because they're misguided and not necessarily because they are mean or bad. I was very impressed with how Celia ultimately resolved her situation, and I would love to see more works take this nuanced a view of the "bad" guy.

Though the ending of the book was very strong and though I liked the ending a great deal, it just couldn't make up for the beginning and middle sections for me, which simply dragged. Had the whole book been like the ending, I would have rated it much higher.

*written by her husband*

Fairies have been a part of the imaginary world in books and movies. Whether it be Tinkerbell or Pinocchio's Blue Fairy, they have delighted children for decades. I know my four-year-old daughter loves watching the Tinkerbell movies and listening to us reading her the paperbacks based on the characters. I have absolutely no doubt she would to hear this book. I certainly loved reading it.

I remember seeing that the harshest negative review felt that that the plot seemed too adult for younger children to understand. After all, the plot involves a girl who with the help of a fairy must stop an evil woman from taking over her father's toy business. While I can understand why this might not normally appeal to children, I think they could recognize evil when they hear it, and Vicky McClutchey IS downright evil. So I have the feeling that as they are reading this, children can't help but root for Celia and Mira to get back part of the magic flute that Vicky stole when she was a child.

I also think the ending is fantastic. It doesn't become a cliche, and it teaches children a powerful lesson in not only redemption, but also seeing friends in a different light.

I actually would like to see a book series of this. Many stories involving the fairies could be spun from this. Since the author did a great job with this one, she might want to consider that. It'll certainly give my daughter more stories to hear.

This delightful gem of a story almost got lost on my Kindle. I just happened across a sample that I had downloaded. I was hooked right from the start.

It reminded me a little bit of the Fablehaven series. The writing was well done and the story flowed easily. I read the book in about two hours.

Celia is a wonderful protagonist. She is brave, but she is still a young child, so she is limited as to the things she is able to accomplish. In spite of her limitations, she still manages to do the right thing and prove to herself that she is important and courageous.

I loved the original Celia (the grandmother) too. She was calm and reassuring during the entire story. She is the kind of grandmother that everyone wants to have. Vicky McClutchy was a perfect villain. She was beautiful, smart, and utterly heartless. I enjoyed the way she did not even try to pretend that she was nice. She was horrible to everyone.

This is definitely a recommended read for children ages 7 and up.

Celia and the Fairies by Karen McQuestion is a book for young readers that will delight the imagination and enchant the reader through ever page.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! What a delightful tale, spun with intrigue, danger, fairies, a villainous lady whose family is linked through generations with Celia's family, and the bravery of a little girl who is the only one capable of saving her family home and the Watching Woods.

This book is well written and quickly draws the reader in. There is something interesting on every page. The story is well developed and I see many possibilities to explore in later books. What are the dark things that send the negative energy? Will Celia get to help save the fairies from their eternal enemies?

In this story, Celia is not alone in her belief in fairies. Grammy remembers and still believes in them, even though her time to interact with Mira is over. This is a wonderful world for children to delve into for excitement and entertainment. The magic of fairies goes far beyond the story itself as children believe and use their imaginations to see the good in things for themselves. The joy these fairies are in charge of makes this story one I plan to share with my children! I can't wait to read the next book.

I actually got this for my Kindle some time ago. It was one of those impulsive initial purchases I made right when I got my Kindle; for 0.99 cents it was a great deal. This Ended up being a fantastic book. A great fairy tale for the middle grade or younger set that touches on issues of responsibility, greed, environment and friendship. I enjoyed this book a lot.

Celia lives in her parents' house, a house which has been in the family for ages. Celia's grandma is going to be moving in with them; Celia loves her grandma and the stories she tells about fairies in the woods behind the house. Celia's dad is a toy maker with his own business. Things start to take a turn for the worse when an evil president of a corporate toy company wants to buy out her dad's business and he refuses. Then suddenly they are being forced out of their house because of a new highway being put in. Somehow everything is tied together and Celia has to figure out how; she also finds that she made need assistance from the supposed fairies that live in the wood's behind her house to set things right.

This was a well-written book and was easy to read. Celia is a lovable and realistic character; who tries her best but sometimes isn't as nice as she should be. I loved how subtly the magic in this story was woven into a lot of real life problems. I think kids will enjoy this because it really makes magic in everyday life seem possible.

I was most impressed with how McQuestion integrated a lot of important issues into such a simple fairy tale. In the course of the story Celia learns about corporate greed, a bit about environmentalism, how to accept people for who they are, and how to look past the evil in people and try to bring out the good in them. There were a lot of wordly and important issues addressed and they were addressed subtly enough that I think kids will learn from this but not realize they are learning from it :-)

Overall I really enjoyed this story. It was well written, the characters were believable, and the story was magical. A great story for all ages. I recently saw this availably through the the store Vine program and I am happy that the store is bringing this story to print so that it will be more widely available. I definitely recommend picking it up if you like fairy tales that deal with real world issues. I think young girls will enjoy it a lot; It is magical, insightful, and intriguing.

Celia Lovejoy (now there's a name) knows that her grandmother is special. Not just as in "everyone's grandmother is special to them," but as in Celia senior knows a secret: She saved the fairies once upon a time and she knows of a magic fairy flute--but it's broken! Oh no! Celia, junior, needs the flute to save the fairies and her family, or all is lost. All it takes is one wish...the biggest wish of Celia's life. Can she believe despite her parents' admonitions that her grandmother's stories are made-up? And why are two positive forces like Celia's parents Jonathan and Michelle Lovejoy, who own a toy company, so dismissive of magic?

in each good story there is a role model character (Celia's grandmother) and a warning example, usually the antagonist. In this case the antagonist is the aptly named Vicky McClutchy, a powerful rival toy company owner (with no toys in her office!) who wants to buy the Lovejoys' business and settle a few old scores. Vicky somehow eludes being cast as a harpy and comes off as, in Celia Senior's words, "misguided." Celia's parents' reaction to the trouble Vicky has caused, which all started because of the Watchful Woods fairies such as the strong-minded Mira, is entirely believable. In fact, considering this is a magical story with a generous dose of fantasy, the adults come off as three-dimensional. Celia herself has flaws, especially in regard to Vicky's nephew Paul, whose negativity the fairies have been trying to cure for years. The fairies in this book serve as guardian spirits trying to set the world right--and they've chosen Celia to right an old evil.

Celia ranks in the tradition of strong child female heroines, worthy of a Frances Hodgson Burnett novel or a Jim Henson film. I would love to see Henson's Creature Shop, under the direction of Henson's heirs and creative proteges, make a movie of this book. Perfect family fare for all ages and a heartwarming story that reaffirms what all kids now--grandparents are magic! Perfect for the pre-Harry Potter/Twilight crowd.

This is an absolutely delightful and charming "modern" fairy tale that promotes being good to each other, the importance of family, and other life lessons - all without being preachy or heavy handed.

Celia is ten, and when her grandmother (the "original Celia") moves in with her and her parents, Grammy tells young Celia stories about fairies. Her parents have cautioned her that the stories aren't real... but turns out, they are! And young Celia has an important role in righting a wrong - not just with magic, but also by doing the right thing.

All of the characters, including the fairies, are very real and vivid, and you sympathize with all of them (yes, even the "bad" people; though as Grammy points out, people aren't all good or all bad). The story is very believable, and feels like something that could actually happen.

The cover recommends this for ages 9-12, but I think younger children would like it, as well as adults (I certainly did, and I'm waaaay past that age group!) Also, like another reviewer said, I would love to see a sequel to this book - or even a prequel with the "original Celia's" story.

Karen McQuestion's book, CELIA AND THE FAIRIES, is a heartwarming story about the magical power of hope and change. I wouldn't say this is on the level of fantasy as say the Harry Potter Paperback Box Set (Books 1-7) are, but it has a sincere sense of wonder that will enchant readers none-the-less. Her writing style has a strong narrative voice and she's able to give each character in her book his/her own distinct personality.

The story is about a young girl named Celia whose grandmother tells her about these fairies that live behind their house in the woods and about a magical flute that was given to her as a young child when she saved one of the magical imps. She also tells Celia how only special people can see a fairy and that those chosen can have one wish. Eventually, the young girl has an encounter with the very fairy her grandmother saved but gets distressing news:

An old ex-friend of Celia's father wants to take over her father's toy company and raze their house to take revenge on him for something that happened when they were kids.

So now it's up to Celia to save the day with her one wish. But there are certain rules about using that one wish that makes this much harder to do than just wishing the problem away. And she has to get back the other half of the magical flute in order to get that wish, which is in the hands of her father's ex-friend!

The book was an easy read and held my interest up to the end. On the surface, CELIA AND THE FAIRIES just seems like a fanciful tale of a young girl's bewitching experience with fairies and magic, but just below it's about facing ones fears and self-doubt and how wonderful life can be with just a change in perspective.

There are some wonderful nuggets of wisdom in the book like "doing the right thing isn't easy, but it's right," which can be applied to life, but I took off one-star because it wasn't heavily focused on the magical fairy world like one would infer from the title. In fact, one could argue that the entire fantasy aspects of the book take place in Celia's imagination rather than in the real world of the book, which might put readers -- looking for something a little more J.K. Rowling-esque -- off.

But if you're looking for a book about a quaint little place in Any-town USA that provides a strong sense of comfort, McQuestion's book will more than satisfy. In fact, it would be no surprise if Disney options this book for a movie.

My daughter is always asking me if I think fairies are real. I ask her "what do you think?" She always replies that yes, she does think that fairies are real. I nod my head and say that I think she's right.

Magic exists in the world, even if it's just in how one person acts towards another. The story of Celia and the Fairies is a wonderful, simple story. It's a quick read, I got through it in just over an hour, but it's ideal for younger children. This is the type of story that you'd curl up on a bed with to read to your child.

One of the things that I loved the most about it is that while there is magic in the story, it actually rests on Celia to figure out the solution to the huge problem that her family is facing. It's like the fairies tell her, humans have much more magic than they know. Celia eventually learns that she has the brains and the skills to figure out the solution to the problem, even though she's only 10 years old.

I have two problems with this book. The first is that I wanted more. I wanted more interactions with the fairies, and more stories from Celia's grandmother (who is also named Celia).

The second problem is that I think the age on this book is wrong. It says for children 9 - 12, where I believe it's actually ideal to be read to children who are 5 and up, and that young girls who are 7 or 8 would especially love the story. As an adult I know that I really loved the simplicity of it and the message that it conveyed.

I'm definitely going to start reading this story to my daughter this evening. I know she'll love it as much as I did.

My ten-year old daughter loved this book. She is a fan of other fairy-focused books (Fairy Realm #1: The Charm Bracelet,Enid Blyton The Magic Faraway Tree Collection , and Rainbow Magic Boxed Set, Books #1-7), and I thought she might enjoy this story. This story has a nice environmental message while empowering girls because the main character eventually helps save a wood (enchanted, of course) for demolition. My daughter remarked that she enjoyed how it shows how important kindness is and that everyone is nice at the end. No nightmares found in this book!

This book is quite short and was an easy read for my ten-year-old. I think avid readers as young as six and seven would enjoy this. More challenging reading level than the Rainbow Magic books, but the length is good for beginning to intermediate chapter-book readers (2nd or 3rd grade, most likely).

I really loved this tale but regretted there wasn't more to it. The book is very, very short. Celia and Paul are friends although Paul is a year younger but they both ride the same bus and go to the same school. Celia Lovejoy's parents own and run a special toy company where Celia's Dad, the creative genius, has come up with games to inspire people to do good deeds and many others of similar moral bent. However, Vicky, a woman whom Celia's father knew back in school, wants to buy their toy company and at first Celia's dad is happy about it but her mom is not.

In the meantime, Celia's grandmother moves in with them and begins telling Celia many stories including some about a fairy she met in the nearby woods named Mira. Celia's home is the family home and is where her dad and her grandmother grew up. Celia loves the tales about fairies but is skeptical.

However, danger and crisis comes to the Lovejoy family as Vicky is determined to buy the Lovejoy toy company as she wants the success they have and she will use any means at her disposal to get it.

How this all is resolved is a lovely story but felt rushed at the end. I would love to see a much more in-depth rendition or a sequel.

Celia has the same magic power her grandmother had when she was young - the ability to see and hear fairies. The fairies live in the woods behind Celia's house, the house her grandmother grew up in. Although Celia's father is a toy manufacturer, her parents don't want her to believe in nonsensical things such as fairies. Although they didn't say, I surmise there are no such things as Santa Clause and the Easter Bunny in Celia's home either. But, Celia does believe the stories her grandmother tells her about the fairies and makes contact with them. Celia's pesky neighbor, Paul, has an even peskier Aunt, who is trying to seek revenge against Celia's father in such a way that they would lose their home and the fairies would lose their woods. Celia is handed the task to make everything better and in the end she does just that. This story is not so much about the improbability of fairies as it is a morality tale about how people can all get along for the good of all, if they chose to do so. A nice story for young readers to read for themselves or for an adult to read as a bedtime story.

Magic is always fun to read about but the younger readers have a hard time finding a story that is easy enough to make reading it fun but not so easy as to be boring. This little tale is just right. It is entertaining enough for an adult to read it but also written in such a way that the 8-12 year old reader will want to keep reading.

For an adult this is a lovely little story with quite a few moral points being made. The child probably won't notice that they are being taught how to solve problems in the right way. They will just enjoy the suspense.

After enjoying this little book, I tested it by reading a chapter to a 9 year old and then letting her continue, if she wished. She started reading it avidly and thoroughly enjoyed it. She has it in her room to reread someday and is telling all her friends about the great book she just read. If you want a book for a child, especially a young girl, you really need to consider this one.

After her grandmother comes to live with them and tells Celia about the fairies living in the backyard, Celia dreams that the fairies are calling her. And they are--Celia, with the help from the fairies, must save her family's home and business.

While the story is sweet, the voice is uneven--sometime a kid's voice, sometimes an adult voice--plus the dialogue is often wordy and preachy. According to the cover, the book is geared for a 9-12 year old audience but I don't think girls that old would be interested in this story. This would have been wonderful written as a chapter book with younger language and voice so it would appeal to the 1-3 graders who eat up books like the Rainbow Fairies and Faeries Promise books.

This book was so delightful. It makes you feel young again when you believed in all things magical! As I was reading it made me smile. I will recommend it to all and I will buy a copy for my ten year old granddaughter too. Loved it!

Celia and the Fairies is indeed a very enjoyable and easy to read fairy tale. In addition, it discusses a very current issue - the taking of private homes for public use in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's 2005 decision in Kelo v. City of New London. As for values, I was particularly intrigued by the fairies' rules 2 and 3: that you can't make anyone do what they don't want to, and that there must be a good outcome for everyone involved. As Celia noticed, solving some problems within those rules can be difficult. Overall, not just for 9-12 year olds. Even this adult didn't want to put it down once started, and was happy to read such a wholesome and creative story.

I would recommend this book to every girl I know. This is the best book that I have read. I think you should read it. It's just awesome. :) I could read it 100 times over and over again. It's just WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is my favorite book!!!!!!!! READ READ READ READ MORE!!!!! :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

I think Celia and the Fairies was a fabulous book! It's one of those books you don't want to stop. I read it all in one day! I think it was interesting, especially when Celia's grandmother was telling her stories about the fairies. I kept wondering if Celia would ever meet them. If you haven't read it yet...it's a great choice!
Erin Bailey (I'm ten years old)

My daughter and I read this book together and absolutely loved it! The world of make believe and fairies absolutely comes to life. The story is well thought out. Flows well. The characters are fleshed out and work well with one another. We just loved this book.

Celia and the Fairies is an adorable children's book, that I cannot wait to read to my future children. It has an old time family values feel to it, while bring out a childs imagination. It will have you kids looking for fairies in your backyard.

This was a very sweet book. There are fairies (of course) and some magic. Evil (but not too much) and a lot of fun. This is a great book for younger kids and also adults, who might like to take a break and enjoy a few hours with an adorably written book.

I am a retired elementary school teacher. I love to read these short stories about people interacting with fairies. I used to read them all the time so I could help my students know whether they might like the book. This one took about 2 hours to read and was enjoyable.

When Celia's Grammy comes to stay with her family, Celia hears about the fairies who live in the Watchful Woods behind her house. When the evil owner of a toy company tries to take everything Celia's family owns, she is launched into a race to save her home. And the fairies can only do so much to help her....
A charming and quick read.

Love it ,Awesome Storyline and ending .great intensity and very intriguing and very intriguing I just love it . The beginning pulls you in and it keeps you there the whole book. I think everything about the book is great.

Celia looks just like her grandmother at her age:
they even have the same name.
When she finds out that her grandmother is moving in,
she is glad, but the fairies have other plans.
She is set the task by the fairies of stopping Vivky McClutchy
who is her Dad's childhood best friend gone wrong.
How a magic flute enters in is the interesting part of the story.
I liked this book about "good fairies".

Even though I thoroughly enjoyed the story and read the book in a day, this would be a great book for a younger audience than myself. Easy to read and follow. The Story keeps you focused throughout the book. What young girl (elementary school) doesn't like a fairy tale!

Even though I thoroughly enjoyed the story and read the book in a day, this would be a great book for a younger audience than myself. Easy to read and follow. The Story keeps you focused throughout the book. What young girl (elementary school) doesn't like a fairy tale!