I had heard of this series,but not really paid much attention to it until my 11-year old nephew recommended it to me. And I'm glad that he did. I listened to the audio book and although I did zone out from time to time, I really enjoyed it. 
 The premise is that two recently orphaned girls discover that they are the descendants of one of the Brothers Grimm. Unbeknownst to them, they do have a grandmother and she is ready to bring them to Fairyport Landing to live happily ever after. Like with any good fairy tale, it's not that easy and the girls find themselves knee deep in mystery and intrigue. 
 The author has brought together characters from all over...several characters from the Brothers Grimm of course, but other fantasy figures like Alice in Wonderland, Dorothy from Oz, and King Arthur make appearances. Some might consider the book saturated with fantasy characters, but I found it fun as each character entered the story. 
 If you're a teacher and doing a study of traditional literature and fantasy, I think this book would be a great read aloud within the unit. And some kids will latch on to it, wanting to read the entire series.