I'm working on a fantasy reading challenge, and one of the categories was comic fantasy, and, to be quite honest with you, I really struggled with this one even though Pratchett is my husband's favorite author. I’ve read what I wanted of the series and I was cool. Really enjoyed Good Omens and Equal Rites, and really? Content with that. So this time, husband and I went back and forth -- I wanted to read about Susan but not about Mort and not really even particularly about Death, so I tried Soul Music and just couldn't get into it. The other POVs were distracting and I just wasn't enjoying myself. Then he suggested Guards! Guards! Same problem -- just wasn't into it. He threw this one at me thinking I might enjoy reading about Tiffany, and he was right, I’m enjoying it.

The Wee Free Men follows Tiffany Aching, a precocious 9 year old who isn't afraid to speak her mind, as she attempts to rescue her very sticky, not-particularly-lovable little brother from the evil queen with the help of the wee free men, and, on the way, she learns about becoming a chalk witch. It was cute and full of clever quips and snarks, and I have always loved the way Pratchett writes about young girls -- independent, smart, and perfectly capable of saving themselves, thank you very much. Tiffany's a great addition to a cast of strong women, and she uses her wits and an iron skillet -- and not her magic! -- to save herself, her very sticky brother, and her friends, the wee men.

Definitely worth a read -- and a recommendation to kids, or anyone who enjoys comic fantasy, YA fantasy, or comic fantasy. ( )

Funny, smart and (don't tell Harry) better than Harry Potter. ( )

We started to read this to the girls figuring that a YA title would be the perfect place to introduce them to Pratchett. When I read ahead, though, I decided that the horrors of fairyland -- dreams within dreams that haunt you and you can't be sure you've awoken from -- are not for our kids who are sometimes already nervous at night. So we're now reading them Mort which, being about Death and not fairies, is far less scary. 8^) For me, though, it was very enjoyable. I finished reading it just a few days before we lost Sir Terry. I'm looking forward to reading the other two Tiffany Aching books. ( )

Last summer, this book was stolen from under my nose by the house urchin, which is, I think, a pretty good recommendation all by itself. We are both, now, huge Tiffany fans. I love the pace of these books, and the humor. Most of all, I love the ways in which the normal weaves in with the magical. Pratchett's footnotes are some of my favorite things in the world, and I bought the series in print rather than as an ebook in order to make sure I got them correctly formatted. Then I bought a second copy for lending. And then several as gifts.

I would go on, but I refuse to spoil it for you. Get yourself some string and a frying pan, and watch out for red-headed pictsies.

'Crivens!' is now a household word. ( )

Review: The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett. This book contains two books. The first is “The Wee Free Men: The Beginning” and the second is “A Hat Full of Sky”, Terry Pratchett is a wonderful writer of fantasy. However, enjoyable as it was I thought it was more for the young teen group. I have always liked young adult books but this one was somewhat immature for me. Young readers will love the book. I only read the first book and plan to return to the second book at another time. With plenty of witty humor and the hyper activity from Tiffany Aching and the wee blue pixies men… it was an adventure I’ll never forget. The story starts out with Tiffany Aching, a nine-year-old, planning her adventures and lessons of becoming a witch. She has a family and they live on a farm and she works for her parents making cheese, watching her younger brother, and help taking care of the livestock. One day she was down by the river with her brother and they were attacked by a river goblin named Jenny Greenteeth. She protected herself and her brother by defeating the goblin with a frying pan. Within view, a woman named Miss Tick, a witch and her talking toad were watching the action curiously because she would soon become Tiffany’s instructor with lessons to become a witch. Some time later Tiffany faces threatening enemies and meets unexpected allies. This is when she meets Wee Free Men and their captivated by her behavior of bravery when it came to her brother, which most of the time she ignores him but would miss him always screaming he wanted “candies“….. She learns the Queen of Fairies has taken her brother for the pleasure of being in control and staying in control of the area. Tiffany takes it upon herself to rescue her brother and the Wee Free Men are going to help her. She went to confront the ancient, bodiless evil Queen with her supporters. The wee free men traveled right along side of Tiffany, sometimes carrying her, strength wasn’t one of their flaws and they are only six inches high known for fighting, stealing, and drinking but they follow her through a lot of adventure by moving through dreams that she can control and not control. They somehow get separated but the Wee Free Blue pixies show up in time to help her but some were not feeling so good with massive hangovers….. ( )