Red by Liesl Shurtliff

This is the third in a series of fractured fairy tales by Liesl Shurtliff.  In this one Red is the granddaughter of the kindly "Witch of the Woods." Red was born with magical potential, but she can never seem to get her spells right.  When Red's grandmother becomes ill, Red is determined to do whatever it takes to find a cure.  She sets off on a quest and soon meets Goldie, a talkative and annoyingly helpful girl, and Wolf, with whom Red seems to have a special bond.  As the trio investigate one way after another to keep Red's grandmother from dying, Red begins to wonder if there is anything she can or should do to prevent the natural course of her grandmother's life. Like the others in the series, Rump and Jack, this book can stand alone, but Shurtliff's fans will recognize some familiar places and characters from the earlier books.  As in her other books, Shurtliff rifts from one fairy tale theme to another always giving each a healthy and sometimes humorous twist.  Red is a likeable character and even Goldie grows on you with time. Shurtliff leaves the door wide open for another sequel. (243 p.)