In A Glass Grimmly

In a Glass Grimmly by Adam Gidwitz (2012) is a dark middle grade fantasy horror novel about two cousins who embark on an adventure, only to find what they sought was within them all along. The book is the second in a series of interconnected books incorporating various fairy tales, following A Tale Dark and Grimm (2010), which received praise for its blend of humor and rich storytelling. In a Glass Grimmly was shortlisted for the Listen Up Awards in 2013, and its events inspired part of a Netflix series titled A Tale Dark and Grimm, which ran for a single season in 2021. American author Adam Gidwitz is a bestselling author of dark fiction for young readers. He received a Newbery Honor for his 2016 novel, The Inquisitor’s Tale: Or, The Three Magical Children and Their Holy Dog. Gidwitz spent his childhood in Baltimore, Maryland, before studying English literature at Columbia University. After receiving his degree, he became a teacher at Saint Ann’s School, where he worked as a substitute librarian and was inspired to write the Grimm series. He writes full-time from Brooklyn, where he lives with his wife.

This guide follows the 2012 first Dutton Books for Young Readers hardback edition of In a Glass Grimmly.

Plot Summary

In a Glass Grimmly follows cousins Jack and Princess Jill as they leave the only homes they’ve ever known in search of acceptance and what they’ve always wanted. The tale begins 20 years before the main events when Jill’s mother rebuffs a frog; the event leads the frog to befriend Jill later. After sitting by her mother’s side day after day and being ignored except for criticism, Jill is eager and desperate to do whatever it takes to gain her mother’s attention. When a clothier arrives at the palace, claiming he’ll make Jill a gown of the finest silk, Jill agrees. As the clothier works with what seems to be nothing, he tells all those who observe him about the beautiful silk until Jill, her mother, and everyone else can see the fabric. On the day of a parade through the kingdom, Jill confidently wears her new gown until a child asks why she’s naked. At this, the royal family realizes the clothier scammed them, and Jill runs away, befriends the frog, and visits Jack.

Meanwhile, Jack faces similar troubles in his village. He spends his days following the other boys, wishing they would like him though they never do. One day, Jack’s father sends him to the market to sell their cow. On the way, Jack is swindled by a salesman who gives Jack a magic bean for the animal. Later, as Jack and Jill swap stories about their terrible days, an old woman approaches and offers them everything they want if the children find a missing magic mirror known as the Seeing Glass. The children agree, swearing on their lives, and the woman disappears, saying no one has seen the mirror in centuries.

The woman also enchants Jack’s bean to grow into a giant beanstalk. The children climb the stalk to a land of giants. Next, they visit a seaside town and the Goblin Kingdom. Jack and Jill are tested in each place. Along the way, Jill learns that she is clever and beautiful, no matter what her mother says, and Jack realizes he doesn’t need the approval of others to be his own person.

While Jack and Jill are trapped in the Goblin Kingdom, the goblins reveal they last saw the glass when a giant monster stole it and brought it deep underground. Jack, Jill, and the frog search for the creature, which turns out to be a giant, friendly salamander the frog can talk to. Together, the four trick the goblins and escape the kingdom with the Seeing Glass. They bring it to the old woman, who is with the clothier and salesman—both of whom were in on the deception. The three try to get the glass to tell them what they want to know—namely, how amazing they are—to no avail.

Jack, Jill, and the frog trick the three when the frog pretends to be the glass. When the glass won’t tell the group they are the most amazing in the land, they ask it how to become so. The glass orders them to turn themselves in for their crimes. They are punished, never rising to the greatness they believe they deserve. Jack and Jill return home, both finding that they have changed too much to return to their old lives where they are not appreciated for who they are.

The cousins run to the nearby forest, where they spend their days playing and laughing. After a time, other children join them, and Jack and Jill describe their adventures. The growing number of children attracts the attention of Jill’s mother, who realizes how poorly she’s treated Jill. The story ends with the families reunited and everyone happy.