The Gem Heist

A high stakes mystery unfolds when The Gem of Fairy Tales gets stolen.

All eyes are on Skylar Carson and she'll do anything to prove she didn't do it. Deep down Skylar thinks her mom, the evil snow queen, must have something to do with it, but she refuses to accept that her mom would do it. Soon the whole fairy tale will end if the thief is not stopped. The weight of fairy tales weighs on Skylar and her friends' shoulders. A bunch of young teenagers who haven't even finished school or training, must save the whole imagination of life!

"An enjoyable take on generational fairy tales. Middle-grade readers will find the work highly entertaining." - Kirkus Reviews

"A winning combination of briskly paced action, robust imagination, strong writing and rich characterizations, this charming mystery adventure is sure to be a hit with middle grade readers." - Reedsy Discovery Reviews

"Blends growing-up worries into the classic quest narrative, as the kids must face dangers fantastical and relatable. It's a thrilling tale that builds to a sweet finale, as the friends find the courage to save the day and follow their dreams." - BookLife Reviews

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The Gem Heist

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Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798350918267
Publisher:	Ashley Pereira
Publication date:	10/04/2023
Pages:	132
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.31(d)
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Tanisha Pereira is a 13 year old tween author who lives in Fort Mill, SC. Her debut novel, The Gem Heist, is a Middle Grade mystery adventure. Tanisha originally pitched the idea for this book at the NaNoWriMo PitchaPalooza 2022 where her pitch was selected as one of 20 finalists from thousands of submissions nationwide. Tanisha loves trips to the beach with her family in the summer and drinking Boba Tea (her favorite flavor is Oreo).

Editorial Reviews

10/23/2023
Pereira’s debut, a coming-of-age fairy-tale fantasy with mystery elements, focuses on friendship, magic, trauma, and the expectations of family. Skylar Carson, the teenage daughter of the evil Frostine the Snow Queen, must find The Gem of Fairy Tales, “the source of inspiration for all fairytales,” after it’s stolen from Snow White’s castle. Skylar, her friend Carter and five other teens with connections to beloved fairy stories—including Naomi Frenandez, whose mother, Snow White herself, instructs her to “always remember, be perfect”—have just four days to retrieve the gem before the thief uses it to do the worst: destroy all fairy tales. Skylar fears that Frostine is the culprit, but Snow White warns Naomi that Skylar may be evil.
Pereira blends growing-up worries into the classic quest narrative, as the kids must face dangers fantastical—a cursed sword, Frostine’s wrath, a deadly dragon—and relatable, including family pressure, mutual distrust, and their own traumas. Skylar, meanwhile, endures a wrenching experience and thinks “I just wanted to be normal, accepted, and loved like everyone else.” It’s a thrilling tale that builds to a sweet finale, as the friends find the courage to save the day and follow their dreams but also to face Skylar and Naomi’s strained relationships with their mothers, material that may upset some young readers. Frostine abandons her family and later threatens her daughter and her friends if she doesn’t receive the gem, while Snow White, under constant pressure to be perfect herself, even rebuffs Naomi’s attempt to hug her, which in Pereira’s sensitive handling proves equally heartbreaking.
The fast-paced story at times moves too quickly, with not enough time spent on the riddle of the thief’s identity, and the round-robin narrative perspectives will challenge readers to stay on their toes. The romances and friendships among Skylar’s circle are heartwarming, especially between Carter and Skylar, whose discovery of an unexpected connection is a highlight.
Takeaway: The children of fairy-tale heroes brave a fun quest—and the trials of family.
Comparable Titles: Chris Colfer’s The Land of Stories series, Liesl Shurtliff’s Red: The (Fairly) True Tale of Red Riding Hood.
Production grades Cover: A- Design and typography: A- Illustrations: A Editing: A- Marketing copy: A

BookLife Reviews

2023-10-09
In this debut middle-grade fantasy, some offspring of famous fairy-tale characters band together when a precious artifact vanishes.
Fourteen-year-old Skylar Carson is a thief whose mother, Frostine—the villainous Snow Queen—abandoned her years ago for no discernible reason. Living in the village near Queen Snow White’s castle, Skylar does what she can to survive, with only her dog, Boxer, and her best friend, Carter Brown, for company. When she is suddenly invited by her estranged mother to attend the castle’s upcoming exhibition showcasing the “Gem of Fairy Tales”—the source of inspiration for all those striking stories—she wonders what the Snow Queen is up to. That’s when she meets other adolescents with renowned parents, including Maya, the daughter of Sleeping Beauty; Axel, Prince Charming’s son; and Naomi, the daughter of Queen Snow White. When the Gem disappears, a theft that may lead to the end of everything they know, the kids embark on a quest to find answers. The journey will lead them to the "River of Memories” and the "Man of Advice.” But time is running out and all fingers start pointing at Skylar as the culprit. After all, she is the daughter of one of the most dangerous figures in fairy-tale history and many believe that children like her inherit their parents’ traits: “Evil runs through their veins. They may be good most of the time, but then they will snap, and then you will see their true dark side.” Pereira’s story deftly follows in the footsteps of reimagined fairy tales for a young audience, such as Soman Chainani’s The School for Good and Evil book series and Disney’s TV film Descendants. With a narrative that alternates between the Gem quest and Cavallaro’s beautiful illustrations that pepper the pages, Pereira’s breezy, fast-paced novel mixes fantasy, mystery, and a heist with minimal character development and worldbuilding but a maximum fun factor. While the writing is sometimes clumsy and the tale superficially delves into key questions about heritage (including whether children necessarily follow in their parents’ footsteps), middle-grade readers will find the work highly entertaining.
An enjoyable take on generational fairy tales.

Kirkus Reviews

Middle-grade readers will find the work highly entertaining. Pereira's story deftly follows in the footsteps of reimagined fairy tales for a young audience. Pereira's breezy, fast-paced novel mixes fantasy, mystery, and a heist. An enjoyable take on generational fairy tales.

kirkusreviews.com - Kirkus Reviews

Pereira's middle grade novel is quick and steadily paced. Skylar's quest to figure out who stole the Gem of Fairy Tales is also filled with surprises, which will keep readers engaged. Pereira's writing is detailed and clear, providing readers with the appropriate tools to be immersed in her fairytale spin-off. Stories of children who are descendants of fairy tale characters are familiar, but Pereira's spin on this concept is unique and holds its own.

BookLife Prize 2023 - BookLife Prize

A delicious blend of creativity, ingenuity and, originality, The Gem Heist is a fresh take on some well-known fairytales that the target audience will love. The action flows well, keeping readers engaged as new characters and conundrums are introduced along with clues about the identity of the thief.
A winning combination of briskly paced action, robust imagination, strong writing and rich characterizations, this charming mystery adventure is sure to be a hit with middle grade readers.

reedsy.com - Kristine L

Pereira's debut, a coming-of-age fairy-tale fantasy with mystery elements, focuses on friendship, magic, trauma, and the expectations of family. Pereira blends growing-up worries into the classic quest narrative, as the kids must face dangers fantastical—a cursed sword, Frostine's wrath, a deadly dragon—and relatable, including family pressure, mutual distrust. It's a thrilling tale that builds to a sweet finale, as the friends find the courage to save the day and follow their dreams.

booklife.com - BookLife Reviews

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