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    What the Dickens: The Story of a Rogue Tooth Fairy
    What the Dickens: The Story of a Rogue Tooth Fairy
    What the Dickens: The Story of a Rogue Tooth Fairy
    Audiobook7 hours

    What the Dickens: The Story of a Rogue Tooth Fairy

    Written by Gregory Maguire

    Narrated by Jason Culp

    3/5

    ()

    About this audiobook


    A terrible storm is raging, and ten-year-old Dinah is huddled by candlelight with her brother, sister, and cousin Gage, who is telling a very unusual tale. It's the story What-the-Dickens, a newly hatched orphan creature who finds he has an attraction to teeth, a crush on a cat named McCavity, and a penchant for getting into trouble. One day he happens upon a feisty girl skibberee who is working as an Agent of Change-trading coins for teeth-and learns that there is a dutiful tribe of skibbereen (call them tooth fairies) to which he hopes to belong. As his tale of discovery unfolds, however, both What-the-Dickens and Dinah come to see that the world is both richer and less sure than they ever imagined.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherScholastic Audio Books
    Release dateNov 1, 2007
    ISBN9780545047906
    What the Dickens: The Story of a Rogue Tooth Fairy
    Author

    Gregory Maguire

    Gregory Maguire is the New York Times bestselling author of the Wicked Years, a series that includes Wicked—the beloved classic that is the basis for the blockbuster Tony Award–winning Broadway musical of the same name and the major motion picture—Son of a Witch, A Lion Among Men, and Out of Oz. His series Another Day continues the story of Oz with The Brides of Maracoor, The Oracle of Maracoor, and The Witch of Maracoor, and his other novels include A Wild Winter Swan, Hiddensee, After Alice, Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, Lost, and Mirror Mirror. Some of his novels for children include Cress Watercress, Leaping Beauty, and Egg & Spoon, winner of a Boston Globe–Horn Book Award Honor. He lives in New England and France.

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    Reviews for What the Dickens

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    • 3/5
      I tried and finished, this was very child- like and not what I expected from the author of the fantastic "Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West". The was too much personification , I was lost for a moment there :/
    • 4/5
      This is probably the most original I've ever seen Maguire - hardly derivative at all, and quite clever. This fairy-tale twist on the concept of tooth faries is told within an also-engrossing frame story involving the classic "dark and stormy night" with an apocalyptic twist. The characters are endearing, the plot moves at a nice pace and balances the cute, childish elements with more adult moments and themes. For a non-Maguire fan, I quite enjoyed this one.
    • 2/5
      Meh. I've heard this story before. As soon as I realized the fairies traded with humans in secret I realized that this story is just a combination Mary Norton's the Borrowers and the tooth fairy. The fairies even consider all humans dangerous just like the borrowers.
    • 4/5
      From the back of the book: From the darkest night, amidst a terrifying storm, Dinah's parents go missing. With supplies dwindling and worry growing, Dinah and her brother and sister listen to their cousin Gage tell them an unlikely story - about tooth fairies, known as skibbereen, who are living in warring colonies right in the neighborhood. Dinah is skeptical, but as the story unfolds and the storm rages, she begins to believe.This story was adorable and witty. What-the-Dickens is the name of the main skibbereen, who was born alone and confused, and has to make his way in the vast word. I had a perfect mental image of him in my head and I wish I could draw so I could show you! I actually did some searching on the internet and it doesn't look like there's any fan art for this book, which is a bummer, because I'd hoped to find a picture similar to my vision. At any rate, WtD is a funny little guy and I enjoyed his outlook on life - he's both naive but also very open-minded and positive. I think the main message behind the story is to be yourself and help others when you can. WtD is always breaking the rules or refusing to conform to the traditions of the skibbereen because he didn't grow up in any particular clan and sometimes their rules just seem silly to him. He's easy-going and if magical creatures existed, I picture him as the type to sit on your shoulder and chat with you a while. I also liked Maguire's take on the world of tooth fairies - very inventive! I can't say that I remember reading other stories about tooth fairies, but I don't imagine they'd be anything like this book. The storyline with Dinah's missing parents sort of plays a back seat. I was curious to know more about why they left the kids with their cousin. There's also a crazy storm going on, but it seems like there's more there as well - maybe a severe decline in the economy or some other social disaster. It's not the focus of the story though, and that's okay - it's basically used to set up a reason for Gage to tell his story about the skibbereen. The book is recommended for readers ages 9 and up, and I agree - but don't let that stop you if you're an adult in the mood for a quick fairy tale, check this out!
    • 1/5
      I wanted to really get into this story. The general idea of it sounded very entertaining, a rogue tooth fairy by the name of What-the-dickens who was orphaned and abandoned by his tribe of Skibereen! How could that not be an amazing story? However, the story was lacking something...ACTION. For the most part, the story was really boring.

      Also, I should mention that the tale of What-the-dickens takes place within another story. Three children are being told the story of Skibereen and What-the-dickens by their guardian. This part of the story is extremely confusing. It appears that the children are waiting out some natural disaster. Their parents have gone in search of help, so to comfort them, their guardian decides to tell them a story about his childhood. I'm confused because the author isn't very clear about whether it's just a storm or something more. In the beginning of the book, you might surmise that it's the end of the world and that everything is in a state of chaos, but later on, he leads you to believe that it's not so serious.

      This book just didn't have that WOW factor. I can appreciate what the author was trying to do and his idea was genuine and exciting, but the execution of his idea wasn't so great. Great cover art?
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed this tale within a tale about a tooth fairy name "What the Dickens?". It had a good moral about believing in something, even if they are different from what others believe, when things are toughest. In one word, hope. Never lose it and keep your childlike ability to accept and believe in the impossible. Definitely a fun one to read to kids.
    • 3/5
      I tried and finished, this was very child- like and not what I expected from the author of the fantastic "Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West". The was too much personification , I was lost for a moment there :/
    • 3/5
      This is a book that doesn't know what it wants to be - early stage of a post apocalyptic, or a cutsie fantasy involving fairy. The setting really bothered me - we have three children left with their older adult cousin while something bad is happening outside. As food dwindles, Gage needs to distract the children from the growing disaster, so he tells them a story about the Tooth Fairies.

      I think my biggest issue is with the adults in this story - we find out eventually a hurricane has hit, and one of the parent's is having an emergency due to diabetes - why not bring the whole family - the hurricane would have been forecasted for a few days before hitting. Second is the police. Seriously - just leaving a family alone with no food is okay? I get that one of the kids ran away so they wouldn't be forced to leave, but the police should have sent someone else.

      As with any children's book - I ask if I would have liked it as a child - and I don't think so. There are some religious aspects that I would have rolled my eyes at, and I think I would have been disappointed that the world wasn't ending, just a hurricane.
    • 3/5
      Not Maguire's best work at all. The premise starts out promisingly, but ends fairly blandly. I felt like I didn't get any conclusion or meaning out of any of it.
    • 3/5
      This is the story of a rogue tooth fairy. I wouldn't really consider him a rogue - just an individual who was never exposed to how he "should" be. When I think of the word rogue it makes me think that they are purposefully going against what everyone thinks is "right" or the "way to do things". This little guy however, never knew how to do things so he just found his own way.

      I teeter back and forth on this one thinking its a 3 star or a 4 star. So I will say its 3.5. I did enjoy it - but I felt like it was so short and a little under developed in some ways. So I says 3 because I would never read it again but the .5 because I did enjoy reading it and didn't just put it down.

      It would be a cute one to possibly read to a ten year old.
    • 3/5
      This novel evoked a few emotions from me. I felt it was richly written and Maguire does a successful job of transporting the reader into another world, that of the skibbereens.

      As for the flow of the story, overall I felt the story to be rushed. I would have liked to have read more about the skibbereen as well as the stranded family. There was no nitty gritty to the story. However, if you step back from the novel and dissect its' layers, you see that it can be read as a complex piece of literature. Religion, caste systems, bullying, anxiety are some of the many concepts tossed around in this seemingly simple novel of a lost skibberreen trying to find out what he is and more importantly where he belongs.
    • 3/5
      A pretty firm "eh" on this one. The basic story--an orphaned tooth fairy makes his way in the strange world--is fun enough, but the frame around it--a man telling a story to his young cousins while they're stranded during a hurricane--doesn't make a lot of sense around it. The two bits of story don't weave together smoothly, and the book as a whole doesn't gel.

      And it's written by Gregory Maguire, with his usual love affair with adjectives. I'm all for description, but when the sheer volume of adjectives jumps off the page, demanding recognition, it's too much.
    • 1/5
      I just couldn't get into this book even thought I found the story concept to be very intriguing. I didn't like the writing style and found the characters too difficult to like.
    • 2/5
      I picked up this book because I am a fan of Gregory Maguire's sort of out there, yet concise writing style. It didn't take long for me to become immersed in this book, and I found myself laughing out loud on more than one occasion.But there are some very major flaws with this book that I simply can not ignore. This book opens in a terrible storm, and Dinah, Zeke, and Rebecca Ruth's parents have left them with their cousin for as to yet an unknown emergency. To pass time without any food, lights, or other entertainment, their cousin proceeds to tell them the story of "What the Dickens," a rogue tooth fairy.Now, while I could have done without the exterior story, I was immediately delighted by the introduction of "What the Dickens" because Gregory Maguire created such an interesting character who was full of life and fun. At that point, I didn't even mind it flashing back to the exterior story, because I was so sure that the stories would tie in, and there would be a great adventure. I was so loving this book, I was sure it would become one of my favorites.Unfortunately, the stories never did tie in together, and there never was a climax in either story. It ended abruptly and lazily. Which is the reason it only earned two stars from me instead of the four or five it could have had if the ending wasn't so much a stop in the middle as an end.In my imagination, the reason it ended so suddenly goes a little like this:Gregory Maguire: Hey Mom! Guess what? I'm going to write an entire book before dinner time!Mom: That's great Gregory, but if it isn't finishe when I put dinner on the table, I'm feeding your dinner to the crows."Gregory: Ok Mom! I will be done on time!(SEVERAL HOURS LATER)Mom: Gregory, dinner is ready!Gregory: In a minute Ma!Mom: Gregory, you get down here this minute or I'm feeding your dinner to the crows!Gregory: Oh Phooey. My book is only half complete. What now? Oh, I know! "The End!"
    • 3/5
      As a horribles storm rages outside their home, Dinah, her brother, Zeke, and their little sister Rebecca Ruth, listen to their older cousin Gage as his tells them a story. The story is about What-the-Dickens, an orphaned toothfairy (or skibberee, as they like to be called) tries to find his place in the world. On his journey, he falls in love with a cat, does dental surgery on a tiger, convinces an old lady he is the Angel of Death, and finally encounters others of his own kind.

      This book was very thought-out and imaginative, but it failed to be all that interesting to me. The story arc of Gage and the children became a distraction when it came to What-the-Dickens's adventures. I thought What-the-Dickens's story was creative, but it was never thrilling for me. I could always put the book down and forced myself a bit to finish it.

      Also, the target audience is a little confusing. On the outside, the tooth fairy's adventures seem light and charming, but there were definitely darker undertones. A sort of creepiness exuded through-out the book, especially with Gage and the children. And there were many references a kid wouldn't get, political and literary. What-the-Dickens was a creative free-thinker in an otherwise oppresive and strict government. Even issues such as animal cruelty were brought up. The literary references ranged from the childrens book "Are you my mother?" to Gone with the Wind. Also there was a sort of humor and tone about the whole thing a younger reader wouldn't get.

      I don't mean to be condescending to kids though, because I am still one myself. It took me forever to get some of this stuff, and it wasn't until I put the book down that I thought the terrible storm just might be Hurricane Katrina.

      So this is a multi-layered novel. Imaginative and unique, but not necessarily wholly entertaining. And as with all Gregory Maguire books, not for everyone.
    • 3/5
      An orphan tooth fairy, an apprentice tooth fairy, small children, cats, birds, and a stormy night--lots of possibilities here, but maybe I just don't get Maguire's style. Wicked was a chore to read (and I'm a huge fan of the Oz books) once the storyline got past the girls' schooling. This tale-within-a-tale smirks at the reader, hinting at great lessons on life and duty and religion, and then stalls, along with the storm. If you're a fan of Maguire's work, you'll love this book. If you're not, well, I'd go to another fantasy writer.
    • 4/5
      This is probably the most original I've ever seen Maguire - hardly derivative at all, and quite clever. This fairy-tale twist on the concept of tooth faries is told within an also-engrossing frame story involving the classic "dark and stormy night" with an apocalyptic twist. The characters are endearing, the plot moves at a nice pace and balances the cute, childish elements with more adult moments and themes.

      For a non-Maguire fan, I quite enjoyed this one.
    • 3/5
      While I enjoyed this book, I am rather upset with Mr. Maguire. He said the garden fairies planted the teeth collected by the tooth fairies, and the teeth grew into wish candles. Then another bunch of fairies takes the candles and swaps them for others in various boxes of candles. Supposedly if you happen to wish on one of those candles and blow out the candles, your wish comes true. Mr. Maguire is either lying or is mistaken. I prefer to think that he is mistaken. Everyone knows that the fairies use the collected teeth to make dentures for little old fairies. It takes two human teeth -- one for the uppers and one for the lowers -- to make a set of teeth for an old fairy. The tiny teeth are carved out of the large teeth. Then they are placed on a frame similar to human dentures, only smaller. My goodness, what would the old fairies do without these dentures? Why, they wouldn't even be able to eat a good steak. Instead, their diet would consist of gruel and other soft foods that only needed swallowing, not chewing. I imagine that would get boring pretty quickly.

      Other than that, it is a pretty reliable source for the studying of tooth fairies, along with the other fairy-types who make the colony strong.

      I didn't realize the social structure of fairy, ant and bee colonies was so similar. A day when one learns something new is not wasted.
    • 3/5
      On a stormy night, three children are left alone with their older cousin, scared and hungry. Trying to make the best of a horrible situation and in order to alleviate the fears of the children, and possibly his own, the older cousin, Gage, begins telling a story about a rogue tooth fairy, What-the-Dickens. Unlike what one might possibly expect, the story is light and happy. A tale of a human intermingling with and influencing a mythical creature and world he did not even know existed. The novel as a whole is a wonderful book reminding all of us that imagination is something to be treasured, and sometimes a little faith and belief and hope are the best things to get one through.
    • 3/5
      This is a fun story, something good for children too. I didn't like it near as much as Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister (which led me to seek out another Maguire book), but liked it much more than Wicked.
    • 4/5
      "What the Dickens" is an imaginative story about a rogue tooth fairy named, strangely enough, What the Dickens. It's unusual, but believe it or not, it does make sense when you read the book! I'll let you find out why for yourself.

      Gage, a young man, is the one who tells us about What the Dickens. Gage is taking care of his three younger cousins during a hurricane. He had been visiting when the storm took out the power, and the children's mother needed that power to keep her insulin fresh. So the children's parents take off to find medical help, and Gage stays behind to protect the kids.

      The situation for Gage and the kids is pretty bad, and to take their mind off of it, he tells them the story of What the Dickens. Is it a true story? The children never really can figure that out, but it's definitely a captivating story!

      Have you ever wondered how one single tooth fairy manages to collect all those teeth? Well the answer is that it's not one single tooth fairy, there are whole colonies of them! And when one is born away from the colonies, he finds himself with no identity, and no way of learning who is is. Eventually, though, he begins to learn about the world, and he meets another tooth fairy. That takes him on a wild adventure where he meets Gage, life and limb is in peril, and there is lots to be learned!
    • 4/5
      It was a dark and stormy night...Mom and Dad are missing, leaving Dinah, Zeke, and Rebecca Ruth in the care of their older English teacher cousin. He helps pass away the time by telling them of his encounters with one poor orphaned tooth fairy.

      This very clever take on what happens when myth meets reality is challenging enough for young but advanced readers and fantastical enough for just about any age.

      A fun aside...I had just put my book down when my son came to me to show me his very first lost tooth, or rather, it's gap. He lost his tooth at school. I told him to write a letter to the Tooth Fairy, the entire time thinking 'I know Pepper and What the Dickens wouldn't accept a note in place of an actual tooth.' Maguire's story telling is that good.
    • 3/5
      Having read many of Maguire's books for adults, I was assuming this would be a twist on a story I knew, not that I really know any stories about the tooth fairy, and I thought it would be a dark one at that. Instead it is a light, whimsical tale that is completely new, just with names that I already knew. It's a nice break from all of the issue fiction and paranormal teenagers that I've been reading about lately, and I didn't even know that I needed a break. No heavy thinking involved. Just a really good story.
    • 5/5
      Although this book was marked as J Fiction at my library, it would definitely not be understood unless by a high level reader. The author doesn't seem to dumb down his story at all for children, but it still has that young adult feel to it. It was an interesting read, even if it left me wanting at the end. Beautifully written and a great tale, I recommend it for lovers of fantasy.
    • 3/5
      The frame of this story is that of 3 children in the care of their older cousin. There is a hurricane raging around them, and their parents have gone out to get more insulin for the child's mother. The outside world is a scary place for these children, who live largely separated from everyone else as a matter of faith, and they have no way of knowing whether their parents will make it back to them alive.

      To distract them from the terror of the night, their cousin begins to tell them a story, which may or may not be true, about the time he encountered some skibbereen, commonly known as tooth fairies. It's more or less the story of a skibberee born without a clan who must find his way in the world. He finds a friend, they strike out together, etc.

      Frankly, I found the story of the children much more compelling than the story of the skibbereen. Both stories are left dangling, with the children never finding out what happened to the skibbereen in the end, and the reader never finding out whether the children's parents returned. I cared much more about the eventually fate of the children. Their story was more than just an excuse for clever puns.
    • 4/5
      I have always enjoyed Maguire's work, and I liked the premise of this story. What-the-Dickens is a memorable character and his story is typical Maguire, full of fantasy and many points which make you smirk to yourself when you realize the complicated nature of so many simple things. I think the subplot of the hurricane is a bit contrived, and maybe it would have served the book well if it had been eliminated. I think it contributed to some predictability which I rarely find in this author's books. Of course, one should keep in mind that this is more a story for children than anything else. As a fiction book for the younger set, I think it hits its mark.
    • 4/5
      While thought provoking and typical of Gregory Maguire's writing style I loved the story in the book. I could have done without the outside circumstances that led to the story being told. I missed the purpose of the setting in a hurricane striken suburb.
    • 4/5
      I finished reading this book a couple of weeks ago and I'm still thinking about it...which is usually a good sign.

      First, let me reacknowledge that Maguire is not for everyone. This book continues that trend.

      The overall concept sounds fairly airy and fun but at its heart, it's a lot darker than you might imagine.

      There are two story threads going on throughout the novel and each one is very intriguing. The threads sometimes intertwine and even when they don't directly touch, you find yourself wondering about the balance between the two.

      The story arc of the fairy creatures is highly imaginative and really a lot of fun. The reader is placed directly alongside other characters in the novel who are "hearing" the fairy tale at the same time that we're reading it. This juxtaposition of character and reader truly helps bring the reader into the second story arc and relate to the turmoil going on.

      The second story arc, that of the children in the midst of a violent storm, is not entirely spelled out and leaves a lot to the reader's insight and imagination. I really enjoyed this aspect of the novel...the fact that Maguire trusts his readers to be smart enough to read between the line and to develop the characters and situations of the "real world" rather than rely on him to spell out every little detail.

      The themes of hope, imagination and a world spoiled by adult influence are all presented very well. But it never feels like Maguire is preaching to us or standing on a soap box condemning the adults and unimaginative pessimists of the world. Rather, he is exploring the hopes and dreams of children even within bleak circumstances.

      This isn't a fairy tale you should read when you're looking for a pick-me-up, but it's definitely something I'd recommend to those looking for a thought provoking story and entertaining writing.
    • 1/5
      I oculdn't even finish this book, and thats saying a lot. It had no real point in the story...it was the bad kind of weird, not the nice kind of weird that makes you keep reading. Very boring. Don't waste your time like I did...
    • 4/5
      This is a tale within a tale. The outer story is about three children and their 20-something English teacher cousin caught in a Katrina-like storm. I found this part of the book very compelling. The kids' parents have driven off into the teeth of the storm with a medical crisis, leaving the four of them together. They are in danger and are bravely surviving as best they can. The story within is a tale told by the cousin to keep the older children from worrying too much about the storm. It's the story of one particular tooth fairy's (of course there is more than one; how else would they be able to collect all those teeth) journey from birth to self-actualization. He's kind of dopey and funny and Maguire's made it sound like a story that's being made up in the telling. While it was engaging, it was far less engaging than the story of the children. By the end you see why both stories are necessary. The hardcover is beautiful, both as a physical object and because of the design, including the typeface. I haven't enjoyed the feel of a book as much in a long time.