Once Upon a Toad

Heather Vogel Frederick's Mother/Daughter Book Club series is one of my favorites. My daughter is also in love with these books. So, I was excited to see that she had a different book out recently. Once Upon a Toad didn't really look like my cup of tea, but because of the author I decided to give it a chance.  And, while it is rather silly, I did enjoy it quite a bit.

Cat is moving in with her father and stepfamily in Portland while her mother, an astronaut, is in space at the International Space Station.  Cat already knows that she and her step-sister Olivia are going to clash.  However, things get worse when Cat begins spewing toads from her mouth every time she talks. Things aren't much better for Olivia- when she speaks diamonds and flowers fall from her mouth.  Cat is able to keep her condition under wraps feigning laryngitis.  And after speaking to her mother, she is informed that her godmother is not the person she thought she was- Abyssinia is really Cat's fairy godmother.  And apparently her "help" is what has created this catastrophe. Amid a great deal of chaos, Cat and Olivia decide to try and find Abyssinia on their own in an effort to cure their diamond and toad problem.

Their adventures bring them into contact with a cast of interesting characters, and while this story is entirely unbelievable, it is also quite a bit of fun to read.

I can think of plenty of girls who will enjoy reading Once Upon a Toad and this is a title that I added to my school's latest order as well.