Anwen hasn’t ever seen a giant, so it’s more than a little surprising when a dead one falls out of the sky and into her village. Anwen and her grandmother are meadow witches, so it’s their job to find out what happened to the giant. They plant a magic beanstalk to send a message to the giants in the Sky Kingdom, but Anwen and her rival Cerys accidentally get stuck in the Sky Kingdom. Anwen is determined to solve the mystery of what happened to the murdered giant before it’s time to go home — or before there’s another murder.

I wish this book had been around when I was a kid. It’s everything I looked for in a book. An interesting mystery, a fairy tale setting that is somehow unique and not focused on royalty, and interesting characters? I would have gone rabid for it.

When I looked at the cover, I expected this book to read younger than it did. I was pleasantly surprised to find a surprisingly sophisticated fairy tale murder mystery. While it’s not Agatha Christie, it holds up well for the age of the audience and the setting of the story.

The main characters don’t get along, and I appreciate how their relationship evolves with having to work together while still not becoming the best friends. The more they learn about each other, the more they understand why the other is the way they are. I do wish there was more information on why they didn’t like each other in the first place, but their characterization and relationship changes are strong enough that the context is not crucial. Their relationship adds emotion and tension to the plot when it might otherwise feel a little slow.

The side characters aren't all as well developed, but they are interesting enough to

The murder mystery has a decent amount of suspects and questions, making it harder to guess than other similar mysteries in middle grade books. The plot is still relatively predictable, but there are enough surprises to keep readers guessing. The plot has slower sections, but not so slow that I lost interest while reading.

Overall, I thought this was a quick, young read that young mystery and fairy tale lovers are likely to enjoy.

The Beanstalk Murder was such a fantastic read! I couldn’t recommend enough! It has everything you want in a murder mystery book for middle grade. The book instantly grabs your attention in the first chapter and is never slow! The writing style was easy to follow and left me wanting to read more from this author.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced reading copy. It was a great experience!

With the cover illustration and the word "beanstalk" in the title, fantasy readers will pick this one up, but it's murder mystery lovers who will enjoy this most. Arwen and Cerys, two rival witches-in-training find themselves working together in spite of their rivalry when a giant falls from the sky and flattens their village. A mishap with a magic beanstalk finds both girls suddenly thrust into the kingdom of the giants where Arwen finds herself drawn into solving the mystery before the giants retrieve their dead king.

Fantasy is a hard sell in my classroom these days -- I can still get my 5th graders to read it if I'm lucky, but not many of my older students. With Arwen being 11 years old, 5th grade feels like the target audience for this book. However, the murder theme and the utter callousness of the guilty parties make this feel like it was intended for an older audience. Not knowing which of my students I would recommend this one to means I probably won't add it to my classroom library.

In an effort to prove her worth as a witch, Anwen decides to help the world of giants solve a murder.

This was an impulse request for me because it had such a cute cover, and I am so glad I requested this story.

We get a magical world with High Magic and the more mundane magic of Meadow Witches. We get the world building of a historical war with the giants of the Sky Kingdom, and the separation that resulted with the world below. And we get the delightful rivalry turned friendship between Anwen and Ceres. Both girls are coming with their own struggles and goals. Their lack of communication and their own prejudices gets overcome in a truly delightful fashion. I cheered towards the end.

It did feel like there was more than necessary red herrings. I didn't really need to be able to predict the solve of the mystery to really enjoy the switch, but when my predictions were upturned for the fourth time, it felt a little bait and switch.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Feiwel & Friends for this adorable arc.

4.5 stars!

Charming, compelling, and fun! An incredibly enjoyable middle-grade fantasy and mystery adventure!
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Summary:
Usually, the biggest problems in Anwen's life are her fights with her rival, Cerys, and her lessons from her grandmother in Meadow Witch magic. Then a giant falls out of the sky and right into her rural village. Even worse, the giant was apparently dead before he even fell out of the Sky Kingdom, and it looks like murder.

It falls on Anwen and her grandmother, with the reluctant help of Cerys, to send a message to the Sky Kingdom informing them of the situation, but when attempting to attach a note to the top of an illegal magic beanstalk, Anwen gets stuck, and she and Cerys are dragged all the way to the Sky Kingdom themselves. There, they discover that the dead giant was the king, and with the palace in an uproar, Anwen is determined to do her duty as a Meadow Witch by investigating the murder, and solve the case to prove herself to Cerys once and for all.
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This book was so much fun! I really enjoyed pretty much everything about it. The characters were great, the plot was engaging, the mystery was compelling, and it was perfectly written for a middle-grade audience--and still enjoyable for adult readers as well!

What I loved:
- This story was just so much fun!
- Great characters, and fun world-building.
- I really loved getting to see the character of Cerys blossom throughout the story as Anwen spent more time with her.
- The mystery was really well done with lots of twists and turns and hidden clues throughout the book.

What I didn't like:
- A minor thing, but I would have liked a little more context for what made Anwen and Cerys' relationship as bad as it was at the beginning of the book. I doubt most middle grade readers will question this, so it's not a big deal, but as an adult reader I kept wondering what on earth made them start acting so terribly to each other.

Overall, I really liked this book and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to any middle-grade reader interested in fantasy, mystery, adventure, or just a good time!

P. G. Bell's The Beanstalk Murder is an enchanting tale that combines magic, mystery, and a touch of rivalry. Anwen Sedge, a young Meadow Witch apprentice, finds herself embroiled in a murder investigation when a giant falls from the sky and crushes her village. The twist? The giant was already dead before his dramatic descent.

The story kicks off with an intriguing premise, and the plot thickens as Anwen, along with her arch-nemesis Cerys, gets transported to the giants’ kingdom. Here, they discover that the murdered giant was none other than the king himself. Stranded in the giants' realm and entangled in palace intrigues, Anwen must rely on her Meadow Witch skills to solve the mystery.

Bell's world-building is captivating, painting a vivid picture of a magical land where witches, giants, and magical beanstalks coexist. Anwen is a relatable protagonist, determined and resourceful, while Cerys provides a perfect foil with her superior attitude and High Magic prowess.

However, the story occasionally falters in its pacing. The initial excitement of the mystery is somewhat diluted by slower sections where the plot seems to meander. Additionally, the dynamic between Anwen and Cerys, though entertaining, can feel repetitive at times. Their rivalry, while central to the narrative, sometimes overshadows other potentially rich character interactions and developments.

The climax offers a satisfying resolution, with Anwen and Cerys learning to appreciate each other's strengths. Yet, some readers might find the revelation of the murderer somewhat predictable.

Overall, The Beanstalk Murder is an enjoyable read, particularly for younger audiences who relish fantasy and adventure. Bell's imaginative storytelling shines, even if the execution occasionally lacks the finesse to fully capitalize on the novel's intriguing setup.

What worked:
The conflicted relationship between Anwen and Cerys is a highlight as the girls try to solve the mystery of the giant king. Cerys is a highly skilled student of High Magic at the academy while Anwen is training with her grandmother to become a Meadow Witch. Cerys doesn’t mask her disdain for the other girl when she calls Anwen a ditch witch and subtle insults continue throughout the story. Being thrown into the giants’ kingdom forces them to work together no matter how strained their past might be. This isn’t to say the transition is smooth as the conflict adds tension and interest to the plot. Cerys eventually reveals secrets about her life that help Anwen understand the girl’s anger.
Solving the king’s murder is the main focus of the plot and readers will follow Anwen’s investigation and collection of clues. Her efforts are complicated since the giants are suspicious of the tiny “vermin” and don’t want them running around freely. Also, palace cats will gladly each them for breakfast! However, Anwen is a determined character and manages to find ways to maneuver around the giant palace. She investigates which giants have motives and opportunities to kill the king even if the characters seem beyond suspicion, like the princess. The Chamberlain immediately dislikes Anwen and Cerys and suggests the princess kill them right away but he also seems to hate everyone. Anwen’s grandmother is finding clues down in Old Stump but there’s no way to communicate with her granddaughter. Readers will have an advantage over the characters as they’ll be able to piece the evidence together. The author saves a twist near the end as Anwen senses she still doesn’t have the whole story.
The early part of the book will be familiar to young readers as it’s related to the tale of Jack and the Beanstalk. Having a giant fall into the middle of Old Stump leaves quite an impression, pun intended, and the plot follows its own creative path after that. The author does a great job of describing the challenges of being tiny in a giant setting since Anwen and Cerys can’t quickly or easily move about the castle or even a room. Moving between areas of the structure can be miles away to them so they’re forced to find other means of transportation.
What didn’t work as well:
The plot feels fairly predictable although the author still manages to find room for some surprises. This familiar, user-friendly format will help young readers become accustomed to solving perplexing mysteries as they transition into books with more complex text.
The final verdict:
The mystery, humor, and recognizable style make this book fun to read. The delicate balance in the relationship between Anwen and Cerys adds emotion to the plot and helps readers connect with the characters. Overall, this book will appeal to lovers of folklore and fairy tales and I recommend you give it a shot.

DNF at just before 40%. I'm sorry, but the writing was too juvenile for me to be able to get through the book and to enjoy the story. The concept is great, though. For the right audience, I think that this tale will be a hit.