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Type of bind: Mass Market Paperback
EAN num: 9780060012380
ISBN number: 0060012382
Label: HarperTeen
Manufacturer: HarperTeen
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 400
Printing Date: June 01, 2004
Publishing house: HarperTeen
Age index: Young Adult
Release Date: May 25, 2004
Sale Popularity Level: 12409
Studio: HarperTeen
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Product Description:
A nightmarish danger threatens from the other side of reality . . .
Armed with only a frying pan and her common sense, young witch-to-be Tiffany Aching must defend her home against the monsters of Fairyland. Luckily she has some very unusual help: the local Nac Mac Feegle—aka the Wee Free Men—a clan of fierce, sheep-stealing, sword-wielding, six-inch-high blue men.
Together they must face headless horsemen, ferocious grimhounds, terrifying dreams come true, and ultimately the sinister Queen of the Elves herself. . . .
A Story of Discworld
Amazon.com Review:
Nine-year-old Tiffany Aching needs magic--fast! Her sticky little brother Wentworth has been spirited away by the evil Queen of faerie, and it’s up to her to get him back safely. Having already decided to grow up to be a witch, now all Tiffany has to do is find her power. But she quickly learns that it’s not all grey cats and broomsticks. According to her witchy mentor Miss Tick, 'Witches don’t use magic unless they really have to...We do other things. A witch pays attention to everything that’s going on...A witch uses her head...A witch always has a piece of string!' Luckily, besides her trusty string, Tiffany’s also got the Nac Mac Feegles, or the Wee Free Men on her side. Small, blue, and heavily tattooed, the Feegles love nothing more than a good fight except maybe a drop of strong drink! Tiffany, heavily armed with an iron skillet, the feisty Feegles, and a talking toad on loan from Miss Tick, is a formidable adversary. But the Queen has a few tricks of her own, most of them deadly. Tiffany and the Feegles might get more than they bargained for on the flip side of Faerie! Prolific fantasy author Terry Pratchett has served up another delicious helping of his famed Discworld fare. The not-quite-teen set will delight in the Feegles’ spicy, irreverent dialogue and Tiffany’s salty determination. Novices to Pratchett’s prose will find much to like here, and quickly go back to devour the rest of his Discworld offerings. Scrumptiously recommended. (Ages 10 to 14) --Jennifer Hubert
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Rated by buyers 
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In terms of this particular Discworld-derivative idea, I haven't been overly fanatical about Terry's decision to "youthanize." Please don't read anything overtly negative into that little pun: The Aching books are superb.
However, I always felt that Terry's Discworld is such an excellent and timeless literary creation that it never needed to be cross-marketed or tailored for any one set of readers over another. Discworld is always so well-delineated and conceived that it's capable of bringing youthful devotees up-to-speed and jaded old poops like myself into a purely giddy, almost childlike state of devilish euphoria, at the same time.
Basically, Discworld has always been versatile *just* as it's been written. Deliberately making a kiddie-version of that world seemed (to me) redundant, but then again...I am no longer a kid! I write this review mainly for those adult fans of Pratchett who may expect to enjoy the Aching books as much as they enjoy the adult Discworld novels. After all, grown-ups can and do get very excited about Young Adult books from time to time--look at the Rowling phenomenon as it continues to play-out among some adults (a particular enthusiasm I have never shared or thought remotely convincing).
Adult fans can unquestionably enjoy these YA books by Pratchett, just don't expect them to be the same as his adult novels. Apples and oranges, as they say. That's my point.
In any case, Terry certainly can write for the young adult crowd; there's no doubt. best of all, Terry's narrative voice does not "talk down" to young adults, as others sometimes do, in the sense that he sacrifices the delicious wisdom that is part-and-parcel of the overarching Pratchett craftsmanship.
Though I believe Terry Pratchett (as a writer) is always light-years more stocked in the Talent Department than someone like J.K. Rowling, for example, I don't think 'Wee Free Men' is quite as good as 'Hat Full of Stars' or 'Wintersmith'. The plotting of 'Wee Free Men' seemed a tad aimless and lazy when compared with the other two Tiffany Aching books, even with my "kid head" screwed-on. Young adults can pick-up on these things, but it's a minor quibble, I assure you.
Pratchett could fall out of bed and still be better than 90 percent of the people writing similar Young Adult material these days. If you're a parent looking to interest your 11-16 year-old in superb material and get a kid ready for the joyful wealth of "adult" Discworld in the future, Tiffany Aching is your girl.
Rated by buyers 
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Another delightful adventure in the discworld of Terry Pratchett. I absolutely love the Nac Mac Feegles. There are times that I start laughing so hard that I can't continue reading.
Rated by buyers -
Finally a book with just the right mix of heart, action, fantasy, humanity and wacky unpredictability! This was my very first voyage into Pratchett land and what a journey. I'd heard about his Discworld books but never got round to actually cracking the spine of one. Honestly, I have no idea if Wee Free takes place on Discworld or not. But no matter where the story takes place, Tiffany is a great, active heroine and the Wee Free Men are an absolute riot! That said, for our own wee ones, some of the under 10 or 11 set may have trouble figuring out just what the Nac Mac Feegle are saying as Pratchett has them chatting with their Scottish brogues fully intact. Things like, "...Crivens, we dinna want tae answer..." and "The Quin'll get tired o' the wee lad after a coupla months, mebbe." After a few pages of the Free Men's dialogue, though, it does get easier to understand and by your third page of it, those crazy little blue guys in kilts will have you rolling of the floor.
Keep 'em coming Terry, you crazy old coot.
Rated by buyers -
Pratchett really shines in his young readers stories of Tiffany Aching. Tiffany is a 9 year old girl born and raised on the chalk, where her family tends sheep. While she tries to cope with her sorrow over the death of her grandmother (a witch who never said as much), it becomes clear that she has inherited her granny's talent for witching. This is the very first book in the Tiffany Aching series, which delves into the world of the tiny Mac Nac Feegle, tattooed blue sprites with flaming blue hair and tempers to match. Here the MNFeegles help Tiffany with the general business of witching, and the specific business of rescuing her sticky little brother Wentworth from the Queen of Faerie.
Like all of Pratchett's books, The Wee Free Men is laugh-out-loud funny (almost too clever for young readers), and a joyous romp through the crazy Discworld that Pratchett has created.
- C.A.Wulff author of Born Without a Tail
Rated by buyers -
Of all Terry Pratchett's wonderful, whimsical books, his witch books (Wee Free Men, Hat Full of Sky, Weird Sisters) are my favorites, and of all his witch books, this is absolutely the best.
Nine-year-old Tiffany's introduction to witchhood - as I said, Pratchett-style witchhood - is just one amazement followed by another. Pratchett's witches are wonderfully practical creatures, with First Sight and Second Thoughts (never mind that "second sight" silliness). Under the impetus of her own sense of rightness, and the knowledge that she is the only one who can do it, Tiffany sets out to save not only her sticky and annoying little brother, but her entire world, from an invasion of the Fairy.
Along the way, she has several revelations about the nature of a true witch, the lack of glamour associated with this most responsible position (a witch takes care of her people), and the satisfaction of making things right.
Tiffany also has several revelations about the nature of the Nac Mac Feegle, a small bright blue barbarian-like gang of anarchists ("No King, no Quin, we shall never be fooled again!") that just love stealing, fighting, and drinking, but mostly fighting. But somehow, the little terrors have managed to learn respect for witches - and lawyers - and supply this nine-year-old with bright blue nearly invisible muscle.
Additionally, the story of Tiffany is tied into the story of her Granny, who, despite her humble life as a rough-n-tough shepherdess, clearly was the witch who cared for Tiffany's people before her. So, along with its madcap air of adventure, and the gales of laughter, the book has a gentle whiff of nostalgia, and an undercurrent of deep respect for the past. The blend comes out just right, producing a balanced book that manages to end with a profound sense of just-rightness, without ever losing the ability to surprize the reader every time a page is turned. It is perfect.
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