The Enchanted Files: Diary of a Mad Brownie

The Enchanted Files: Diary of a Mad Brownie

By Bruce Coville

5 ratings 13 reviews 9 followers
Interest LevelReading LevelReading A-ZATOSWord Count
Grades 4 - 8Grades 3 - 8W5.342581
Introducing The Enchanted Files! Told in diary entries and more, it's a new magical, modern-day comedy series by the master of funny fantasy and bestselling author of My Teacher is an Alien: Bruce Coville!
 
In the first hilarious Enchanted Files, Angus is a brownie. No, not the kind you eat! He’s a tiny magical creature that loves to do chores. Angus has just “inherited” a new human girl, Alex. To say that Alex is messy would be an understatement. She’s a total hurricane-like disaster—and she likes it that way, thankyouverymuch! Living with each other isn’t easy but Angus and Alex soon learn there is a curse that binds them. What’s worse, it threatens Alex’s family! Working together, Angus and Alex will set out to break the curse . . . without killing each other first . . . hopefully.

This laugh-out-loud adventure, full of humor and heart, is ideal for fans of Escape From Mr. Lemoncello’s Library or Chris Grabenstein.

Also availabe in paperback as Cursed

* "Smart, amusing, and a lot of fun" —Booklist (starred review)

"With magic, mischief, and mayhem to spare, this sweet story of an unlikely friendship ought to delight readers of any age." —Publishers Weekly

"A knee-slapper."Kirkus Reviews
Publisher: Yearling
ISBN-13: 9780385392501
ISBN-10: 0385392508
Published on 7/26/2016
Binding: Paperback
Number of pages: 272

Book Reviews (8)

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this looks like a nasty book it looks so cool i want to read

coldbatman10234 coldbatman10234

soo cool

"I AM NAE A..." Wow... Just by reading this humorous, light hearted adventure... this book made my day. Meet Angus Cairins who is a brownie... I know what all of you guys are thinking... the yummy, delicious, gooey chocolate squared bars... Yup, that's not the one... but while I was reading this book, I was CRAVING for brownies... so I just wanted to give you a little warning... AND NO HE IS NOT AN ELF (so don't say it in front of him, or he'll be offended) Anyways Angus has to clean everything up... that's the whole point of being a brownie... after being sent to the Carhart's household, to serve Alex Carhart because of a curse... Now before I go further about the curse... Meet Alex Carhart, who hates cleaning... Like her room is so messed up, that Angus winced cleaning it up, but of course he got the job done... anyways she has two siblings: one older brother named Bennet and a younger sister named Destiny, who has a friend named Herbert the Goblin. Alex... aka as a living sunset (you got to love the idioms being used :D) freaks out when her room gets cleaned... of course being the ordinary kid, she calls the police... YES, the police... After Angus's cover is blown... Things start to go crazy... seriously CRAZY... Alex's dad quit his job to become a songwriter/singer... and they might starve to death and be homeless... Just kidding... but what's even worse are his lyrics... *shudders* And remember Alex's red haired brother, Bennet??? Well... Bennet decided to quit soccer for good, and stick to writing poetry... and again they are *shudders again* not the best songwriters/poetry writers... Like Bennet wrote, "Sweet Marie, my turtledove. You're my chocolate queen of love. All right. You're right. That's not the point. I want to be your boo tonight..." Yes, there are more worse poems than this one... but I don't want to go in detail... but Angus finally figure it out... that he... he... BROUGHT THE CURSE.... DUN DUN DUNNNNN.... Alex and Angus try to find ways to get rid of the curse... but the Shadow Queen's curse is really strong, so they need to find a permanent solution... where everybody will be safe....But to break the curse, they need to return the Princess of Sunshine to the Shadow Queen... Now what?!?!?! How can they find a princes... more specifically a Princess of Sunshine... in a world where there are more than one realm???? By Herbert the Goblin.... Now I know what you guys are thinking.... WHAT!?!?! Ummm...yeah... technically Herbert the Goblin helped Alex and Angus... After Destiny's teacher, Ms. Kincaid (she may look like thirty years old.. but looks can be deceiving... don't tell anyone.. but she is sixty years old!), told Destiny that Herbert the Goblin in not real, Angus decided to have a "little talk" with her... With a little help from Alex's cat, to get to school, Angus talks to Ms. Kincaid... Now they found out Ms. Kincaid knows something about the Enchanted Realm... more importantly... Ms. Kincaid's grandmother has special connections with the Enchanted Realm... now maybe with a little help from her, they can find the Princess of Sunshine... Well read and find out! I really enjoyed this book A LOT... I am usually to a fantasy reader, I am more of a realistically book reader, but just a mix of fantasy and realism, this book got me hooked! Also there were really good sketched illustrations, letters from teachers to parents, biographies, text messages, agendas, journals, emails, articles, and short tales... this book had a handful... that you can enjoy... Also there were many different perspectives that had a very smooth transition... And the imagination was really... a 100% perfect... I mean with dragons, griffins, selkies, brownies, Makiaweesug, and pegasi... I mean can it get any better... Ummm yeah... Also Angus's quirky accent made this story hilarious... and it doesn't really get confusing, because of context clues... Now for my grade... I give it a A- or A... I really loved this whole imagination and plot itself... with also the documents going along with the story... but I feel like this story is made for 8 to 10 years olds... But I love all the tiny details making up this unique story... Now why should you read this book???? Ummm... well because it's hilarious, cute, quirky... and it has pegasi... Not only that... but you get to read about some morals told in the story... and Angus shows how to make a special promise... So this is how you are supposed to do it... 1.) Lick your thumb 2.) Now hold it out in front of the other person (or brownie) making the promise 3.) Now press your thumb to the other person (or brownie).... and it'll be vice versa... For fans of Stonebird or and imaginative/realistic story... YOU"LL LOVE THIS BOOK!!!! Enjoy! :D...

I love your introductory quote.. Angus does say that a lot.. lol... And your grade "intrigued" me.. Whereas I give an A plus to any fantasy book that isn't horribly written.. XD

Thanks :D... yeah usually fantasy books are hard to cope up with... but I thought this was a really easy read to got through unlike most fantasy books... and Plus... I'm a hard grader... like Simon Cowell XD :D

This book is the craziest book I have ever read in my life. It is about a brownie named Angus Cairns who was sent on a mission to clean up Alexandra Carhart’s bedroom. Her room is such a mess that her mom wants Alexandra to clean it up. But Alex (her nickname) likes it the way it is. One day when Alexandra goes into her room she sees that her room is nice and clean. “Who is cleaning my room when I am not looking”? She thought. Later she finds out that Angus is cleaning her room when she is not looking. Angus is so when Alex found out he was cleaning her room he is so furious that he wishes he never came on this mission. Later on Angus loves cleaning places. One day Angus tells Alex about the Enchanted Realm when he is not supposed to. After a couple of weeks Destiny’s, Alex’s little sister, Ms. Kincaid, her teacher, and Ms. Kincaid’s grandmother disappeared. At the end of the book Angus and Alex are best friends. Also this book is a diary and has supporting letters and journal entries and a bunch of pictures drawn by Angus. Also Angus has a temper problem and he can’t control his temper tantrums. I hope you enjoy this book when you read it :)

When you find yourself smiling at the first few pages of any book, you know you're holding something special in your hands. "The Diary of the Mad Brownie" (part of the Enchanted Files) is one such book. It is filled with light-hearted humor and plenty of imagination, creativity, and fun to keep you laughing in the most unexpected moments. But as this book delves deeper, you will discover gentle reminders and morals about friendship, family, and the importances of promises.. there are several moments that will make you feel sorrow, or anger, or pity, or all the other emotions mixed in with joy that makes a book so special. This is a treat for any age (though I would recommend this book to ages 8-12..) Angus Cairns is a brownie - and not the kind you eat, nor a Girl Scout in a brown uniform. Nay, Angus Cairns is a genuine Scottish household brownie, and he is cursed to serve the youngest female (above the age of ten) in the McGonagall line because of his father, who made a foolish mistake way back in history. But is it a curse after all? Even though Angus (like any other sensible brownie) would much rather be human-free, he has taken a fondness to his mistress Sarah, who shares his same mischievousness and trickery in her heart. But alas - Sarah passes away, and Angus must leave his dear homeland of Scotland. He must travel through the Enchanted Realm in a short amount of time to his new land, America, where he must serve a new mistress, who goes by the name of Alex Carhart. Well, Angus Cairns' duty is to tidy up rooms and to serve his mistress, which seems easy enough. But after the tiring journey into America, Angus discovers that Alex is in possession of a MONSTER (a cat) and her room is a PIGSTY - way worse than a pigsty actually. And when he cleans everything up and makes it tidy as can be, she calls the POLICE? This is the first of many other unfortunate incidents between Alex and Angus Cairns. But once they get through all their differences and quarrels, they start to form a true friendship. But what happens when Alex's dad quits his job to become a songwriter (believe me, he is a horrible songwriter) and Angus learns WHAT exactly was the stupid mistake his dad made. And after the stupid mistake his dad made, the Shadow Queen cursed the McGonagall line to be horrible singers and writers.. and that the brownies can't be freed from this curse unless they rescue the Princess of Sunshine. Angus goes on a mission to save the Princess of Sunshine and therefore be free.. and accidentally drags Alex, Bennett, (Alex's brother who writes terrible poems), and Destiny (Alex's imaginative younger sister) for a wild adventure in the Enchanted Realm! Will they find the Princess of Sunshine or will they be doomed? Read this exciting, imaginative, and a roller-coaster of a ride book to find out! I like how this book was written in different formats, like diary for Angus and journal for Alex. I normally don't like when narrators switch frequently, but in this book, it was natural, it flowed, and it was a great addition. The characterization is great - these are characters that are REALLY fleshed out, that some people can relate to or have problems similar to these characters. The other supporting documents are really fun to read, and I like how there are modern things like text messages, in contrast with Angus' quite odd Scottish accent - which I found quirky and very charming. The author adds personal touches that can make readers connect with his writing and the characters, and the setting was very pleasant - I like how there are two main settings and some other backgrounds. I really think Bruce Coville scored a home run with this imaginative book - grade: A+

And I love you review!!! :-) Especially the intro... because it is soooooo TRUE :D

Thanks! I don't know why I was so serious in this review.. I guess I just did it in honor of Angus and his sacred brownie promises.. Lol..

I posted my grade for Read that Book! :D

Thank you to dogo books for providing this book in exch ange for a honest review. Dairy of a Mad Brownie, by Bruce Coville is a good book. The main character's name is Angus. It's the same plot as a lot of the books I've read; where the ancester of the main character steals somthing very valuable and a curse gets put on the family. The main character goes on a long journey to break the curse. In the end they do break the curse and they are all happy. There were not too many twists or suprises or anything. Even though I liked it, it was boring because I knew exactly what would happen. I was predictable. I would give it 3 stars.

This was an ok book about a 150 year old brownie named Angus who is placed in the care of a girl in America named Alex. He soon realizes that Alex has a cat, little sister, and older brother. She is also very messy, all the way from her desk to her room. That is a big problem for Angus because brownies want everything neat and tidy. As the story begins Angus has to travel through the enchanted realm which is full of scary monsters that brownies do not want to mess with. I really liked this part of the story. One of the coolest things in the book where the illustrations. I also thought that the Alex Carhart's Journal was a fun part of the book.

This book is amazing! When I first started reading it, I felt as if it would be a light-hearted and funny book! Boy, was I proven wrong! This book started out funny and amusing, but as the story got farther in, it started having morals. This story teaches you the worth of friendship. Angus Cairns, a brownie (a creature that likes to secretly clean things from the Enchanted Realm), is attached to the McGonagall family (I know,Harry Potter). It is his duty to serve the McGonagall family because of his father, who made the Queen of Shadows mad at him. At the beginning of the book, Angus serves an old lady called Sarah who lives in Scotland. Angus loves her dearly. Soon though, she dies. She tells Angus to go to the youngest female relative who is of 10 years or older. This happens to be a girl called Alex Carhart who lives in America. Angus is very doubtful about going to America, but as he is bound to her, he goes. When he gets there he finds that she is a very, very messy human being. At first, the 2 fight a lot, but soon they become the best of friends. Soon though, Alex's brother and dad start acting weird. They start writing poems, and bad ones at that. Alex's dad quits his job to write and her brother quits the soccer team to write. Angus is very ashamed, because he knows why this is happening, but doesn't want to tell Alex because she will get mad at him. He ends up telling her anyways. Alex finds out that he brought a curse along with him that Ewan McGonagall, Alex's ancestor, brought upon. Ewan McGonagall had the most fantastic voice and one day, he travels to the Enchanted Realm and sings for the Shadow Queen. While he is there, he falls in love with the queen's daughter, the Princess of Sunshine. The queen said that in order for the princess to marry him, he had to give up his amazing voice. He does it and they get married. The curse makes all of his relatives have a bad voice too and makes them write horrible poetry too. So Alex and Angus go on an adventure to return the Princess of Sunshine to the queen to get rid of the curse. Read the rest of the book to find out more! I definitely recommend it!