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The Wee Free Men (Tiffany Aching, 1) Mass Market Paperback – May 25, 2004

4.7 out of 5 stars 7,457 ratings

ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults * ALA Notable Children's Book * Horn Book Fanfare Book * Kirkus Reviews Editor’s Choice * SLJ Best Book of the Year 

By the beloved and bestselling grandmaster of fantasy, Sir Terry Pratchett, this is the first in a series of Discworld novels starring the young witch Tiffany Aching.

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. . . .

The five funny and fabulous Tiffany Aching adventures are:

  • The Wee Free Men
  • A Hat Full of Sky
  • Wintersmith
  • I Shall Wear Midnight
  • The Shepherd’s Crown

Tiffany’s mentors, Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg, star in the novels Equal Rites, Wyrd Sisters, Witches Abroad, Lords and Ladies, Maskerade, and Carpe Jugulum

And don’t miss Terry Pratchett’s hilarious and wise Discworld novel The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents, winner of the Carnegie Medal! 

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Popular Highlights in this book

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Like Celtic mythology fused with ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer.’” — New York Times Book Review

“Wonderful language, genuinely scary explorations, and a young girl whose growing up is believable and exciting.” — The Chicago Tribune

“An enthralling and rewarding read.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“A glorious read.” — School Library Journal (starred review)

“Just the package to appeal to those who admire not just a brave heart but a quick comeback as well.” — The Horn Book (starred review)

“The Carnegie Medal winner’s fans will not be disappointed.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“The humor and the danger will appeal to Discworld fans and also readers who relish J. K. Rowling’s Harry.” — ALA Booklist

“A lovely romp for Pratchett fans of all ages.” — Locus

“Perfect for anyone who enjoys The Princess Bride and the works of Douglas Adams.” (starred review) — KLIATT

From the Back Cover

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

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Clarion Books
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 25, 2004
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 375 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0060012382
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0060012380
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 6.4 ounces
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 9+ years, from customers
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.68 x 4.34 x 1.08 inches
  • Book 30 of 41 ‏ : ‎ Discworld
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 8 - 9
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 680L
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 out of 5 stars 7,457 ratings

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Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
7,457 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this book charming with mind-bending plot twists and appreciate how it satirizes modern society. Moreover, the writing is wonderfully rich, and the book features strong female characters, making it suitable for young readers aged 12 and up. Additionally, they value its thought-provoking nature, with one customer noting it includes subtle lessons in growing up, while another mentions it serves as a great introduction to the Discworld series.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

134 customers mention "Storytelling"128 positive6 negative

Customers enjoy the storytelling of the book, praising its charming narrative and mind-bending plot twists. One customer notes how fantasy elements are woven with real-world issues, while another highlights the clever incorporation of fairy tale and myth lore.

"...The story is completely charming in itself, a young girl meets some little men with red hair, blue tattoos, wearing kilts, about 6 inches tall..." Read more

"...The humor is witty and many times unexpected. I laugh out loud which is unusual for me because it takes a lot to make me laugh!..." Read more

"...of Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg at the end, sets up further adventures of Tiffany and connects her subseries with the Witches subseries with the..." Read more

"...But it also has a grand adventure full of "ships", fairy queens, skillets used as weapons, and 6" high scotsmen with 6" long..." Read more

127 customers mention "Humor"124 positive3 negative

Customers enjoy the book's humor, particularly its satirical take on modern society and lawyer jokes.

"...The characters are well developed and almost always entertaining and hilarious – for example her younger brother constantly asks for “sweeties”,..." Read more

"...The humor is witty and many times unexpected. I laugh out loud which is unusual for me because it takes a lot to make me laugh!..." Read more

"...is the second time he’s written for young adults but his writing and humor are top notch as well follow a nine-year witch Tiffany Aching going up..." Read more

"...While Tiffany is a strong female character she is also brilliant, witty, cynical, creative, brave, and a bit mischievous...." Read more

115 customers mention "Enjoyment"115 positive0 negative

Customers find the book thoroughly enjoyable for any age, particularly appreciating its adventure elements.

"...The characters are well developed and almost always entertaining and hilarious – for example her younger brother constantly asks for “sweeties”,..." Read more

"...Throughout it all is a great sense of adventure...." Read more

"...the adventure they and tiffany go on is just that, adventurous and fun and i laughed till i cried at some bits...." Read more

"...to have a favorite since they.are all grand adventures! Great fun and plenty of twists in this one...." Read more

74 customers mention "Ages"70 positive4 negative

Customers appreciate that the book is written for young readers in mind and is suitable for ages 12 and up, with one customer noting it's perfect for kids without being insipid.

"...Wee Free Men is aimed at young adults with the female protagonist just a child (around 9 years old), and is the first book in the Tiffany Aching..." Read more

"...Starting with the history of a young, inexperienced witch with a big heart we learn about how she meets challenges and the Wee Free Men...." Read more

"...Tiffany is very smart for her age and sees things as they are just like her grandmother, so when strange things pop up she uses an iron pan to beat..." Read more

"...a witch and her powers, her abilities to fight evil, and learning to believe in herself. Throughout it all is a great sense of adventure...." Read more

69 customers mention "Writing quality"61 positive8 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, noting its wonderful richness and brilliant spelling, with one customer highlighting its beautiful prose suitable for readers of any age.

"...The book was a very easy, very entertaining read...." Read more

"...tiffany, the young heroine "hag" (or witch,) is engaging, knowable, and human...." Read more

"...book, I found it a bit slow in the beginning but not too hard or boring to get through...." Read more

"...aimed in a "younger audience" direction, please know that it is so well written that you'd scarcely notice, no matter your age...." Read more

66 customers mention "Character development"66 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, particularly noting the strong female characters, with one customer highlighting Tiffany Aching as a standout character.

"...The characters are well developed and almost always entertaining and hilarious – for example her younger brother constantly asks for “sweeties”,..." Read more

"...But it also has a grand adventure full of "ships", fairy queens, skillets used as weapons, and 6" high scotsmen with 6" long..." Read more

"...Interesting character development of a young girl facing seemingly impossible odds. Shows the loyalty found in strange friendships." Read more

"...adjacent to other Discworld stories, there are hints of the character and plot overlaps to come...." Read more

66 customers mention "Thought provoking"66 positive0 negative

Customers find the book thought-provoking, describing it as extraordinarily insightful and full of wisdom, with one customer noting its subtle lessons about growing up.

"...point-of-view character, save from a narrator, which keeps the book fairly orderly when reading as well as being in line for a book for younger..." Read more

"terry pratchett is a genius....amazingly funny, extraordinarily insightful...." Read more

"...But she is wise and observant, which grants her many advantages and opportunities throughout her adventure...." Read more

"...Pratchett presents an amazing girl, thoughtful, intelligent, strong-willed, and observant and you feel you know her and can't help but admire her..." Read more

17 customers mention "Introduction"17 positive0 negative

Customers find the book serves as a great introduction to the Discworld series, particularly for younger readers, with one customer noting it's a wonderful gateway to other books in the series.

"...end, sets up further adventures of Tiffany and connects her subseries with the Witches subseries with the hopes of seeing favorite characters in..." Read more

"...As well, it is a great gateway into other Discworld books...." Read more

"...If a reader is new to Discworld, this would be a good introduction..." Read more

"...Pratchett is the introduction of a very sympathetic and interesting young witch-in-training...." Read more

If nothing else, read it for the Nac Mac Feegles,
5 out of 5 stars
If nothing else, read it for the Nac Mac Feegles,
I loved the Nac Mac Feegles when they appeared in Carpe Jugulum. Though they were a little tough to understand then. They're better in this, though not laughing while reading this book in public is a problem. They are certainly a gung-ho lot. But of course, this book (bar a few scenes in the beginning) is from the viewpoint of Tiffany Aching. I sort of see her as how Granny Weatherwax would've been as a young girl, Tiffany certainly has the same determinedness as she sets off to rescue her baby brother (à la the film Labyrinth). Of course, it's the Quin - I mean, Quee - who has him and that means fairyland with all the monsters and the dreams and the nightmares. All of which the Nac Mac Feegles face head on, literally. I quite liked the ending to this, a nice rounded conclusion that speaks of more to come. I'll be looking forward to it.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on March 19, 2017
    This was my first Terry Pratchett book ever, thus my introduction to Discworld. I’ve wanted to read the series, but with 41 books I wasn’t sure I even wanted to attempt it. Wee Free Men is aimed at young adults with the female protagonist just a child (around 9 years old), and is the first book in the Tiffany Aching series, so it was a great place to start.

    I’ve got to say, this was one of the best books I have read in a long time. The story is completely charming in itself, a young girl meets some little men with red hair, blue tattoos, wearing kilts, about 6 inches tall called Nac Mac Feegle or the Wee Free Men, and together they have to rescue her young brother. The characters are well developed and almost always entertaining and hilarious – for example her younger brother constantly asks for “sweeties”, the Wee Free Men speak in Scottish accents and say things like “Ah, crivens” and are generally good natured despite being thieves. The best part for me, however, were all the surprising references to other books and pop culture which I did not expect but always put a smile on my face. For example, Pratchett parodies Lord of the Rings with “See their swords? They glow blue in the presence of lawyers” and Braveheart with “They can tak’ oour lives but they canna tak’ our troousers!” There’s possibly even a Bushism from the early 2000s (this book was published in 2003, so would make sense).

    The book was a very easy, very entertaining read. I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the Tiffany Aching miniseries as well as perhaps starting in on the rest of the larger Discworld universe.
    60 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on August 26, 2024
    I have been a fan of Terry Pratchett for well over 10 years. His Tiffany Aching series (5 books) are probably my favorites. Starting with the history of a young, inexperienced witch with a big heart we learn about how she meets challenges and the Wee Free Men. The humor is witty and many times unexpected. I laugh out loud which is unusual for me because it takes a lot to make me laugh!
    I recommend the audiobooks as Stephen Briggs is the master of many, many voices.

    If you have a sense of humor you will probably love these silly but meaningful books.
    I think this book would be appreciated by 8-90 year olds!

    Elizabeth
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2017
    The Chalk is a place of sheep and shepherds but never a witch was known to be there, however that might have been incorrect. Terry Pratchett’s 30th Discworld novel, "The Wee Free Men", is the second time he’s written for young adults but his writing and humor are top notch as well follow a nine-year witch Tiffany Aching going up against the Queen of Elves with only a horde of six-inch blue little men.

    Tiffany Aching finds her family farm being invaded by monsters from dreams as well as a horde of little blue men, the titular Wee Free Men. Tiffany is very smart for her age and sees things as they are just like her grandmother, so when strange things pop up she uses an iron pan to beat them back. Although she later figures out that her grandmother was a witch, Tiffany has her first encounter with one in the form of Ms. Lick who tells her to be careful but not to tackle the problem on her own but when her brother is kidnapped by the Fairie Queen, Tiffany knows she’s going to need help while not sounding desperate. Tiffany’s help comes to her when the local clan of the Wee Free Men shows up looking for the new “hag ol’ the hills” because of the invasion of the Queen. Tiffany and the Wee Free Men invade ‘Fairyland’ and manage to return with her brother, a feat that Granny Weatherwax finds impressive for someone so young and untrained.

    "The Wee Free Men" features Tiffany as the only point-of-view character, save from a narrator, which keeps the book fairly orderly when reading as well as being in line for a book for younger readers. The story itself is somewhat familiar for long time Discworld fans with the antagonist being the Queen of the Elves invading, but Pratchett changes things up with the use of dreams and the conflict as seen from a nine-year old. The cameo appearance of Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg at the end, sets up further adventures of Tiffany and connects her subseries with the Witches subseries with the hopes of seeing favorite characters in future books.

    The second young adult and first Tiffany subseries book of the Discworld canon is a fantastic book; "The Wee Free Men" gives someone new for long time fans while introducing older characters for younger new readers. While it’s intended for a younger audience, older fans will appreciate Pratchett’s humorous fantasy writing with his twists and turns.
    14 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Soni
    4.0 out of 5 stars The wee first book
    Reviewed in Japan on February 20, 2006
    The Wee Free Men are weird. But a good, funny kind of weird wee men. I liked the introduction of them very much and I bet you will too.

    Tifanny is also a very nice and thoughtful girl. Prachett plays the book very well. There are some amazing parts and he introduces some nice thoughts about life. Very useful the hints are, mark you!

    I am not going to forget Granny Aching, nor Tifanny nor the Wee Free Men for a long time.

    Highly reccomended!

    Oh! And if you are thinking this book is for children, it is not (at least not only). I doubt it, myself.
  • Rooneyfish
    5.0 out of 5 stars A superb start to 'The Chalk' in the Discworld series. Superb fun.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 4, 2024
    Re-reading the entire series and I had forgotten so much of the stories, but what a superb book. Despite the fun or headaches of trying to work out some of the hard accents of the Nac Mac Feegles (it's a fun challenge) the story just flows making you want to keep reading.
    The main witches make a cameo appearance, but the story revolves around the chalk and the start of a new witch along with her trusty frying pan. The characters are superb and the whole story gets your imagination working overtime seeing the scenes evolve in front of you.
    I'm looking forward to reading more of these as I wade my way through the Discworld series and will be gutted, yet again, when I reach the end.
  • Deirdre2411
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fun Scottish book
    Reviewed in Australia on October 27, 2024
    Easy read
  • Silvia B.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fantasía con puntos muy cómicos
    Reviewed in Spain on November 12, 2020
    Muy imaginativa y cómica. De lectura fácil. Fantasía pura
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  • Araud Thierry
    5.0 out of 5 stars Le Disque Monde va bien
    Reviewed in France on July 25, 2003
    Voici donc le deuxième ouvrage pour jeunes lecteurs (après The Amazing Maurice...) à s'inscrire dans le célèbre cycle des Annales du Disque Monde de Terry Pratchett.
    Le livre précédent, histoire de rats intelligents avait atteint les sommets de qualités appréciables auxquels Pratchett a habitué ses lecteurs. Mais on l'attendait un peu au coin du bois pour cet opus-ci.
    Et bien le pari semble réussi. Le lecteur fidèle des Annales aura le plaisir de retrouver des personnages déjà croisés dans les volumes "officiels" de la série ainsi que la verve satyrique et le sens aiguë du pastiche de Terry Pratchett. Inutile de raconter l'histoire, comme toujours chez l'auteur, elle se déroule peu à peu, prenant le lecteur par la main pour l'amener en des contrées bien étranges et pourtant si famillières. PLus court que ses homologues, ce livre se déguste patiemment et avec plaisir. On sent un réel attachement de l'auteur à l'univers si longuement élaboré. A un point ou le lecteur se sent de connivence. Seul petit détail, les Wee Free Men du titre parlent avec un accent assez terrible et leurs propos sont parfois bien sybillins pour le lecteur français. Mais il n'y a rien qu'une lecture attentive (et un bon dictionnaire) ne puisse résoudre. Bref, un bon moment de plaisir, une histoire drôle et tendre et un nouveau succès pour Terry Pratchett. Ce monsieur doit être un peu sorcier.