Bob, a cobbler, and Joan, a laundress, live a quiet and predictable life in their small town. When they open their door to a lost, young boy one night, their lives change dramatically. The boy claims he was once a rat and shows no knowledge of normal human manners or eating habits. As Bob and Joan try to teach the boy they name Roger, they come to love him and think of him as their own little boy. Unfortunately, less charitable people want to exploit Roger for his differences. Soon, prejudice clouds the city, and the people cry for Roger, ‘the sewer monster’ to be exterminated. Will love or prejudice prevail?
With a fairy tale feel and simple story telling, Philip Pullman tells a powerful story about the dangers of judging others. He includes elements of well-known fairy tales, but manages to create an entirely new story. I originally picked this to read to my young boys, but while it is a light story, Pullman includes some of his trademark darkness. It is a perfect story for fantasy and fairy tale lovers of 8 years or older, but a little scary for younger readers. A quick read with some illustrations, it still teaches important lessons and makes young readers think.
Recommended for ages 8 and up.
Although the writing isn’t stellar and some of the characters are a little weak, Cinder has to win for the most original representation of the Cinderella fairy tale. Cinder is a talented mechanic and cyborg living in the city of New Beijing following the conclusion of the fourth World War. Forced to work to support her begrudging stepmother, Cinder is exposed to the plague currently threatening lives in the city. Although Cinder remains well, she is blamed for her stepsister’s illness.
For as long as she can remember, Cecelia has been told she is the true princess being raised in hiding. Her parents were murdered when she was a baby and she was sent to a remote village to be kept safe. All her life she has been a village girl by day studying politics and royal subjects in secret at night. However, when strange things start happening around her little cottage, it appears her identity has been revealed and she is no longer safe.
A brilliant, modern rendering of Francis Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden. Ellen Potter manages to capture nearly all the elements of the classic children’s story, but weaves her details so deftly that the story remains alive and new. Like the garden in the story, Potter breathes life into a wonderful tale of hope and healing.
Another Pan is a much darker version of Peter Pan placed in a more modern age with hints of Egyptian mythology sprinkled throughout. Wendy and John Darling are students at Marlowe, an elitist New York high school, because their father is a member of the faculty. They are embarrassed by their father’s obsession with Egyptology until they begin working on a special exhibit arranged for the school. They meet Peter, a mysterious new RA, and his gang of boys who refer to themselves as the LBs. Soon Wendy and John are swept up in Peter’s quest to find ‘bone dust’, a dust in the bones of certain mummies and purported to bring eternal life. Strangely, these bones are found in a part of the Egyptian underworld that has relocated to beneath the Marlowe school.
Silly fluff and light entertainment, but the plot was surprisingly well done in this fairy tale gone wrong. When Savannah’s boyfriend chooses her older sister Jane and she is left without a prom date, Savannah qualifies for help from a ‘fair’ godmother. Chrissy was a fair student in Fairy Godmother school and attempts to help Savannah for an extra credit project. As usual, Chrissy misinterprets wishes and sends Savannah first into a disaster of a Cinderella story. She next ends up as a Snow White, but the real disaster is when her friend Tristan is trapped in the Middle Ages until he becomes a prince. Savannah tries to help and the romantic comedy ensues.
This intriguing retelling of Snow White is a companion book to Ella Enchanted and takes place in the neighboring fantastical kingdom of Ayorthia. In this version, Aza is not the fairest in the land, but she is gifted with a magical voice. Her voice and a cursed mirror lead to adventures and new self-awareness for a variety of characters. Levine writes an entertaining story and manages to teach life lessons through interesting characters. A good read for teens who enjoy a magical, but real-to-life fairy tale.
In my opinion, a creative retelling of a fairy tale can cover a multitude of sins. This one combined elements of “The Twelve Dancing Princesses” and “The Billy Goats Gruff” and was written in rock and roll type lyrics. The thing that truly caught my admiration was an inclusion of Dairy Princesses, mention of the Minnesota State Fair butter heads, and Lake Superior. My loyalty to Minnesota forced me to love this one. It is a light fairy tale retelling with a strong heroine and a fun story for tweens and above.
Princess of Glass is a sequel to Princess of the Midnight Ball, but enough back information is given that it can be read on its own. Having previously been cursed to dance each night since she was small, Princess Poppy recognizes an enchantment when she sees one. However, she struggles to help her friends recognize the evil that is trying to take over the kingdom of Breton. There is something sinister lurking behind the mysterious Lady Ella, who appears at all the balls and captivates all the men and infuriates all the women.
