Imagine that you must do whatever your parents and friends ask you to do, no matter what. This is Ella’s fate in Gail Levine’s classic re-telling of Cinderella. At birth, Ella is “blessed” by Lucinda the fairy with the gift of obedience. That is, she must obey any order given to her by anybody. When her mother dies and her father remarries, her step mother and step sisters discover her compulsion to be obedient and use it to their advantage. Ella’s wit and charm win the heart of Prince Char. Unfortunately, her gifts also earn the jealousy of her step sister Hattie. When her father leaves town, her step-family commands her to become a servant, scrubbing floors and cooking. Ella finds herself falling for Char but worries that if he marries her she would endanger Frell. After all, any enemy could use her compulsive obedience to gather state secrets or to kill the royal family. Will Ella end up with her Prince charming? Or will she choose to save him by staying away?
Levine was awarded a Newbery Honor for this humorous, fractured fairy tale. Her heroine is a strong female lead that is appealing to young girls. Magical elements abound to satisfy fantasy fans including magic, elves, ogres, giants and a fairy book that allows Ella to read others’ correspondence. The plot is similar to the original Cinderella with updates to make it more appealing to modern readers. Though written over a decade ago, the story is still a popular choice among fans of fantasy and fairy tales. This title makes an excellent read-aloud chapter book, especially appropriate for classes studying fractured fairy tales. Grades 3-7.
Levine, Gail Carson. (1997). Ella Enchanted. New York: HarperCollins, 1997.
ISBN: 0060275111
Cover art link from ALIScat - a catalog of public libraries in Nassau County, New York.
Have you ever wished your family had more money? Happiness? Well, then you’ll be able to relate to Minli, a young Chinese girl runs away from home to ask the Old Man in the Moon for wealth and happiness. If you like fairy tales, then you’ll enjoy this story which is interwoven with Chinese fables. In this modern fairy tale, the fish can talk and the Dragon can not fly. Dragon joins Minli on her journey, hoping to ask the Old Man in the Moon to help to make him fly. Along the way, Minli collects additional requests for the Old Man in the Moon. When she arrives, she discovers that she can only ask one question every ninety-nine years. What will she ask?
This book is exceptionally well-written, alternating between two stories: Minli’s journey to the Man in the Moon and her parents’ faith that she will return home someday. Lin masterfully weaves together ancient Chinese fables with the stories of Minli and her parents. Chinese fables are easily identified by their title and unique serif font. Each chapter begins with an illustration which foreshadows events of the chapter. Lin provides additional full-page color illustrations which enhance the story. The pace is well established, making readers want to complete just one more chapter. The plot is similar to Baum’s Wizard of Oz, in that Minli picks up additional favors to ask the Old Man in the Moon, along the journey. This exceptionally well written title makes an excellent introduction to Chinese fables. The author lists some that inspired her in the end papers. Grade 3-5.
Lin, Grace. (2009). Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. New York: Little Brown.
ISBN: 9780316114271
Cover art link from ALIScat - a catalog of public libraries in Nassau County, New York.
Ever feel like you don’t fit in? Maybe your clothes are not quite the latest fashion or you can’t do things that come easily to others. Tiffany Aching, young witch-in-training becomes frustrated with her inability to perform basic magic. To make matters worse, she is publicly humiliated in front of the other young apprentices due to her lack of fashion sense, association with an unpopular witch and outlandish stories -- which happen to be true. At her most vulnerable moment, her body is invaded by a hiver – an indestructible monster that slowly kills its host. Good thing she is always followed by the Nac Mac Feegle, a clan of six-inch blue fairies that are different from the average fairy. How’s that, you ask? These men are known for their drunkenness, rowdiness, swearing, fighting and stealing. Their leader Rob Anybody and his clan follow the “wee hag” (their term on endearment) to protect her from harm. But will the Nac Mac Feegle and the most powerful witch on Earth be able to kill the hiver without destroying Tiffany? Will Tiffany solve the puzzle of the hiver before it causes her to go insane? More importantly, will Tiffany ever figure out that all the other witches wear black, not green!
Though written as a fantasy novel, this book explores self-identify, discovering that we are the culmination of our ancestors and our environment. Many insecure tweens will identify with Tiffany’s lack of magic ability and fashion sense. The heroine of this title is appealing to girls; the rowdy, swearing, always-ready-for-a-rumble Nac Mac Feegle are likely to appeal to boys. The voice of the Rob Anybody and his brothers, written in brogue, may be difficult for some readers to comprehend. However, this humorous fable is worth the effort. Grades 5-8.
Pratchett, Terry. (2004). A Hat Full of Sky. New York: HarperCollins.
ISBN: 0060586605
Cover art link from ALISCat - a catalog of public libraries in Nassau County, NY.
Ever wonder what happens to those buttons, socks and other small items that disappear in your household? What about the occasional item that you remember placing on the table and now it is gone? Maybe, these items have been “borrowed” by little people living under your home. The Clock family is a miniature species of humans who live under the clock and kitchen floor boards in Great Aunt Sophy’s house. Arrietty, their only child dreams of the day she can escape the confines beneath the floorboards and run free in the garden. Her parents Pod and Homily are all that remain of the “borrowers” in the household; all others have emigrated elsewhere after being “seen” by a “human bean.” Homily’s greed for material possessions causes Pod to be discovered by a young boy living in the house. Will the Clock’s living quarters under the house be discovered? Will they have to immigrate to a new location?
The 50th anniversary edition of this children’s classic includes original artwork by Mary Norton on the book cover, Stanley’s original illustrations and Norton’s explanation of her inspiration. Norton won the Carnegie Medal for her original tale, originally published in 1952. The story is just as relevant today as it was 50 years ago. The initial pace is a bit slow for today’s children who prefer more action and less description of home furnishings. However, at the time, the idea of little people living in a household and “borrowing” all those items that mysteriously disappear was an original idea. Many current fantasy authors have “borrowed” the idea of little people and placed them into their own stories such as the fairies and brownies that reside in Mull’s Fablehaven and Black’s Spiderwick Chronicles. This title makes an excellent read-aloud chapter book for writer’s workshop sessions. Grades 3-5.
Norton, Mary. (2003). The Borrowers (50th Anniversary ed.). Illustrated by Diana Stanley. Orlando, FL: Harcourt.
ISBN: 0152049282
Cover art link from ALISCat - a catalog of public libraries in Nassau County, NY.
Do you know of a basement, attic or garage that’s a bit spooky? Perhaps its dark, smelly and mysterious? Even though it is spooky, do you find yourself mysteriously drawn to it? Michael has this experience when his family moves across town into a new fixer-upper. While the adults in his life are distracted with his baby sister’s flailing health and home remodeling projects, he discovers a mysterious creature in his garage. He is unsure who or what the creature is. “I found him in the garage on a Sunday afternoon….I though he was dead. I couldn’t have been more wrong.” (p. 1). Michael meets Mina, an exceptionally gifted girl who is home schooled. Together, they begin to interact with Skellig and unravel the mystery of his identity. Who or what is Skellig?
The mystery of Skellig is intertwined with the story of Michael coping with his baby sister’s health issues and his coming of age. The title has an underlying theme of evolution and the struggle for survival. The concept of angels is presented from an evolutionary rather than religious viewpoint. This page-turner is written in short, easy to read chapters, making it accessible to reluctant readers, especially those ready for mature content. At the same time, new vocabulary words are introduced to even the most advance readers. The biggest potential obstacle to generate interest in the title is the uninspired cover art and meaningless title. Once the book is opened, the intense plot and rapid pace entice the reader to keep reading. This title would be well-paired with an instructional session on evolution or dinosaurs. After reading this book, tweens will be interested to view Archaepteryx fossils, “The dinosaur that flew” (p. 98). Grades 5-8
Almond, David. (1998). Skellig. New York: Delacorte Press.
ISBN: 038532653X
Cover art link from ALISCat - a catalog of public libraries in Nassau County, NY.
All Mibs wants for her 13th birthday is to blow out thirteen dripping candles. Well, that, and to discover her savvy. A savvy is the special talent bestowed upon most Beumonts on their 13th birthday. One brother generates electricity; the other hurricanes. The Beaumont family had to move to a desolate area between Nebraska & Kansas to avoid causing natural disasters. All goes awry in the Beumont household when Mibs’ poppa is in a near-fatal car accident. Instead of her anticipated birthday party, the adults go to the hospital and she is undertaken by the local preacher’s wife. Worried about her Poppa and hoping that her yet-to-be-discovered savvy may be just the thing to cure him, Mibs stows away with her siblings and the preacher’s kids on a traveling salesman’s pink bible bus. Ingrid Law takes the reader on a thrilling roller coaster ride where the situation goes from bad to worse, as the bus travels in the wrong direction and Mibs finally discovers her true savvy.
If you enjoyed The Lightning Thief, you are likely to enjoy this title too. Law narrates the story with humor and compassion for the awkwardness felt by preteens discovering their talents while their bodies are changing. Movie rights have been purchased for this title making it a good choice for book-to-movie clubs. Grades 4-8.
Law, Ingrid. (2008). Savvy. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers.
ISBN: 0803733062
Cover art link from ALISCat - a catalog of public libraries in Nassau County, NY.
