Ella Enchanted: And You Will Be Too!
One of my favorite things in the world is to see a time honored fairy tale with added pizzazz, giving the public a whole new spin on what really happened between the words "once upon a time" and "happily ever after." Especially if it's done well.
With Newbery Award winning Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine, I was not disappointed. The book grabs you with the first sentence:
"That fool of a fairy Lucinda did not intend to lay a curse on me..."
And after that stunning beginning, I can almost guarantee that you will not leave your seat until you've finished the whole thing.
This is not your run-of-the-mill Cinderella story. It's a book about a girl with attitude, courage, and the will to persevere. From curses to centaurs to castles and royalty sliding down banisters, this book captivates, titilates, and always keeps you guessing at what could possibly happen next!
If you've ever wondered about the magical abilities of people with tiny feet, the mesmerizing nature of flesh-eating ogres, or what kinds of things centaurs like to eat, this is the book for you. And yes, there is even a glass slipper.
I never looked at Cinderella the same way again.
A girl of any age will enjoy Ella Enchanted. And it has a good female role-model to boot!
On a five star scale, I'd give it an enthusiastic four and a half.
For any young girl interested in starting to read fantasy, I'd hand her this book to read, right after she got done reading Dealing With Dragons and had met Patricia C. Wrede's vibrant young Princess Cimorene. You can never have too many strong female characters in a child's literary diet.
Happy reading!-Mel
PS: Here's the best links I saw on Gail Carson Levine, her work, and Ella Enchanted:
http://www.harperchildrens.com/rgg/outer...
http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/levine.h...
http://www.eduscapes.com/newbery/98b.htm
http://www.bookbrowse.com/dyn_/author/au...
http://www.edupaperback.org/authorbios/L...
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