Skip to main content

The Wide-Awake Princess

By curlyq
The Wide-Awake Princess
By E.D. Baker
Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2010. 261 pp. Juvenile chapter book.

In this story based on the tale of Sleeping Beauty, Princess Gwendolyn has been cursed to prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and sleep for 100 years till kissed by her true love. Her sister, Princess Annabelle, however, was given a much different fairy blessing at birth--she was given the unusual gift of being immune to all magic. When Gwendolyn does indeed fall into a magical sleep, along with the entire castle, Annie is the only one who remains standing. It is up to her to find Gwendolyn's true love and to end the curse, and she bravely sets out on her own to do just that.

This fractured fairy tale was a delight to read. Fast-paced, funny, and well told, there were fun little twists at every turn. Baker is a great storyteller and keeps the language simple and accessible for her audience. I loved the inclusion of many well known fairy tale snippets peppered throughout the story and I found the characters excellently drawn, particularly the heroine, Princess Annie. She's a wonderful model of a girl--imperfect but brave, loyal, honest, and true to herself. A riot of fun, this is a book that's sure to be a hit with any fairytale fans!
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

If You Like...KPop Demon Hunters

By
KPop Demon Hunters has been one of the most talked-about movies of the summer. If you loved this movie as much as I did, you don't want the magic (or the music) to stop. Try reading these books that touch on some of the same topics and themes as the animated hit! Brick Dust and Bones By M. R. Fournet New York: Feiwel and Friends, 2023. Fiction. 247 pages. Orphaned Marius works in the family business--as their cemetery's ghost caretaker. However, Marius also moonlights as a monster hunter in order to earn the costly Mystic currency he needs to bring his mother back from the dead. As the window to bring his mother back begins to close, Marius's exploits get more and more dangerous, and he may have set his sights on a monster too big to handle on his own. Like Mira, Marius longs for familial connection, and his work as a monster hunter will satisfy the thrill of demon hunting for fans the movie. Where's Halmoni? By Julie J. Kim Seattle, WA: Little Bigfoot, 2017. Comics. W...
Post a Comment
Read more

Dog Man Read Alikes

By
Dog Man  is a popular graphic novel for middle graders all about the adventures of a half-man, half-dog police officer. With 14 books in the series, many readers can't get enough of these hilarious stories! If your child is looking for more books like Dog Man, here are some great options to try out.  Dex Dingo: World's Best Greatest Ever... Inventor By Greg Foley Los Angeles: Disney-Hyperion, 2024. Comic. 157 pages.  Dex Dingo doesn't know what he wants to do when he grows up. His classmates all seem to know, but he just doesn't feel like he is the BEST at anything. When a class assignment challenges him to figure out what he wants to be, he decides he wants to become the world's best ever inventor! Filled with beautifully drawn spreads and kid-approved humor, this book is sure to please any Dog Man fan.  Troubling Tonsils Written by Aaron Reynolds Illustrated by Peter Brown  New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2025. Fiction. 71 pages.  ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Review: The Memory Tree : A Holiday Grief Book

By Suzanne
The Memory Tree : A Holiday Grief Book Written by Joanna Rowland Illustrated by Thea Baker Minneapolis, MN : Beaming Books, 2025. Picture book An extremely difficult challenge during the holidays is missing loved ones who have passed away.  The Memory Tree: A Holiday Grief Book  gently addresses the topic of loss during the holidays. Written as a letter to the deceased loved one, a child explains how they get the idea to make ornaments from things that were loved by them. They also collect things that remind them of their lost loved one. The exciting and heart-warming reaction to this idea is that friends from all over also come to the house to bring ornaments they made for the memory tree too! As someone who has lost a child, I am always interested in books about grief and how it is explained to children. The idea for a memory tree wholly validates the child's sense of loss and with it, brings a healing amount of connection. Remembering the fun times and silly times and happy...
Post a Comment
Read more