Skip to main content

Five Faves: Middle Grade Fractured Fairy Tales

Did you love reading Ella Enchanted? Are you obsessed with Peter and the Starcatchers? Sometimes it's fun to read a twist on a classic tale. Whether it's someone from today jumping into a familiar tale, or characters from fairy tales making different choices then the ones you'd expect, fractured fairy tales are a delight! So here are some middle grade fractured fairy tales to try out!

By Alex London
New York: Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2024. Fiction. 212 pages.

When she's woken by a kiss from a prince she's never met and definitely doesn't want to spend forever with, Rosamund (Sleeping Beauty) flees her tale. When Rosamund arrives at Orphans' Home Educational Academy, or HEA, with no idea how she got there, the headmistress invites her to stay with the other wayward fairy tale characters who have also escaped their endings. But as they venture out into today's modern world, it appears that their academy isn't exactly as it appears. Will they stay at HEA or travel back to finish their own stories?

By Derrick Chow
Los Angeles: Disney-Hyperion, 2022. Fiction. 325 pages.

In this modern retelling of the Pied Piper, twelve-year-old Reggie feels alone. His father passed away two years before, and his paranoid mother is increasingly unwilling to leave the house. So when a strange man tells Reggie that he can give him his heart's desire, he jumps at the chance. He, and a gaggle of other children, take a subway ride that promises to reunite them with their loved ones. When everything is not as it appears, the children must fight together to escape the clutches of the piper or be trapped in the tunnels forever. This book is a great choice for spooky season.

Written by Tae Keller
Illustrated by Geraldine Rodriguez
New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2022. Fiction.228 pages.

Mihi is obsessed with fairy tales and wants nothing more than to be a princess. After a game of Snow White goes awry and Mihi is sent into the library for lunch, she (along with Reese and Savannah who are also in the library for lunch) find a portal through a fridge to a fairy tale world. The Rainbow World is full of characters from all of Mihi's favorite stories and nursery rhymes. When Mihi trains to become the princess she thinks she was always meant to be, she realizes that being a princess and the Rainbow World may not be all that it appeared at first glance. For anyone who's always wanted to be a princess, this one's a keeper!

By Alyssa Moon
Los Angeles: Disney-Hyperion, 2021. Fiction. 313 pages.

Delphine, a mouse, works as a dressmaker inside Cinderella's chateau. After she is attacked by rats (who are under a truce with the mice) who try to steel her sewing needle, Delphine finds herself heaved into an adventure. Details from Cinderella are woven through the tale as readers become familiar with the world of the mice. For fans of Redwall, this book is a great choice.

By Cynthia Leitich Smith
New York: Heartdrum, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2021. Fiction. 307 pages.

In this twist on Peter Pan, stepsisters Lily and Wendy are invited to travel to Neverland. Wendy, along with the girls' younger brother Michael, decide to go and are whisked away by Peter and his fairy, Belle. When Lily realizes that all is not as it appears in Neverland, she has to follow after her siblings or risk losing them forever.


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Review: Faker

Faker By Gordon Korman New York: Scholastic Press, 2024. Fiction. 214 pages. 12-year-old Trey is used to starting over at a new school -- he has the routine perfectly memorized: make new friends, introduce his dad to the wealthy parents of his new friends, and "Houdini" themselves out of there before they get caught running their latest scam. Trey's dad is a master con artist, and Trey has just been promoted to full-partner. Their new scheme for the next big score brings them to the affluent suburb of Boxelder, TN where Trey's dad has cooked up a fake electric car company for investors to buy into. The only problem is that Trey is starting to grow tired of moving around and never putting down roots, especially after forming a fast friendship with Logan and developing a crush on Kaylee, a socially conscious girl in his class. As Trey longs for a normal life, is there any way he can convince his dad to get out of the family business? Gordon Korman is a perennial favorit...

Review: Umami

  Umami By Jacob Grant New York: Viking, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, 2024. Picture Book. Umami is a little penguin who is sick of eating the same thing everyday, cold fish --ugh! She becomes determined to find new foods and flavors, so Umami begins a journey across the sea in search of something different to eat. She reaches a place with a plethora of delicious options, and tries bitter, sweet, sour, and foods with umami (just like her name!) among others. Umami decides to bring all these delicious new flavors back for the other penguins to try in a feast. But, will the other penguins enjoy this new experience?  Filled with charm and humor, Umami is a diverse romp through a universal experience --am I willing to try something new? What will it be like? The idea of trying new foods and flavors make it especially relatable, and the appealing illustrations will have many readers ready to hop out on a culinary adventure. A humorous and sweet ending, caps off this delig...

Five Faves: Easy Readers of 2024

Hello world! I know you have been anticipating the release of this list all year... my favorite easy readers! Whether they're funny or sweet, these titles are all great for kids taking their first steps for reading. So without further ado...here are my five favorite easy readers of 2024. Lone Wolf Goes to School Written by Kiah Thomas Illustrated by K-Fai Steele New York: Neal Porter Books/Holiday House, 2024. Easy Reader.  Lone wolf would spend all of his time alone if he could. Unfortunately, he has to go to school with the "snotty" kids, and even when he leaves school there's people at the beach, on the mountains, and at the movie theater. What's a wolf to do? Invite them all to a party at his house and then leave so that all the places he wants to be are empty, of course! If you're looking for a moralistic read-aloud that will teach the virtues of making friends so that you aren't lonely, you should definitely look elsewhere. However, if you're loo...