Flinn's: Beastly

Alex Flinn updates the Beauty and the Beast tale in her novel Beastly. Told in first person from the perspective of Kyle, the teenaged beast living in modern day Manhattan, this version is replete with spoiled not-so-intelligent vindictive teenagers attending private school, high school parties lacking any adult supervision, and magic. Flinn gives her main characters typical teen novel neglectful parents, one, an abusive father addicted to drugs. The present day setting for this version may help to catch the reluctant teen reader's attention. Flinn matter-of-factly inserts a few recognizable minor characters into a chatroom subplot: a frog, a mermaid, a grizzly bear, Snow White ("not that Snow White" (?)), and Rose Red (not that Rose Red?). The chatroom conversations work somewhat as book part interludes despite my biggest nagging question concerning how a mermaid is able to type on a computer. Once I had just decided to let it go, the chatroom characters start questioning each other's access to the internet. The mermaid had conveniently left the chat before that conversation. In an author's note, Flinn ironically goes on to describe her motivation for rewriting fairy tales as the need to resolve "inconsistencies in the traditional tales." Note: this title is not in CLC's library.

Shusterman's: Red Rider's Hood

Grandma stockpiles hunting weapons loaded with silver ammunition. A mysterious slayer comes to town on a black Harley. Red Rider infiltrates a gang of teenage troublemakers known as the wolves. The wolves hunt monthly on the full moon, so does Grandma. In this second less engaging book of the darkfusion series, Shusterman combines the fairytale Red Riding Hood and a couple of legendary monster types now traveling in gangs. Shusterman is able to build some suspense in Red's feeling's of envy as he travels among the "Wolves" and is accepted by their leader. The allusions made to the original fairytale all but slap the reader in the face in highly corny delivery. The main character now has to be male because werewolves cannot be female?

Hale's: Goose Girl

I love this book. Intrigue, murder, romance and humor combine here with a touch of magic to retell Grimm's story of the same name. Shannon Hale builds a world with gentle language and dialogue which is convincingly old world at least enough for the purposes here. With a somewhat slow beginning Hale gradually pulls her readers through the Crown Princess's joys and miseries showing how happiness can be found in life's simple gifts. A diverse cast of well-developed primary and secondary characters work their way in and out of the princess's life learning lessons about prejudice, courage, and loyalty. An uplifting, feel-good read.

Watch a trailer

Shusterman's: Duckling Ugly

In a highly non-formulaic plot, Neal Shusterman gives a face-lift to an old story. In his darkfusion series, Shusterman combines old tales with myths and legends. Ponce de Leon's fountain of youth merges with Anderson's Ugly Duckling to create a dark tale of appearances and retribution. Devastating beauty and ugly so powerful it shatters mirrors at a glance battle each other to a satisfying end. This quick read with entertaining characters teaches readers that there is a cost to playing the retribution game even when you win.

Fleischman's: The Whipping boy

Sid Fleischman writes a very quick read: The Whipping Boy. It is surprising this simple book received as much attention as it did, winning the Newbury Medal in 1987. With foretelling titled chapters reminiscent of Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, this book also tells the story of two unlikely travel companions: a runaway prince and a son of a rat trapping pauper turned servant/whipping boy. Along the road, the two encounter a gypsy girl, a dancing bear, a sight-impaired potato salesman, and a couple of bumbling thieves. The thieves conspire to ransom the prince who escapes with the help of the servant and the chase is on. Several great holes in the historical premise of the story greatly diminish its impact. Whipping boys were usually of high birth themselves, raised with the prince so a bond was formed, and were not punished in the King's presence, thereby defeating the purpose of having a whipping boy. So, the reader is left with a spoiled brat prince, jeopardizing someone else's life at his whim, learning a lesson and making a friend in the end. All in all, with its historical inaccuracies and annoying repetitious exclamations, not quite worth the space it takes on the library shelf.

McKinley's: Beauty

A first person account of the tale of Beauty and the Beast from the perspective of the muddy hazel eyes of the title character Beauty. In other retellings, this tale is about the transformation of Beast; this take focuses on the physical, emotional, and mental changes of Beauty as she grows to love Beast. Gentle, kind, and noble fully-developed characters populate Robin Mckinley's graceful world. McKinley delicately weaves magic into the story effortlessly with such aplomb that it seems almost a part of the natural world. She is deftly able to build and release tension as well as provide a few laugh out loud moments from Beauty's two enchanted chamber maids. I look forward to reading other titles from this author.

Another review

Faces of America

Allen Say writes an interesting tale of the importance of appearances, self-identity, and perseverance. An engaging biography of Bong Way (Billy) Wong who, fighting the odds through more than persistence, becomes the first Chinese Bullfighter, El Chino. An engaging story with unexpected turns to surprise reluctant readers perhaps facing their own odds. It reads like a faerie tale with the magic of ingenuity, self-image and self-realization. The pictures have a very still and peaceful almost antique photograph-like quality. They match the steady perseverance of Billy Wong following his dreams.

A tattered child's coat in the Ellis Island Immigration Museum inspires Elvira Woodruff to write this story of a childhood friendship between a story teller and an illustrator in Memory Coat. Themes of loss, family, and anti-Semitism culminate in a dramatic conclusion where wit overcomes an obstacle to keep family together. Michael Dooling recreates the mood of historical photographs for the oil painting illustrations.

Pre-World War II street vendor shouts in Charleston, South Carolina are the basis for a child describing the music she hears of her hometown in Carolina Shout!. From the early morning raindrops on the tin roof to the evening sad song of the Charcoal Man a girl finds music everywhere and in everything. Award winning author Alan Schroeder and award winning illustrator Bernie Fuchs join forces to create this lighthearted remembrance of a time when our lives sounded so different. This was a time of frogs croaking and street vendors shouting. The oils on canvas capture warmth and action as the sounds are captured in song and onomatopoeic verse.

Paulsen's: Sisters

Paulsen begins to create a set of portraits of two teenage girls. The comparison of two girls surviving their beauty and youth is incomplete and fairly unsatisfying. Paulsen chooses a cheerleader and a child prostitute, similar only in age and beauty apparantly, to draw his comparison. The misleading title pretends to make more of a connection between the two girls than actually exists. Paulsen does not write deeply enough about either girl, or build enough tension to end his story in the abrupt manner in which it is ended. This story reads more like a story starter. A point is made but ever so slight and hardly worth the telling. Arguably, the abrupt ending is meant to be an exclamation point. The reader may be left to wonder why these stereotypes needed an exclamation point when they probably deserved more of a story.

Paulsen's: The Tent

A teen boy and his father embark on a life altering trek across the hot, flat Texas landscape one summer. They discover a way to use an old army tent for making total strangers give them large portions of their money. After becoming rich, they find out the high cost of wealth. Paulsen's predictable "parable for one sitting" uses simple characters talking in simple dialog to tell a simple tale with a profound and important lesson.

Cousins': Ben Franklin of Old Philadelphia

Perhaps because so much is known about Benjamin Franklin through his prolific writings that Margaret Cousins' is able to give such an authentic portrait of this important American. In very accessible language, the text seems to be written at a 4th grade level, but would be appropriate up through middle grades especially for struggling readers. The chapters of the book are organized somewhat by different aspects of Franklin's life: school boy, inventor, statesman, etc. The book also includes an index for quick research reference and a list of accomplishments.