Exploring Top Books of Shelfari

A tale of twelve princesses doomed to dance until dawn… Galen is a young soldier returning from war; Rose is one of twelve princesses condemned to dance each night for the King Under Stone. Together Galen and Rose will search for a way to break the curse that forces the princesses to dance at the midnight balls. All they need is one invisibility cloak, a black wool chain knit with enchanted silver needles,... (more)

Ella Enchanted

by Gail Carson Levine

How can a fairy's blessing be such a curse? At her birth, Ella of Frell was the unfortunate recipient of a foolish fairy's gift--the "gift' of obedience. Ella must obey any order given to her, whether it's hopping on one foot for a day and a half, or chopping off her own head! But strong-willed Ella does not tamely accept her fate. Against a bold backdrop of princes, ogres, giants, wicked stepsisters, and fairy... (more)

A Curse Dark as Gold

by Elizabeth C. Bunce

"If you'll allow me to demonstrate, I do think I could be of some help to you here." I smiled tightly. "You'd have to be able to make gold appear from thin air to be much help to us now, I'm afraid." "Gold, you say?" he said quietly. "Well, not out of the air, maybe, but--" He reached toward Rosie and drew a length of straw free from her hat. From out of a pocket in his jacket appeared an old-fashioned... (more)

The Books of Bayern: Book 1

The Goose Girl

by Shannon Hale

She was born with her eyes closed and a word on her tongue, a word she could not taste. Her name was Anidori-Kiladra Talianna Isilee, Crown Princess of Kildenree, and she spent the first years of her life listening to her aunt’s stories and learning the language of the birds, especially the swans. And when she was older, she watched as a colt was born, and she heard the first word on his tongue, his name,... (more)

Beauty : A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast

Beauty : A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast

by Robin McKinley

A strange imprisonment Beauty has never liked her nickname. She is thin and awkward; it is her two sisters who are the beautiful ones. But what she lacks in looks, she can perhaps make up for in courage. When her father comes home with the tale of an enchanted castle in the forest and the terrible promise he had to make to the Beast who lives there, Beauty knows she must go to the castle, a prisoner of her own... (more)

Zel

by Donna Jo Napoli

High in the mountains, Zel lives with her mother, who insists they have all they need -- for they have each other. Zel's life is peaceful and protected -- until a chance encounter changes everything. When she meets a beautiful young prince at the market one day, she is profoundly moved by new emotions. But Zel's mother sees the future unfolding -- and she will do the unspeakable to prevent Zel from leaving her...... (more)

The Fairy Tale Series

Briar Rose

by Jane Yolen

A powerful retelling of Sleeping Beauty that is “heartbreaking and heartwarming.” An American Library Association “100 Best Books for Teens” An American Library Association “Best Books for Young Adults” Ever since she was a child, Rebecca has been enchanted by her grandmother Gemma’s stories about Briar Rose. But a promise Rebecca makes to her dying grandmother will lead her on a remarkable journey to uncover... (more)

Just Ella (Aladdin Fantasy)

by Margaret Peterson Haddix

It's a familiar story: In spite of the obstacles put in her way by her wicked stepmother, Ella goes to the ball, sweeps Prince Charming off his feet, and is chosen to be his bride. Now she's comfortably ensconced in the palace, awaiting marriage to the man of her dreams. It's happily ever after time, right? Wrong! Life for Ella has become an endless round of lessons and restrictions; even worse, Prince Charming... (more)

The Fairy's Return and Other Princess Tales

The Fairy's Return and Other Princess Tales

by Gail Carson Levine

Ever since Newbery Honor author Gail Carson Levine introduced the magical village of Snettering-on-Snoakes in the faraway Kingdom of Biddle, young readers have been laughing their way through her hilarious retellings of famous and not-so-famous fairy tales. Now, for the first time, the six beloved Princess Tales are together in one magnificent volume: The high jinks begin in The Fairy's Mistake , which... (more)

Spindle's End

by Robin McKinley

In the tradition of Beauty and Rose Daughter, Newbery Award-winning author Robin McKinley "lends a fresh perspective to a classic fairy tale, developing the story of Sleeping Beauty into a richly imagined, vividly depicted novel" ( School Library Journal ) BRILLIANT...<a> sumptuous world. ( New York Times Book Review ) MYTHIC GRANDEUR...with magical detail and all-too-human feeling. ( Publishers Weekly ... (more)

Deerskin

by Robin McKinley

As Princess Lissar reaches womanhood, it is clear to all the kingdom that in her breathtaking beauty she is the mirror image of her mother, the queen. But this seeming blessing forces her to flee for safety from her father's lust and madness. With her loyal dog Ash at her side, Lissar will unlock a door to a world of magic, where she will find the key to her survival-and an adventure beyond her wildest dreams.

Into the Wild

by Sarah Beth Durst

The Wild is a fairy-tale world -- at least it was until the fairy-tale characters escaped -- but lately it's just a mass of hungry vines stuffed under Julie's bed. Julie, her mom Rapunzel (yep, that Rapunzel -- think long hair, tower, prince), and her brother Puss-in-Boots (okay, he's a cat) do their best to keep it hidden and under control. But Julie's sick of living with the Wild -- it eats her jeans... (more)

The Princess Test (Princess Tales)

by Gail Carson Levine

Gail Carson Levine charmed the world with Ella Enchanted , her spirited retelling of the Cinderella story. Now this award-winning author turns her attention to two more classic fairy tales, and deftly turns them upside down and inside out with her trademark wit and hilarity. In The Fairy's Mistake , two very different sisters have two very different encounters with the fairy Ethelinda. Rosella is kind and... (more)

Spinners

by Donna Jo Napoli

Elaborates on the events recounted in the fairy tale, "Rumpelstiltskin," in which a strange little man helps a miller's daughter spin straw into gold for the king on the condition that she will give him her first-born child.

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow

by Jessica Day George, Jessica Day George

Blessed—or cursed—with an ability to understand animals, the Lass (as she’s known to her family) has always been an oddball. And when an isbjorn (polar bear) seeks her out, and promises that her family will become rich if only the Lass will accompany him to his castle, she doesn’t hesitate. But the bear is not what he seems, nor is his castle, which is made of ice and inhabited by a silent staff of servents.... (more)

The Rose and The Beast: Fairy Tales Retold

The Rose and The Beast: Fairy Tales Retold

by Francesca Lia Block

With language that is both lyrical and distinctly her own, Francesca Lia Block turns nine fairy tales inside out. Escaping the poisoned apple, Snow frees herself from possession to find the truth of love in an unexpected place. A club girl from L.A., awakening from a long sleep to the memories of her past, finally finds release from its curse. And Beauty learns that Beasts can understand more than men. Within... (more)

Princess Ben

by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

Benevolence is not your typical princess and Princess Ben is certainly not your typical fairy tale. With her parents lost to unknown assassins, Princess Ben ends up under the thumb of the conniving Queen Sophia, who is intent on marrying her off to the first available “specimen of imbecilic manhood.” Starved and miserable, locked in the castle’s highest tower, Ben stumbles upon a mysterious enchanted room. So... (more)

Geek Charming

by Robin Palmer

Dylan Shoenfield is the princess of L.A.’s posh Castle Heights High. She has the coolest boyfriend, the most popular friends, and a brand-new “it” bag that everyone covets. But when she accidentally tosses her bag into a fountain, this princess comes face-to-face with her own personal frog: selfprofessed film geek Josh Rosen. In return for rescuing Dylan’s bag, Josh convinces Dylan to let him film her for his... (more)

Once Upon a Time

Wild Orchid

A Retelling of The Ballad of Mulan

by Cameron Dokey

"Once upon a Time" Is Timeless Wielding a sword as deftly as an embroidery needle, Mulan is unlike any other girl in China. When the emperor summons a great army, each family must send a male to fight. Tomboyish Mulan is determined to spare her aging father and bring her family honor, so she disguises herself and answers the call. But Mulan never expects to find a friend, let alone a soul mate, in the commander... (more)

Once Upon a Time

The Storyteller's Daughter

A Retelling of The Arabian Nights

by Cameron Dokey

"ONCE UPON A TIME"IS TIMELESS In a faraway kingdom, a king has been betrayed. Deeply hurt and bitterly angry, he vows never to be deceived again. Unfortunately, the king's plan to protect himself will endanger all of the realm's young women, unless one of them will volunteer to marry the king -- and surrender her life. To everyone's relief and horror, one young woman steps forward. The daughter... (more)

Shelfari Book Activity

Tags: fairy tales retold

by Jessica Day George

by Gail Carson Levine

by Elizabeth C. Bunce

by Shannon Hale

by Robin McKinley

by Donna Jo Napoli

by Jane Yolen

by Margaret Peterson Haddix

by Gail Carson Levine

by Robin McKinley

by Robin McKinley

by Sarah Beth Durst

by Gail Carson Levine

by Donna Jo Napoli

by Jessica Day George, Jessica Day George

by Francesca Lia Block

by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

by Robin Palmer

A Retelling of The Ballad of Mulan

by Cameron Dokey

A Retelling of The Arabian Nights

by Cameron Dokey