Fairest, by Gail Carson Levine

Fairest, by Gail Carson Levine. HarperCollins, 2006.

15-year-old Aza is not beautiful. Her dark hair, pale mottled skin, and large stature lead others in the kingdom of Ayortha to stare and comment. But even though she isn't beautiful, she was blessed with a beautiful singing voice and a gift for voice manipulation and mimicry (or illusing, as she calls it). The kingdom's new queen, Ivi, finds out about her vocal gifts and pressures her to convince the court that Ivi is a talented singer. Ivi is manipulative and, after the king is hurt in an accident, uses her newfound power to become a domineering leader. Can Aza keep the kingdom from crumbling while also demonstrating outward loyalty to Ivi?

In this loose retelling of the story of Snow White, Gail Carson Levine uses her talents to create a realistic portrayal of issues of trust, identity, and love. A collection of editorial reviews can be found at Amazon.com.

Awards:
ALA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults: Twists on the Tale (2010) (link)
Young Hoosier Book Award Nominee (Middle Grades, 2008-2009)
School Library Journal Best Book of the Year (2006)

Princess of the Midnight Ball, by Jessica Day George

Princess of the Midnight Ball, by Jessica Day George. New York: Bloomsbury, 2009.

Here's another retelling of "The Twelve Dancing Princesses". This fairy tale tells the story of twelve princesses who are cursed to wear out their shoes dancing every night, and Galen, a former soldier and gardener, who follows them to try to discover their secret. Will Galen be able to break the curse?

Unlike the Zahler retelling, this story focuses on the perspective of Galen, the former soldier. Older tweens may be more interested in this one than The Thirteenth Princess.

This book was selected as one of YALSA's 2010 Best Books for Young Adults. Additional editorial reviews can be found at Amazon.com.

The Thirteenth Princess, by Diane Zahler

The Thirteenth Princess, by Diane Zahler. New York: Harper, 2010.

Zita is the thirteenth princess in a royal family. Cast away to the kitchens when she was born because she wasn't the son and heir her father wanted, she learns who she really is when she is 11 years old. As she gets to know her sisters, she notices that they are starting to get listless and ill. Zita is determined to find out what's wrong. Could it be a magic spell that is causing her sisters to get sick and to wear out their shoes every night?

This retelling of the fairy tale "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" is an interesting take on the classic story. It's nice to read a retelling where a young girl does a lot of the work to break the spell that is usually credited to the handsome soldier who eventually breaks the curse. This was a short, fun read, with a little romance thrown in.

Additional editorial reviews can be found at amazon.com. A video trailer for the book can be found at YouTube.

BizKid$

BizKid$ is a public TV series that airs on PBS. It is designed to teach kids about money and business. Topics include being a smart consumer, saving and investing for the future, credit cards, economic cycles, and marketing. The show's motto is "where kids teach kids about business". The show isn't produced regularly, but as of February 15, 2010, the show is back in production for at least five new episodes.

Created by the producers of the popular educational show "Bill Nye the Science Guy", this show teaches basic financial principles that kids should learn, but the presentations are interesting and seem relevant. It's a great course of study for kids and parents who want to learn more about business in a fun way.

You can watch old episodes of the show at http://bizkids.com/.

Zel, by Donna Jo Napoli

In this retelling of Rapunzel, love and jealousy play a major role. The characters include a mother who loves her daughter and wants to be together with her always, a girl who is excited to grow up and see the world outside her cottage, and a young nobleman who is smitten with her. What lengths can a mother go to, to keep her daughter safe?

It isn't always the case, but in this particular retelling, the motivations of all three main characters are drawn clearly, and the reader can understand what would lead a mother to lock her beloved daughter in a tower. Just like in the source material, there is a lot of darkness in this story, but it will appeal to any tween who wants more detail than they normally get by reading the basic fairy tale.

A number of editorial reviews can be found at amazon.com.

Awards:
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY Best Books
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL Best Books
BULLETIN FOR THE CENTER OF CHILDREN'S BOOKS Blue Ribbon Book
BOOKLIST "Books of Special Note"
American Booksellers Association Pick of the List
American Library Association Young Adults (YALSA) popular paperbacks
New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age
Dorothy Canfield Fisher Book Award Master List, Vermont
Maine Student Book Award Master List
Voice of Youth Advocates Best Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror List
Missouri State Teachers Association Reading Circle Selection List
Notable Carolyn W. Field Award, Pennsylvania Library Association
Honor Book YOUNG CRITICS' TOP CHOICES FROM THE LAST SIX YEARS, 1997

Sonny with a Chance (Disney Channel)

Sonny Munroe is a friendly, sweet teenager from Wisconsin who got a role in the sketch comedy show "So Random!" Sonny and her mom move to Hollywood to take advantage of this big break. This sitcom captures the influence the show has on Sonny's life at home and at work, and also includes humorous sketches from the show within a show.

Like most Disney Channel original series, Sonny with a Chance is filled with moral stories and good influences from adults, along with the usual stereotypical class--the clueless school principal, bitter teacher, and teenage boys who can't stop checking out cute girls, but who don't quite know how to interact with the opposite sex. It is a cute show that will appeal to many tween girls and some boys.

I watched the episode "Cheater Girls" (Season 1, episode 5).

The show website, http://tv.disney.go.com/disneychannel/sonnywithachance/, is full of fun games and activities as well as video clips from the show and some full episodes.

Spinners, by Donna Jo Napoli & Richard Tchen

The rumpled man was once able to spin straw into gold--but this gift took everything else he had. Saskia uses her gift for spinning to provide for herself and her father. When Saskia's father boasts to the king that she can spin straw into gold, the circumstances bring the rumpled man to her dungeon. Will the complicated secrets that tie them together save her or kill them both?

This unusual retelling of the Rumplestiltzkin story is written from the point of view of both Saskia and Rumplestiltzkin. Due to some sexual situations at the beginning of the book, as well as its dark tone, it is more appropriate for older tweens, ages 11-14.

Editorial reviews can be found at amazon.com.

Awards:
An ALA Best Book for Young Adults
An Edgar Allan Poe Award Finalist
Junior Library Guild
New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age
Carolyn W. Field Honor Book, Pennsylvania Library Association
South Carolina Book Award Master List

Just Ella, by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Like the rest of the girls in the kingdom, Cynthia Elianora dreams of going to a ball and being swept off her feet by Prince Charming. What girl wouldn't want to marry a handsome prince and leave all her troubles behind? But once it really happens, her perfect "happily ever after" isn't anything like she imagined. Her advisers try to mold her into their idea of what a princess should be, and Prince Charming is nothing but a pretty face. As Ella becomes more disillusioned with her life, the stories of a fairy godmother who sent her to the ball persist in the kingdom. Why can't anyone believe she did it all on her own? And who will help her escape her unwanted royal destiny?

This story, with its strong, independent heroine, is a believable retelling of how the Cinderella story may have played out without a magical intervention. It provides an interesting twist on the well-known, well-loved tale.

A detailed review can be found at Greenmanreview.com. Additional editorial reviews can be found at amazon.com.

Awards (list found here):
American Bookseller Pick of the Lists, 1999
A YALSA Best Book for Young Adults, 2000
A YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, 2000
New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age, 2000
International Reading Association Young Adult Choice, 2001
Readers' Choice Award for Teen Books Finalist, 2003
A YALSA Popular Paperback for Young Adults, 2005

Bodies from the Bog, by James M. Deem

This nonfiction book examines the existence of "bog bodies"--bodies that were preserved as mummies in the peat bogs of Northern Europe. Some of these bodies are over 2000 years old! Deem looks at the history of bog body discoveries, as well as the life of a bog and the things anthropologists and other scientists look for as they examine these bodies.

This book is great because it combines gruesome photographs of found bodies with basic scientific discussions. It has great cover appeal (the ick factor of mummies!), and will interest boys who are reluctant readers, as well as any tween with a budding interest in anthropology (especially if they have ever watched the TV series Bones!).

This book was selected a Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers by the ALA, and was placed on the VOYA Nonfiction Honor List in 1999. Additional awards and reviews can be found on the author's website at http://www.jamesmdeem.com/books.bogbodies.htm.

Shakespeare's Secret, by Elise Broach

When Hero starts 6th grade at a new school, all she wants is for the other kids to stop teasing her about her Shakespearean name. But when her old neighbor, Mrs. Roth, tells her that an old diamond is hidden in her house, everything points back to Shakespeare. Will she and her new friend Danny find the diamond and discover how Shakespeare ties everything together?

This literary mystery offers a good introduction both to the history of the debate over Shakespeare's identity, as well as to good mystery writing. Tweens interested in history will be interested to see how Broach intertwines English history with the present-day story.

This book was selected as an ALA Notable Children's Book in 2006. Scholastic published an online discussion guide which includes lit circle questions and student handouts. Quick booktalk ideas can be found here. A compilation of editorial reviews can be found at Amazon.com.

Dealing with Dragons, by Patricia C. Wrede

Princess Cimorene is not a proper princess. Her parents, the King and Queen of Linderwall, do their best to teach her all the things a princess ought to know--dancing, embroidery, etiquette--but Cimorene prefers fencing, or cooking, or magic, over the things she is expected to do. Cimorene can tolerate this, until her parents arrange her marriage to a prince. Handsome as can be, he is also humorless and dull. So Cimorene takes the advice of her fairy Godmother and runs away to be a dragon's princess. What happens when an unconventional princess challenges the boundaries others have placed around her? She challenges dragons and wizards as she uncovers a treacherous plot against the dragon king.

With a strong cast of characters and a feminist protagonist, this books is perfect for any spunky tween who doesn't want to be just like everyone else. Anyone who likes fantasy will enjoy reading Wrede's subversion of typical fairy tale tropes.

Other reviews can be found at amazon.com.