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The Princess Tales #04: Cinderellis and the Glass Hill

May 13, 2015 / 04 STARS, GCL YR THE PRINCESS TALES

Cinderellis and the Glass Hill Book Cover Cinderellis and the Glass Hill
The Princess Tales
Gail Carson Levine
Juvenile Fiction
Harper Collins
February 2, 2000
Paperback
112

Ralph said, "Rain tomorrow." Burt said, "Barley needs it. You're covered with cinders, Ellis." Ralph thought that was funny. "That's funny." He laughed. "That's what we should call him-- Cinderellis." Burt guffawed. In this unusual spin on an old favorite, Cinderlla is a boy! He's Cinderellis, and he has two unfriendly brothers and no fairy godmother to help him out. Luckily, he does have magical powders, and he intends to use them to win the hand of his Princess Charming-- that is, Marigold. The only problem is-- Marigold thinks Cinderellis is a monster! Gail Carson Levine is the author of Ella Enchanted, a spirited retelling of the "real" Cinderella fairy tale and a 1998 Newberry Honor Book. In this fourth of her Princess Tales, Levine brings new life and new fun into a little-known tale and proves that determination, imagination, and kindness can carry the day.

WrensReads Review:

Do you like retelling of fairy-tales? Gail Carson Levine is the author for you. She is witty, and pokes fun at fairy-tales all the while making you love the story even more.

“When he was six years old, Ellis invented flying powder. He sprinkled the powder on his tin cup, and the cup began to rise up the chimney. He stuck his head into the fireplace to see how far up it would go. (The fire was out, of course.)”
– Cinderellis and the Glass Hill by Gail Carson Levine

Just by the first page, you can grasp the humor Levine puts in her words. Her use of run-on sentences leaves you out of breath and laughing from the repetitiveness. Her objective to point out the obvious will keep you entertained.

In Cinderellis and the Glass Hill, a retelling of a Norwegian fairy-tale collected by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe in Norske Folkeeventyr, the youngest of three brothers obtains a series of magical horses. He has a special gift for making special powders to help the farm, but the brother’s don’t bother giving him any attention. It’s supposed to rain tomorrow, after all. This story also weaves in the classic Italian fairy tale called Cinderella, or The Little Glass Slipper. I say this because of the name she gives the main guy character, two siblings that are rude and mean to the other, and a contest that takes three days that ends in marriage. Now we have two stories in one book? It’s our lucky day folks.

Cinderellis and Marigold have two things in common: their family doesn’t pay much attention to them, and their best friends are animals (horses and a cat). They are terribly lonely and only want their family to love them and spend time with them. But, alas, that isn’t how things happen for them.

Marigold’s father goes on crazy quest to find crazy things and ends up with even crazier findings. He comes up with an idea to find the perfect husband for his lovely daughter. In order to marry her, a suitor must have armor, a horse, be courageous, brave and be able to ride a horse very well. Climbing up a very slippery, shiny glass hill is the logical solution!

Will Marigold end up marrying a scary man? Will Cinderellis win the affections of his brothers? Will Cinderellis’ crops stop disappearing? Will Marigold’s father find something actually useful on his quest?

Levine has a splash of humor you will not find anyone else. Using plays on words and awkward humor, this is perfect for a story for a young girl or for a grown woman who can’t get enough of fairy-tales (cough me). I will always be a fan of Levine’s writing and I am so happy I picked them up first on my own quest to reread all my favorite books.

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The Princess Tales #02: The Princess Test

May 11, 2015 / 04 STARS, GCL YR THE PRINCESS TALES

The Princess Test Book Cover The Princess Test
The Princess Tales
Gail Carson Levine
Juvenile Fiction
Harper Collins
March 21, 1999
Paperback
96

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 helpful. Her reward: Jewels and gems tumble out of her mouth whenever she speaks. Myrtle is rude and spiteful. Her punishment: Bugs and vipers slither out of her mouth. The fairy Ethelinda feels she's meted out justice just right--until she discovers Rosella has been locked up by a greedy prince and Myrtle is having the time of her life! In The Princess Test, King Humphrey has decided its time for his son, Prince Nicholas, to marry. But he must make sure the bride is a real princess. So he devises a series of princess tests, designed to weed out the phonies and the fakes. Meanwhile, Nicholas has fallen in love with Lorelei, a mere blacksmith's daughter. She's no princess, but he wants to marry her all the same--but how will she ever pass the terrible tests? In these first two delightfully entertaining, laugh-out-loud Princess Tales, Gail Levine gently spoofs the notion that fairies are always right and that tests can never prove a persons worth, but holds fast to the notion that true love will always win in the end.

WrensReads Review:

Do you like retelling of fairy-tales? Gail Carson Levine is the author for you. She is witty, and pokes fun at fairy-tales all the while making you love the story even more.

“She cried when her porridge was too hot or too cold or too salty or too bitter or too sweet. She cried when her bathwater was too hot or too cold or too wet or not wet enough.”
– The Princess Test by Gail Carson Levine

Just by the first page, you can grasp the humor Levine puts in her words. Her use of run-on sentences leaves you out of breath and laughing from the repetitiveness.

In The Princess Test, a retelling of a Danish fairy tale called The Princess and the Pea by Hans Christian Andersen (or “The Princess on the Peas”) a little girl named Lorelei has a humble heart and is kind to anyone and everyone she meets. The problem is that even though she wants to help and wants to contribute to the household chores, she always ends up hurt in one way or another.

The nanny her father hired does not like Lorelei because she is so lazy! She can’t do anything without getting hurt! She wants to “do her off..”

Prince Nicholas has two parents that never agree on anything. If one thinks it’s too salty, the other thinks it’s too sweet. The king and queen come up with a test that maidens will undertake who want to marry Nicholas. Lorelei, after some unfortunate events, becomes an applicant…

What will happen? Will Nicholas and Lorelei end up together? Will Lorelei end up accidentally hurt herself beyond repair? What exactly are the test and why are they so ridiculous but so true?

Levine has a splash of humor you will not find anyone else. Using plays on words and awkward humor, this is perfect for a story for a young girl or for a grown woman who can’t get enough of fairy-tales (cough me), as long as the scary nanny’s thoughts don’t run you off. I will always be a fan of Levine’s writing.

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The Princess Tales #01: The Fairy’s Mistake

May 9, 2015 / 04 STARS, GCL YR THE PRINCESS TALES

The Fairy's Mistake Book Cover The Fairy's Mistake
The Princess Tales
Gail Carson Levine
Juvenile Fiction
Harper Collins
March 21, 1999
Paperback
96

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 helpful. Her reward: Jewels and gems tumble out of her mouth whenever she speaks. Myrtle is rude and spiteful. Her punishment: Bugs and vipers slither out of her mouth. The fairy Ethelinda feels she's meted out justice just right--until she discovers Rosella has been locked up by a greedy prince and Myrtle is having the time of her life! In The Princess Test, King Humphrey has decided it's time for his son, Prince Nicholas, to marry. But he must make sure the bride is a real princess. So he devises a series of princess tests, designed to weed out the phonies and the fakes. Meanwhile, Nicholas has fallen in love with Lorelei, a mere blacksmith's daughter. She's no princess, but he wants to marry her all the same--but how will she ever pass the terrible tests? In these first two delightfully entertaining, laugh-out-loud Princess Tales, Gail Levine gently spoofs the notion that fairies are always right and that tests can ever prove a person's worth, but holds fast to the notion that true love will always win in the end.

WrensReads Review:

Do you like retelling of fairytales? Gail Carson Levine is the author for you. She is witty, and pokes fun at fairytales all the while making you love the story even more.

“Once upon a time, in the village of Snettering-on-Snoakes in the kingdom of Biddle, Rosella fetched water from the well for the four thousand and eighty-eighth time.”
– The Fairy’s Mistake by Gail Carson Levine

Just by the first paragraph, you can grasp the humor Levine puts in her words.

In The Fairy’s Mistake, a retelling of a French fairy tale called Toads and Diamonds by Charles Perrault (titled “Les Fées,” or “The Fairies”), two twin sisters are cursed (or gifted?) with two completely different things. Let’s rephrase that: one sister is bestowed a curse and the other a gift, though which is which is yet to be determined.

Oh a prince! Being so humble and pleasant as he is realizes his love for a lady he just met! Oh, and she happens to have something he wants. Coincidence I am sure.

One sister uses what the fairy gave her for helping others, and the other uses it to gain control over people.

Will the sister with the curse live happily ever after? Will the other sister with the gift live happily ever after? Will the fairy ever learn that things don’t always happen the way she wants them to?

I have a soft spot for fairy tales and that is exactly up Levine’s alley. She is a spectacular writer and story teller. She will make you laugh out loud with her classic retelling. I recommend this book, and the rest of her books, to anyone that loves a good fairytale.

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Meet Wren!

Hi my name is Wren and welcome to my page. I like to read books, listen to books, take care of my plants and pet cats and dogs.

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