Best of
Fairy-Tale-Retellings

2010

Half Upon a Time


James Riley - 2010
    After all, his father's been missing ever since that incident with the beanstalk and the giant, and his grandfather keeps pushing him to get out and find a princess to rescue. Who'd want to rescue a snobby, entitled princess anyway? Especially one that falls out of the sky wearing a shirt that says "Punk Princess," and still denies she's royalty. In fact, May doesn't even believe in magic. Yeah, what's that about? May does need help though--a huntsman is chasing her, her grandmother has been kidnapped, and Jack thinks it’s all because of the Wicked Queen . . . mostly because May’s grandmother might just be the long-lost Snow White. Jack and May's thrillingly hilarious adventure combines all the classic stories—fractured as a broken magic mirror—into the first of an epic new series of novels for the ages.

The Wide-Awake Princess


E.D. Baker - 2010
    When Gwennie pricks her finger and the whole castle falls asleep, only Annie is awake, and only Annie-blessed (or cursed?) with being impervious to magic-can venture out beyond the rose-covered hedge for help. She must find Gwen's true love to kiss her awake.But who is her true love? The irritating Digby? The happy-go-lucky Prince Andreas, who is holding a contest to find his bride? The conniving Clarence, whose sinister motives couldn't possibly spell true love? Joined by one of her father's guards, Liam, who happened to be out of the castle when the sleeping spell struck, Annie travels through a fairy tale land populated with characters both familiar and new as she tries to fix her sister and her family . . . and perhaps even find a true love of her own.

Sourdough and Other Stories


Angela Slatter - 2010
    In the cathedral-city of Lodellan and its uneasy hinterland, babies are fashioned from bread, dolls are given souls and wishes granted may be soon regretted. There are ghosts who dream, men whose wings have been clipped and trolls who long for something other. Love, loss and life are elegantly dissected in Slatter's earthy yet poetic prose. As Rob Shearman says in his Introduction: 'Sourdough and Other Stories manages to be grand and ambitious and worldbuilding-but also as intimate and focused as all good short fiction should be . . . The joy of Angela Slatter's book is that she's given us a set of fairy tales that are at once both new and fresh, and yet feel as old as storytelling itself.'

Tangled: The Junior Novelization


Irene Trimble - 2010
    . . lots of hair, when Disney Tangled comes to theaters Holiday 2010! The Junior Novelization retells the complete story of the swashbuckling, computer-animated comedy—and features eight pages of full-color movie stills.

A True Princess


Diane Zahler - 2010
    In fact, she's terrible! She daydreams, she breaks dishes, and her cooking is awful. Still, she hardly deserves to be sold off to the mean-spirited miller and his family. Refusing to accept that dreadful fate, she decides to flee. With her best friend, Kai, and his sister, Karina, beside her, Lilia heads north to find the family she's never known. But danger awaits. . . .As their quest leads the threesome through the mysterious and sinister Bitra Forest, they suddenly realize they are lost in the elves' domain. To Lilia's horror, Kai falls under an enchantment cast by the Elf King's beautiful daughter. The only way for Lilia to break the spell and save Kai is to find a jewel of ancient power that lies somewhere in the North Kingdoms. Yet the jewel will not be easy to find. The castle where it is hidden has been overrun with princess hopefuls trying to pass a magical test that will determine the prince's new bride. Lilia has only a few days to search every inch of the castle and find the jewel—or Kai will be lost to her forever.

Change of a Dress


Maya Gold - 2010
    She loves to imagine the exciting events that the different outfits might be worn to. Then one day, Diana reaches into the pocket of a fancy coat - and finds an invitation to a glittering gala in New York City. Since the coat's owner is out of town, Diana gets a wild idea. With the help of some savvy friends, one glamorous dress, and a lot of improvising, Diana pretends to be someone she's not, and makes it into the party! Will she be discovered, or will she get her happily ever after?

A Kingdom Far and Clear: The Complete Swan Lake Trilogy


Mark Helprin - 2010
    This trilogy of novellas by critically acclaimed author Mark Helprin will stand that test by time. The heroes of his imagined kingdom pit the power of their love and devotion against dark forces of greed and suppression. His themes resonate for readers of contemporary fantasy as well as those who cherish classic legends and tales. This Calla Edition presents Helprin's novellas — Swan Lake, A City in Winter, and The Veil of Snows — in a single volume, as he had always intended. Award-winning illustrator Chris Van Allsburg's 42 full-color plates complement Helprin's prose with sensitively wrought, finely nuanced images — sometimes grand, sometimes fanciful, always evocative. This signed, numbered edition, limited to 300 copies, includes a deluxe slipcase.

Violet Eyes


Debbie Viguié - 2010
    Richard also gives Violet his heart, but he knows his marriage is destined to be an affair of state, not of passion. For the king and queen have devised a contest to determine who will win their son's hand in marriage.To be reunited with her prince, Violet must compete against princesses from across the land. It will take all of her wits - and a little help from an unexpected source - if Violet is to demonstrate the depth of her character and become Richard's bride.

Alex O'Donnell and the 40 CyberThieves (A Fairy Tale Retold #5)


Regina Doman - 2010
    A modern retelling of the classic Arabian Nights tale "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves."

Manolo Blahnik and the Tale of the Elves and the Shoemaker: A Fashion Fairy Tale Memoir


Camilla Morton - 2010
    As with Christian Lacroix and the Tale of Sleeping Beauty, and otherbooks in the Fashion Fairytale Series, ManoloBlahnik and the Tale of the Elves and the Shoemakeroffers a completely unique, never-before-seen twist on a fairytale classic.Breathtaking color illustrations by Blahnik and wordsby international bestselling author Camilla Morton embody the true magic at theheart of Manolo’s real-life fairytale, in anessential volume for fans of Camille Rose Garcia’s Alice’s Adventures inWonderland and Daniel Egnéus’s Little RedRiding Hood, for fashion devotees, and for anyone in love with coutureculture.

8: The Previously Untold Story of the Previously Unknown 8th Dwarf


Michael Mullin - 2010
    --- Written in verse, this is the previously untold story of the previously unknown 8th dwarf, named Creepy. He is banished to the basement for being different and, well, weird. Yet he plays a vital - and of course previously unknown - role in the popular tale of Snow White – whose title character is an intruder Creepy refers to as "the Maid". (Intended for readers aged 10 and up)

The Mermaid's Pendant


LeAnn Neal Reilly - 2010
    At times lyrical, this novel is a fantastic journey filled with magic, myth, romance, and adventure. Four years after John Wilkerson claims the mermaid Tamarind for his wife, they have an idyllic marriage that depends on a talisman that she crafted on their island paradise. But Tamarind learns a painful truth: it takes more than legs to live on land and more than magic to sustain a bond. When the talisman breaks, she and John are forced to rely on themselves instead of magic. Three wise women play key roles in the young lovers’ journey to mature love. Ana, Tamarind’s aging mentor, casts spells and performs seductions to keep the lovers apart. Valerie, an expat jewelry maker cum fairy godmother, works her own magic to bring them together. Lucy, their widowed neighbor, grounds the couple in the realities of marriage, parenting, and family.

The Magic Princess Dress


Gwyneth Rees - 2010
    When Ava enters Marietta's dress shop on the hunt for her missing cat, she has no idea how magical it will be - but before she knows it, she's trying on a beautiful Princess Bridesmaid dress, only to be whisked away to Fairytale Land - where Cinderella is about to get married, and her Fairy Godmother is about to turn Ava's cat into something a lot less cute and fluffy. From the award-winning and bestselling author of the FAIRY DUST books comes this exciting new series that no little girl will be able to resist.

Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue: The Junior Novelization (Disney Fairies)


Kimberly Morris - 2010
    But can they save Tink before the girl's father reveals the world of fairies to the rest of the humans? Find out what happens in this retelling of the movie, featuring full-color scenes from the movies!

Finnegus Boggs—Billy & Tyron


J. Cafesin - 2010
    300,000+ have ripped this short story off.It's now FREE here: jcafesin(dot)com/tales-of-finnagus-boggs/Finnegus Boggs is a genie who gives 2 Oakland punks a second chance at living the dream life...

The World Above: A Retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk and Robin Hood


Cameron Dokey - 2010
    Gen is skeptical, but adventurous Jack believes the stories--and trades the family cow for magical beans. Their mother rejoices, knowing they can finally return to their royal home.When Jack plants the beans and climbs the enchanted stalk, he is captured by the tyrant who now rules the land. Gen sets off to rescue her brother, but danger awaits her in the World Above. For finding Jack may mean losing her heart....

Ferradiddledumday: An Appalachian Version of Rumpelstiltskin


Becky Mushko - 2010
    With their cash crop destroyed and taxes due, Gillie and her pa risk losing their farm. Then a strange little man gives her the power to spin hay into gold. Years later, when he demands his payment, Gillie doesn't know what to do.