Book picks similar to
Cinderella Spinderella by Mark Binder


fairy-tale-retellings
fairytales
priority
science-fiction

'The Chicken Gave It to Me'


Anne Fine - 1993
    But when the two children start to read the contents of the book The True Story of Harrowing Farm they find themselves deeply moved by the chicken's tale.And if chickens have never moved you before, prepare to shed some tears now because this chicken is special. She is risking what is left of her life by flying frillions of miles in a spaceship to try and save us humans from a terrible fate.

Breadcrumbs


Anne Ursu - 2011
    They had been best friends since they were six, spending hot Minneapolis summers and cold Minneapolis winters together, dreaming of Hogwarts and Oz, superheroes and baseball. Now that they were eleven, it was weird for a boy and a girl to be best friends. But they couldn't help it - Hazel and Jack fit, in that way you only read about in books. And they didn't fit anywhere else. And then, one day, it was over. Jack just stopped talking to Hazel. And while her mom tried to tell her that this sometimes happens to boys and girls at this age, Hazel had read enough stories to know that it's never that simple. And it turns out, she was right. Jack's heart had been frozen, and he was taken into the woods by a woman dressed in white to live in a palace made of ice. Now, it's up to Hazel to venture into the woods after him. Hazel finds, however, that these woods are nothing like what she's read about, and the Jack that Hazel went in to save isn't the same Jack that will emerge. Or even the same Hazel.Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen," Breadcrumbs is a story of the struggle to hold on, and the things we leave behind.

The Adventures of the Motts


Radostina Nikolova - 2013
    So why then, you ask, haven’t you seen it? Well, Motts are definitely very strange creatures and they never show themselves to people since it is so hard to win their trust. However, that is all about to change. A brave, little Mott is about to take on a difficult task. He will think of a way to make people a bit brighter and the world a little bit kinder. Not a simple task, but he is up to the challenge....The children book "The Adventures of the Motts" is the first in the Mott series. It introduces these fascinating creatures the Motts who live in the wardrobe at home but are invisible to people. They find plenty of adventures and brave quests that will change the world of children and adults forever. Consider yourself invited to join the Motts on an unforgettable journey whose goal is to make the world a brighter and a bit kinder place to be:-)

The Door in the Dragon's Throat


Frank E. Peretti - 1985
    Locals claim that inside a dark cavern called the Dragon's Throat is a forbidden Door that brings certain death to anyone who tries to open it.Armed with the knowledge that God is more powerful than any legend or curse, Jay and Lila plunge down into the Dragon's Throat, determined to find out what awaits them on the other side of the Door. This daring tale will have you on the edge of your seat.

Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy


Karen Foxlee - 2014
    She and her sister Alice are still grieving for their dead mother when their father takes a job in a strange museum in a city where it always snows. On her very first day in the museum Ophelia discovers a boy locked away in a long forgotten room. He is a prisoner of Her Majesty the Snow Queen. And he has been waiting for Ophelia's help.As Ophelia embarks on an incredible journey to rescue the boy everything that she believes will be tested. Along the way she learns more and more about the boy's own remarkable journey to reach her and save the world.A story within a story, this a modern day fairytale is about the power of friendship, courage and love, and never ever giving up.

My Teacher Is an Alien


Bruce Coville - 1989
    But she doesn't know how weird until she catches him peeling off his face -- and realizes that "Mr. Smith" is really an alien! At first no one will believe her except Peter Thompson, the class brain. When Peter and Susan discover Mr. Smith's horrible plans for their classmates, they know they have to act fast. Only they can get rid of their extraterrestrial visitor -- and save the rest of the sixth-grade class from a fate worse than math tests!

If the Shoe Fits


Jane B. Mason - 2004
    If she can only find her fairy godmother before the first class begins, Ella is sure she'll put things right. But her FG is off at a convention and Ella is on her own--she'll have to get through the first weeks of Princess School without any bobbity-boo. Ella is terrified--until she meets silly Snow, spunky Rapunzel, and beautiful, sheltered Rose. Ella's new friends make Princess School (continued)

The Ickabog


J.K. Rowling - 2020
    From the delicate cream cheeses of Kurdsburg to the Hopes-of-Heaven pastries of Chouxville, each was so delicious that people wept with joy as they ate them.But even in this happy kingdom, a monster lurks. Legend tells of a fearsome creature living far to the north in the Marshlands... the Ickabog. Some say it breathes fire, spits poison, and roars through the mist as it carries off wayward sheep and children alike. Some say it's just a myth...And when that myth takes on a life of its own, casting a shadow over the kingdom, two children — best friends Bert and Daisy — embark on a great adventure to untangle the truth and find out where the real monster lies, bringing hope and happiness to Cornucopia once more.Features full-colour illustrations by the young winners of The Ickabog competition.

The Winds of Mars


Helen Mary Hoover - 1995
    When rebel forces strike against her father, the all-powerful president of Mars, teenage Annalyn finds her comfortable existence turned upside-down and her life threatened from unexpected sources.

Is It Nice? Manners For Kids


Casey Chapman - 2011
    Its wonderful illustrations and easy to understand messages make it easy for readers to learn the nice thing to do in everyday life. What should you do after you burp? Is it nice to yell or whine when you want something? These questions and others are answered for a great learning experience.

Defiant


Aaron Hodges - 2021
    But when his mother is caught up in the slaughter of a fledgeling resistance group, Rydian’s entire family is thrown into infamy. His fellow humans brand him traitor, while the Alfur hail his mother a hero. Desperate to clear his name, Rydian must delve into his mother’s past, and the secrets she sought to uncover. Secrets about the Alfur, about their alien technology—and the mysterious Light that powers their world.

Ella and Ash: Cinderella Reimagined


K.A. Last - 2019
    The pendant is the only connection Ella has with her mother, and she will do anything to protect it—even if it means becoming a servant in her own home. To escape her wicked stepfamily, Ella finds solace under the branches of the weeping willow beside her mother’s grave. Ella thought she could practice her magic there in secret, but when she is caught by Ashwin, the son of the richest lord in the county, Ella fears she may lose her pendant after all. Ashwin gains Ella’s trust by promising not to tell anyone about the pendant, but Ella knows they are from different worlds, and she is reluctant to open up to him too much. When Ashwin invites Ella to a masquerade ball, she sees it as a chance to escape her life, even if it is for just one night. But her pendant isn’t the only secret Ella has been keeping. If Ashwin learns who she really is, will the truth ruin her chance of happiness with him, or will it set her free? Find out in this sweet and magical re-imagining of Cinderella.

The House at the Edge of Magic


Amy Sparkes - 2021
    When she steals a house-shaped ornament from a mysterious woman's purse, she knocks on its tiny door and watches it grow into a huge, higgledy-piggeldy house. Inside she finds a host of magical and brilliantly funny characters, including Flabberghast – a young wizard who’s particularly competitive at hopscotch – and a hideous troll housekeeper who’s emotionally attached to his feather duster. They have been placed under an extraordinary spell, which they are desperate for Nine to break. If she can, maybe they can offer her a new life in return…

Time Cat


Lloyd Alexander - 1963
    For one thing, he can talk. For another, he's got the power to travel through time. And the instant he tells this to Jason, the two of them are in ancient Egypt, on the first of nine amazing adventures that Jason will never forget.

Hatter


Daniel Coleman - 2011
    – Cheshire CatSomeday Hatta will save the kingdom. In his mind, at least. But his talents of uncharacteristic kindness and a passion for colors hardly qualify him for such a destiny. In a kingdom that doesn’t need saving, a young man ignorant of social norms is the unlikeliest of heroes.Along the way, the Cheshire Cat, Queen of Hearts, White Queen, and other familiar characters emerge to fill their eminent roles as well. Witness literature’s most lovable lunatic’s tangled ascent into madness.