Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

That fool of a fairy Lucinda did not intend to lay a curse on me.

And so begins this retelling of the tale of Cinderella. Ella was blessed at birth by a fairy with the gift of obedience - imagine having to obey everyone! Ella does what she can to rebel and delay following orders but in the end she must. After her mother passes away, her father remarries the evil stepmother and terrible stepsisters we are all familiar. Ella does not sit by passively accepting her fate. She searches for the fairy to end her curse, torments her stepsisters right back and falls in love with her prince. Like all good fairy tales, it is only when Ella realizes her own strength found within that everything ends happily ever after. The glass slippers, pumpkin coach and fairy godmother are all found here just as in the original Cinderella. Ella and the prince first become friends and then fall in love. A nice change of pace over the 'their eyes meet, fall in love and live happily ever after' love story.

I thought the author did a great job demonstrating Ella as a strong, feisty girl.

Levine, G. C. (1997). Ella enchanted. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers.
ISBN:0060275103

Avalon High by Meg Cabot

"You are so lucky."

Ellie is forced to live in Annapolis MD her junior year while her medieval scholar parents are on sabbatical. She starts at Avalon High and meets Will. Soon, she starts to notice similarities to her friends at Avalon and the legend of King Arthur.

Cabot, M. (2006). Avalon high. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers
ISBN: 0060755865
288 pages

Sabriel by Garth Nix

It was little more than three miles from the Wall into the Old Kingdom, but that was enough.

Sabriel is sent a mysterious message from her father, a necromancer, while she is at school. She immediately sets off to rescue her father from Death and finds the Old Kingdom at war with the undead. Sabriel will use all of her knowledge and power to fight with the help of some unusual friends.

This novel started slow, very slow but did get better. Sabriel is a strong character but still has the vulnerability found in teenagers.

Nix, G. (1995). Sabriel. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers.
ISBN: 0060273224
292 pages

Little Women or Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy by Louisa May Alcott

The unforgettable story of the four March sisters and their lives during the Civil War. We see these sisters mature and find love and heartbreak over the course of the book.

I have been rereading this book every few years since I was in fourth grade. The March sisters are like old friends. I read it this time in comparison t0 all the other books I have been reading in this "childrens" portion of my contract. I think the story would be difficult for some readers to sit through. It is slower paced and very descriptive. Depending on the mood a child was in, it might not be a hit.

Alcott, L.M. (no date). Little women. Garden City, NY: International Collectors Library.
No ISBN

Eight Cousins or The Aunt Hill by Louisa May Alcott

Orphan Rose Campbell is living with her aunts while awaiting for the arrival of her guardian, Uncle Alec, on Aunt Hill. Rose is nervous and skittish child mourning for hte loss of her father and definitely not ready for the company of her boisterous seven boy cousins. Under Alec's care, Rose becomes a caring, healthy giving child able to keep up with her cousins.

A classic book that I haven't read since I was a child. I imagine the language might be outdated and potentially offensive if not understood it was representative of the culture and society at that time. I loved the book and Rose learns self-acceptance becoming a strong female character.

Alcott, L.M. (1958). Eight cousins or the aunt hill. Garden City, NY: Nelson Doubleday, Inc.
No ISBN
Illustrated by Ruth Ives

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt

Ten year old Winnie Foster runs away one morning and encounters a family who has drunk from a spring giving them everlasting life. Winnie goes with the family willingly and is enchanted by the son, Jesse, who proposes she drink from the spring when she turns sixteen so they can be together forever. Meanwhile, a man approaches the family about the spring and events occur that will change Winnie's plans.

I was surprised by the ending expecting a happily ever after one. It is a magical story and left me wanting to know more about the Tuck family.

Babbitt, N. (2002). Tuck everlasting. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
ISBN: 0374480134

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by Frank Baum

Dorothy and Toto are swept up by a tornado and set down in the Land of Oz. So begins the tale of their journey back home to Kansas and the characters they encounter along the way.

It is hard to read this book without picturing Judy Garland as Dorothy and the Munchkins. I wonder if there are children who have not seen the movie? I wish that I had read the book before I saw the movie. It is a page turner with good descriptions. I would have liked to have been able to picture these characters like the author must have not Hollywood.

Baum, F. (1970). The wonderful wizard of oz. Racine, WI: Western Publishing Inc.
ISBN: 030701520X
Illustrated by Erika Markling

The Secret of the Mansion (Trixie Belden #1) by Julie Campbell

The first book in the series where Trixie meets her soon to be best friends Honey Wheeler and Jim Frayne. They band together to help Jim find the money his uncle, Mr Frayne was reputed to have hidden in his mansion after he passes away. The search becomes frantic when Jim's evil stepfather comes to get his share.

My mom gave me a box of my stuff a few years ago and in it were a few Trixie Belden books. I placed them on my bookshelf and thought maybe I would read them someday. After reading Nancy Drew, I HAD to read Trixie Belden. I remembered this book more clearly than the Nancy Drew. I prefer Trixie Belden to Nancy Drew. A blasphemous statement for some!

I again tried to consider this book from a child of today. I still found it interesting if not slightly outdated in language. The pace was quick and the characters different enough to be interesting. I found it amusing that both Trixie and Nancy were dealing with snake bites. Snake bites must have been terrifying back in the day. Trixie is a strong female character especially for 1948. And it was printed in Racine where I grew up!

Campbell, J. (1948). The secret of the mansion. Racine, WI: Western Publishing Company.
ISBN: 0307215245

The Secret of Red Gate Farm (Nancy Drew, Book 6) by Carolyn Keene

Nancy with pals, Bess and George, help new friend Millie's grandmother keep her farm by being boarders for a part of the summer. Before long, the gang is investigating the goings on of a cult renting part of the property, Nancy is accused of passing counterfeit money and a mysterious woman doesn't accept Nancy's help.

I think I read all of these books when I was younger. I tried to read it as a child of today to see if it would still be relevant. Some of the language is out dated but the pace was quick and the story was still engaging. I am amazed at how strong Nancy is considering this was written in 1931!

Keene, C. (1989). The secret of red gate farm. New York, NY: Grosset and Dunlap.
ISBN: 0448095068
No illustrator credit listed