We have know the fairy tale stories, they involve glass slippers, poisoned apples, and a giant bean stalk. But what happens when those stories are fractured, when they are modernized? When new characters are added?
Check out some of our favorite fairy tale stories from the Richmond Public Library that are retold with a different twist. By blending the nostalgia of the stories we know by heart with fresh, contemporary twists, these reimagined narratives satisfy our craving for the familiar while surprising us with something entirely new. Some of the stories might even be new, from a different country, scarier than you expected, or just down right funny!
Each of these is a twist on on a classic tale!
A Tale of Two Castles
Author:
Gail Carson Levine
Genre:
Fantasy/Mystery
Which fairy tale does this book retell?
Puss ‘n Boots
Summary:
Newly arrived in the town of Two Castles, Elodie unexpectedly becomes the assistant to a brilliant dragon named Meenore–and together, they begin to solve mysteries.
Their most important case concerns the town’s shape-shifting ogre, Count Jonty Um, who believes someone is plotting against him. Elodie must disguise herself to discover the source of the threat amid a cast of characters that includes a greedy king, a giddy princess, and a handsome cat trainer.
Readers who loved Ella Enchanted and Fairest will delight in this tale of a spirited heroine who finds friendship where she least expects it and discovers that goodness comes in all shapes and sizes.
Cinderella and the Beast; Beauty and the glass slipper: The Princess Swap
Author:
Kim Bussing
Genre:
Fantasy/Action & Adventure
Which fairy tale does this book retell?
Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast
Summary:
What would happen if Cinderella found herself in the beast’s castle, and Beauty woke up in some evil stepmother’s home? Fairy tales meet Freaky Friday in this series, where there’s a magical mix-up for every princess!
Ella’s spent her life dreaming about adventure, but it’s hard to have adventures when you’re stuck with a stepfamily who treat you like a servant. When she unexpectedly wakes up in a land far, far away, she’s thrilled at the chance to embark on an epic quest. That is, until she finds herself trapped once more–this time in the castle of a dangerous beast.
Belle, meanwhile, has plans. Her family’s trading company is on the brink of ruin, and to save it, she’s going to enter–and win–a royal competition in the prince’s honor. But when she unexpectedly winds up in a cellar with a wicked stepfamily who have their own plans to keep her from the competition . . . things get complicated.
Happily-ever-after couldn’t feel farther away. Can Ella escape the beast’s clutches? And can Belle get rid of this stepfamily in time for the competition?
Also check out these other Princess Swap books:
Rapunzel and the Sea Witch, or, The Little Mermaid and the Tower
Snow White and the Dragon: Sleeping Beauty and the Seven Dwarfs
The Princess Curse
Author:
Merrie Haskell
Genre:
Fantasy
Which fairy tale does this book retell?
The Twelve Dancing Princesses and Beauty and the Beast.
Summary:
In the fifteenth-century kingdom of Sylvania, the prince offers a fabulous reward to anyone who cures the curse that forces the princesses to spend each night dancing to the point of exhaustion. Everyone who tries disappears or falls into an enchanted sleep.
Thirteen-year-old Reveka, a smart, courageous herbalist’s apprentice, decides to attempt to break the curse despite the danger. Unravelling the mystery behind the curse leads Reveka to the Underworld, and to save the princesses, Reveka will have to risk her soul.
Whatever After: Fairest of All
Author:
Sarah Mlynowski
Genre:
Fantasy
Which fairy tale does this book retell?
Snow White
Summary:
Once upon a time my brother and I were normal kids. The next minute? The mirror in our basement slurped us up and magically transported us inside Snow White’s fairy tale. I know it sounds crazy, but it’s true.
But hey — we’re heroes! We stopped Snow White from eating the poisoned apple. Hooray! Or not. If Snow White doesn’t die, she won’t get to meet her prince. And then she won’t get her happy ending. Oops. Now it’s up to us to:- Avoid getting poisoned- Sneak into a castle- Fix Snow White’s storyBut Snow White’s REAL happy ending might not be quite what we expected . . .
Hamra and the Jungle of Memories
Author:
Hanna Alkaf
Genre:
Fantasy
Which fairy tale does this book retell?
Malaysian-inspired retelling of Little Red Riding Hood
Summary:
On Hamra’s thirteenth birthday, she receives nothing but endless nagging and yet another errand to run in the Langkawi jungle that looms behind her home. No one has remembered her special day. And so, stifled and angry, Hamra ignores something she shouldn’t: the rules of the jungle.
Always ask permission before you enter. Hamra walks boldly in. Never take what isn’t yours. Hamra finds the most perfect jambu and picks it. Of course, rules exist for a reason, and soon an enormous weretiger is stalking her dreams, demanding payment for her crimes–and Hamra embarks on a quest deep into the jungle to set things right.
Mighty Jack
Author:
Ben Hatke
Genre:
Graphic Novel/Adventure/Fantasy
Which fairy tale does this book retell?
Jack and the Bean Stalk
Summary:
Jack might be the only kid in the world who’s dreading summer. But he’s got a good reason: summer is when his single mom takes a second job and leaves him at home to watch his autistic kid sister, Maddy. It’s a lot of responsibility, and it’s boring, too, because Maddy doesn’t talk. Ever. But then, one day at the flea market, Maddy does talk–to tell Jack to trade their mom’s car for a box of mysterious seeds. It’s the best mistake Jack has ever made.
In Mighty Jack , what starts as a normal little garden out back behind the house quickly grows up into a wild, magical jungle with tiny onion babies running amok, huge, pink pumpkins that bite, and, on one moonlit night that changes everything…a dragon.
Breadcrumbs
Author:
Anne Ursu
Genre:
Fantasy
Which fairy tale does this book retell?
German tale Hansel and Gretel
Summary:
Once upon a time, Hazel and Jack were best friends. But that was before he stopped talking to her and disappeared into a forest with a mysterious woman made of ice. Now it’s up to Hazel to go in after him. Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Snow Queen,” Breadcrumbs is a stunningly original fairy tale of modern-day America, a dazzling ode to the power of fantasy, and a heartbreaking meditation on how growing up is as much a choice as it is something that happens to us.
In Breadcrumbs, Anne Ursu tells, in her one-of-a-kind voice, a story that brings together fifty years of children’s literature in a tale as modern as it is timeless. Hazel’s journey to come to terms with her evolving friendship with Jack will deeply resonate with young readers.
Honest June
Author:
Tina Wells
Genre:
Fantasy
Which fairy tale does this book retell?
A fractured fairy tale June cursed by a fairy godmother to tell only the truth.
Summary:
Who wouldn’t want a fairy godmother? But when June’s puts her under a spell where she cannot tell a lie, the truth is middle school just got a lot harder.
The truth hurts. Sixth-grader June Jackson learned that lesson early. (She told her BFF one time she didn’t like her shoes. They fought for a week! ) Which is why now June tells people what they what to hear. Who cares about a small fib if it makes her friends and family happy?
But when June’s fairy godmother appears in a cloud of glitter, she’s grants June with the ability to only tell the truth. Now, June has no choice but to be honest about how she feels. And the truth is June feels stressed out. Middle school is no joke-between field hockey, friend drama, and her parents’ high expectations, June is so overwhelmed that sometimes it’s hard to breathe.
When everything spirals out of control, will June find freedom in telling the whole truth and nothing but-or is she destined to battle the curse for the rest of her life?
Ella Enchanted
Author:
Gail Carson Levine
Genre:
Fantasy
Which fairy tale does this book retell?
Cinderella
Summary:
At her birth, Ella of Frell receives a foolish fairy’s gift–the “gift” of obedience. Ella must obey any order, whether it’s to hop on one foot for a day and a half, or to chop off her own head! But strong-willed Ella does not accept her fate…
Against a bold backdrop of princes, ogres, giants, wicked stepsisters, and fairy godmothers, Ella goes on a quest to break the curse forever.
What happens when the “gift” of obedience is the one thing that makes you a rebel?
Beasts and Beauty: Dangerous Tales
Author:
Soman Chainani
Genre:
Fantasy
Which fairy tale does this book retell?
12 reimagined stories, including “Red Riding Hood,” “Snow White,” and “The Little Mermaid,”
Summary:
You think you know these stories, don’t you?
You are wrong.
You don’t know them at all.
Twelve tales, twelve dangerous tales of mystery, magic, and rebellious hearts. Each twists like a spindle to reveal truths full of warning and triumph, truths that free hearts long kept tame, truths that explore life . . . and death.
A prince has a surprising awakening . . .
A beauty fights like a beast . . .
A boy refuses to become prey . . .
A path to happiness is lost. . . . then found again.
Forever Neverland
Author:
Susan Adrian
Genre:
Fantasy/Action & Adventure
Which fairy tale does this book retell?
Peter Pan
Summary:
Clover and Fergus are the great-great-grandchildren of Wendy Darling (yes, that Wendy). And now Peter Pan wants to take them to Neverland for the adventure of their lives! But Clover is a little nervous–she’s supposed to look after her brother. Fergus is autistic, and not everyone makes him feel welcome. What will happen to him in this magical world? Fergus isn’t nervous at all. To him, Neverland seems like a dream come true! He’s tired of Clover’s constant mothering and wants some independence, like Peter and the Lost Boys have. He wonders, Why can’t the real world be more like Neverland? Neverland is fun and free, but it’s also dangerous and even scary at times. There are unfamiliar creatures lurking in the shadows and strange sounds coming from the waters. And then the mermaids start to go missing. . . . In an imaginative and thoughtful continuation of the story of Peter Pan, Susan Adrian explores Neverland with a fresh perspective and indelible warmth, offering a new adventure based on a beloved classic!
Frogged
Author:
Vivian Vande Velde
Genre:
Fantasy
Which fairy tale does this book retell?
The Frog Prince
Summary:
One should be able to say of a princess “She was as good as she was beautiful,” according to The Art of Being a Princess (third revised edition), which the almost-thirteen-year-old Princess Imogene is supposed to be reading. Not feeling particularly good, or all that beautiful, she heads for a nearby pond, where, unfortunately, a talking frog tricks her into kissing him.
No prince appears, as one might expect. Instead, the princess turns into a frog herself! Thus launches a funny, wonderfully spun fractured fairy tale in which Imogene wonders if she will be forever frogified.
Lalani of the Distant Sea
Author:
Erin Entrada Kelly
Genre:
Fantasy
Which fairy tale does this book retell?
Inspired by Filipino folklore
Summary:
Twelve-year-old Lalani Sarita takes on the impossible task of traveling to the legendary Mount Isa, towering on an island to the north. Generations of men and boys have died on the same quest–how can a timid young girl in a tiny boat survive the epic tests of the archipelago?
The Jumbies
Author:
Tracey Baptiste
Genre:
Fantasy/Horror
Which fairy tale does this book retell?
Haitian story called “The Magic Orange Tree”
Summary:
Corinne La Mer isn’t afraid of anything. Not scorpions, not the boys who tease her, and certainly not jumbies. She knows that jumbies aren’t real; they’re just creatures parents make up to frighten their children. But on All Hallows’ Eve, Corinne chases an agouti all the way into the forbidden woods. Those shining yellow eyes that follow her to the edge of the trees, they couldn’t belong to a jumbie. Or could they?
Corinne begins to notice odd occurrences after that night. First she spots a beautiful stranger speaking to the town witch at the market. Then this same beauty, called Severine, turns up at Corinne’s house, cooking dinner for her father. Danger is in the air. Sure enough, bewitching Corinne’s father is the first step in Severine’s plan to claim the entire island for the jumbies. Corinne must call on her courage and her friends and ancient magic to stop Severine and to save her island home.
The House with Chicken Legs
Author:
Sophie Anderson
Genre:
Fantasy / Fairy Tale Retelling
Which fairy tale does this book retell?
Russian/Slavic folktales of Baba Yaga
Summary:
All 12-year-old Marinka wants is a friend. A real friend. Not like her housewithchickenlegs. Sure, thehouse can play games like tag and hide-and-seek, but Marinka longs for a human companion. Someone she can talk to and share secrets with. But that’s tough when your grandmother is a Yaga, a guardian who guides the dead into the afterlife. It’s even harder when you live in a house that wanders all over the world . . . carrying you with it. Even worse, Marinka is being trained to be a Yaga. That means no school, no parties — and no playmates that stick around for more than a day.
So when Marinka stumbles across the chance to make a real friend, she breaks all the rules, with devastating consequences. Her beloved grandmother mysteriously disappears, and it’s up to Marinka to find her — even if it means making a dangerous journey to the afterlife.
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