Step Into a Fairy Tale World

 Fairy Tales and fairy tale reimaginings are a popular genre of teen books.  Here are some of our favorites . . .

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George
A girl travels east of the sun and west of the moon to free her beloved prince from a magic spell.

Enchanted by Alethea Kontis
When Sunday Woodcutter, the youngest sibling to sisters named for the other six days of the week, kisses an enchanted frog, he transforms back into Rumbold, the crown prince of Arilland--a man Sunday's family despises.

Snow in Summer by Jane Yolen

Recasts the tale of Snow White, setting it in West Virginia in the 1940s with a stepmother who is a snake-handler.

Dealing with Dragons by Patricia Wrede
Bored with her proper, circumscribed life as a princess, Cimorene runs away to join a powerful, fascinating dragon named Kazul and encounters a host of adventures along the way.

More Books --

Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult

Cinder & Glass by Melissa de la Cruz

A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

Dark and Deepest Red by Anna-Marie McLemore

Dragon Castle by Joseph Bruchac

The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman

The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert

Hunted by Meagan Spooner

Mechanica by Betsy Cornwell

Princess of Thorns by Stacey Jay

The Rumpelstiltskin Problem by Vivian Vande Velde

Rebel Rose by Emma Theriault

Sea Witch by Sarah Henning

The Seventh Raven by David Elliott

Spindle's End by Robin McKinley
Tithe by Holly Black

The Wrath & the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

Twice Upon a Time . . . . Fairy Tale Retellings for Teens

 This week, I'm sharing fairy tale retellings for teens.  Here are a few of my favorites . . . .

Enchanted by Alethea Kontis

When Sunday Woodcutter, the youngest sibling to sisters named for the other six days of the week, kisses an enchanted frog, he transforms back into Rumbold, the crown prince of Arilland--a man Sunday's family despises.

Snow in Summer by Jane Yolen

Recasts the tale of Snow White, setting it in West Virginia in the 1940s with a stepmother who is a snake-handler.

Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George

A retelling of the tale of twelve princesses who wear out their shoes dancing every night, and of Galen, a former soldier now working in the king's gardens, who follows them in hopes of breaking the curse.

The Rumpelstiltskin Problem by Vivian Vande Velde

The author presents six alternative versions of the familiar story of a boastful miller and the daughter he claims can spin straw into gold.

More Fairy Tale Retellings --

Beast by Donna Jo Napoli

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

A Curse So Dark and Lovely by Brigid Kemmerer

Dark and Deepest Red by Anna-Marie McLemore

Dead Upon a Time by Elizabeth Poulson

East by Edith Pattou

Mechanica by Betsy Cornwell

Once Upon a Dream by Lisa Braswell

The Princess and the Fangirl: A Geekerella Novel by Ashley Poston

Princess of Thorns by Stacy Jay

Rose & Thorn by Sarah Prineas

Rose Daughter by Robin McKinley

Sea Witch by Sarah Henning

Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim

Spindle by E.K. Johnston

Stitching Snow by R.C. Lewis

Towering by Alex Flinn

The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

Check these books out on display at the Arnold Branch through October 9, 2020.

In the Land of Faerie

This week I am sharing stories of faeries, trolls, elves, and other supernatural creatures for teens . . .

The Changeling Sea by Patricia McKillip
A floor scrubber and a magician try to help a prince return to his home beneath the sea and help his half brother, a human trapped in the body of a sea monster, return to the land.

Impossible by Nancy Werlin
When seventeen-year old Lucy discovers her family is under an ancient curse by an evil Elfin Knight, she realizes to break the curse she must perform three impossible tasks before her daughter is born in order to save them both.

Enchanted by Alethea Kontis
When Sunday Woodcutter, the youngest sibling to sisters named for the other six days of the week, kisses an enchanted frog, he transforms back into Rumbold, the crown prince of Arilland--a man Sunday's family despises.

Stardust by Neil Gaiman
Young Tristran Thorn will do anything to win the cold heart of beautiful Victoria--even fetch her the star they watch fall from the night sky. But to do so, he must enter the unexplored lands on the other side of the ancient wall that gives their tiny village its name. But beyond that old stone wall, Tristran learns, lies Faerie--where nothing, not even a fallen star, is what he imagined.


More Tales of Faeries --
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
Close Kin by Clare B. Dunkle
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Mass
Dust Girl by Sarah Zettel
The Faerie Path by Frewin Jones
Faerie Wars by Herbie Brennan
The Falconer by Elizabeth May
Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
A History of Glitter and Blood by Hannah Moskowitz
The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
The Moorchild by Eloise McGraw
Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
Princess of Thorns by Stacey Jay
The Queen's Choice by Cayla Kluver
Reckless by Cornelia Funke
The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff
Stolen Away by Alyxandra Harvey
Tithe: A Modern Tale of Faerie by Holly Black
Venturess by Besty Cornwell

Check these books out on display at the Arnold Branch through June 1, 2018.

Fierce Female Fiction

Celebrate Women's History Month by reading some teen fiction featuring fierce females.  Here are some of my favorites . . . .

Graceling by Kristin Cashore
In a world where some people are born with extreme and often-feared skills called Graces, Katsa struggles for redemption from her own horrifying Grace, the Grace of killing, and teams up with another young fighter to save their land from a corrupt king.

Hero by Alethea Kontis
Saturday Woodcutter accidentally conjures an ocean in the backyard and, with sword in tow, sets sail on a pirate ship, only to find herself kidnapped and held captive by a mountain witch with the power to destroy the world.

Legacies by Mercedes Lackey
After her family is killed, Spirit White is taken to Oakhurst Academy, a combination orphanage and school for those with magical powers, where she and her new friends investigate when students start mysteriously disappearing.

Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce
Eleven-year-old Alanna, who aspires to be a knight even though she is a girl, disguises herself as a boy to become a royal page, a learning many hard lessons along her path to high adventure.

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
When sixteen-year-old orphan Tessa Fell's older brother suddenly vanishes, her search for him leads her into Victorian-era London's dangerous supernatural underworld, and when she discovers that she herself is a Downworlder, she must learn to trust the demon-killing Shadowhunters if she ever wants to learn to control her powers and find her brother.


More Fierce Female Fiction for Teens --
Assassin's Heart by Sarah Ahiers
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
Delirium by Lauren Oliver
Eon: Dragoneye Reborn by Alison Goodman
Flygirl by Sherri L. Smith
The Friday Society by Adrienne Kress
The Girl of Fire and Thorn by Rae Carson
Impossible by Nancy Werlin
Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment by James Patterson
Palace of Spies by Sarah Zettel
Prom Dates from Hell by Rosemary Clement-Moore
Revenge and the Wild by Michelle Modesto
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
Sorcery and Cecelia, or the Enchanted Chocolate Pot by Patricia C. Wrede & Caroline Stevermer
Terrier by Tamora Pierce
Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake
Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee
Vessel by Sarah Durst


Check these books out on display at the Arnold Branch through April 14, 2017.

Once Upon a Time . . . Fairy Tales for Teens

I love to read re-imaginings of fairy tales -- whether it is a strict retelling with more character development or a fractured tale.  Here are some of my favorite fairy tales for teens . . . .

Enchanted by Alethea Kontis
When Sunday Woodcutter, the youngest sibling to sisters named for the other six days of the week, kisses an enchanted frog, he transforms back into Rumbold, the crown prince of Arilland--a man Sunday's family despises.

Snow in Summer by Jane Yolen
Recasts the tale of Snow White, setting it in West Virginia in the 1940s with a stepmother who is a snake-handler.

Zel by Donna Jo Napoli
Based on the fairy tale Rapunzel, the story is told in alternating chapters from the point of view of Zel, her mother, and the prince, and delves into the psychological motivations of the characters.

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George
A girl travels east of the sun and west of the moon to free her beloved prince from a magic spell.

Into the Wild by Sarah Beth Durst
Having escaped from the Wild and the preordained fairy tale plots it imposes, Rapunzel, along with her daughter Julie Marchen, tries to live a fairly normal life, but when the Wild breaks free and takes over their town, it is Julie who has to prevent everyone from being trapped in the events of a story.


More Fairy Tales for Teens --
Curse of the Thirteenth Fey by Jane Yolen
Dark Shimmer by Donna Jo Napoli
The Door in the Hedge by Robin McKinley
East by Edith Pattou
The Glass Casket by McCormick Templeman
Lies, Knives and Girls in Red Dresses by Ronald Koertge
Mechanica by Betsy Cornwell
Mira, Mirror by Mette Harrison
Once Upon a Marigold by Jean Ferris
Rose & Thorn by Sarah Prineas
Roses by G.R. Mannering
The Rumpelstiltskin Problem by Vivian Vande Velde
The Sleeper and the Spindle by Neil Gaiman
Spindle's End by Robin McKinley
Toads & Diamonds by Heather Tomlinson
Towering by Alex Flinn
The Wrath & the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

Check these books out on display at the Arnold Branch through December 30, 2016.

Dearest by Alethea Kontis

Friday Woodcutter seems to be the least magical in her family of extraordinary siblings.  She is an apprentice seamstress that loves orphans.  But then she is swept up in an ocean that suddenly overtakes the land and taken to her sister Sunday's castle to help with the refugees.  She spends her time watching the children and taking care of the laundry.

Then one evening she discovers seven brothers sleeping in the highest tower of the castle.  She takes one look at Tristan and knows he is her destiny.  Only one problem . . . they are under a curse which turns them into swans during the day.  Will she be able to break the curse and save them from the man determined to capture and kill them?


This is the third book in the wonderful Woodcutter Sisters series.  Friday is a great heroine who continuously sees the best in people and works hard to keep the ones she loves safe.  Definitely go back and read the other two books in the series also.