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.

Classics, Retold

I love retellings of classic stories.  It is always interesting to see how the author interprets the story and what new elements are added to the story.  Here are some teen retellings of classic books . . .

Breath by Donna Jo Napoli
Elaborates on the tale of "The Pied Piper," told from the point of view of a boy who is too ill to keep up when a piper spirits away the healthy children of a plague-ridden town after being cheated out of full payment for ridding Hameln of rats .

Enter Three Witches: A Story of Macbeth by Caroline Cooney
When her father betrays the Scottish king and is hung as a traitor, Lady Mary's future is bleak after she loses her only true protector and ends up locked away in the tower by the powerful and deadly Lord and Lady Macbeth.

The Rumpelstiltskin Problem by Vivian Vande Velde
A collection of variations on the familiar story of a boastful miller and the daughter he claims can spin straw into gold.

Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson
Fifteen-year-old Tiger Lily receives special protections from the spiritual forces of Neverland, but then she meets her tribe's most dangerous enemy--Peter Pan--and falls in love with him.

Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen
Will Scarlet shadows Robin Hood, with an unerring eye for finding treasures to steal and throwing daggers with deadly accuracy, but when Gisbourne, a ruthless bounty hunter, is hired by the sheriff to capture Robin and his band of thieves, Robin must become Will's protector risking his own life in the process.