Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

Author: Gail Carson Levine

Title: Ella Enchanted

Publisher: HarperTrophy

Date: 1997

Reading Level: 11+ 

Number of Pages: 232

Genre: Fiction- Fairy Tale  

Summary of plot: Not even an hour after Ella is born a Fairy named Lucinda comes and give her a gift of obedience but this gift doesn't turn into a gift but a curse that discovered shortly after her mother dies. Her father gets remarried and she is sent to school with her evil step-sisters Hattie and Olive. Hattie soon discovers the curse and makes Ella into her servent. Ella then runs away and finds the Lucinda and begs her to lift the curse. But of course Lucinda refuses to lift the curse and Ella is left devistated not knowing what she is going to do. Ella must go home and resign herself to a life of drudgery. Her friend, Prince Charmont, is in love with her, but Ella knows she can never marry him--her curse would put him in grave danger. When he commands her to marry him, she struggles not to obey, cries out "No"-and breaks the curse! At last the liberated Ella and her beloved prince can truly live happily ever after.

Readers Reaction: This was a great book I really enjoyed reading it. The movie is similer but at the same time really different.

Potential Problems: Mother Dies and and Evil step mother takes her place. the herion gets captured.  

Recommendation: To anybody that would like a new twist to a classic fairy tale.