Cinder

Marissa Meyer

A teenage cyborg mechanic’s life becomes more complicated when she meets a prince and discovers her immunity to an incurable plague ravaging New Beijing. Previously, Cinder’s main concern had been escaping her horrible stepmother. Now she finds herself in the middle of intergalactic politics as the manipulative moon queen tries to force Earth into a marriage alliance. Cinder puts her escape plans on hold, bravely setting out to stop the powerful queen’s evil plans. The first in the Lunar Chronicles series, this futuristic Cinderella story lacks real depth but remains an entertaining twist on a familiar tale. (Ages 12-15)

Entwined

Heather Dixon

Dancing with her 11 younger sisters becomes Princess Azalea’s only source of joy after her mother’s death and father’s withdrawal. Naturally, his yearlong ban on dancing during the mourning period devastates the sisters. Then they discover a magic passageway to a pavilion where they can dance secretly every night, despite their father’s orders and the pavilion’s eerie caretaker. This rebellion has dangerous consequences. Entwined explores the struggles of a broken, grieving family. The retelling of the classic “Twelve Dancing Princesses” celebrates the love between father and daughters that is stronger than the secrets that pull them apart. (Ages 12 and up)

The Goose Girl

Shannon Hale

As Princess Anidori journeys to wed a prince she’s never met, her lady-in-waiting attempts her murder and assumes her identity. Now alone and friendless in a foreign land, Anidori takes a job as the king’s goose keeper, aided by her knowledge of bird-speak. The former princess finds friends and happiness in her new life until she hears of plans to attack her homeland. To save the kingdom, Anidori must find inner strength and magic she never knew she possessed. The Goose Girl, first in the Books of Bayern series, tells an innocent tale of courage, humility, kindness, and magic perfect for lovers of young adult fantasy. (Ages 12 and up)

The Hidden Oracle

Rick Riordan

After his angry father Zeus exiles him to modern-day New York, Apollo faces challenges, including acne. As the ancient oracles start going silent, Apollo, god of prophecy, teams up with street-smart demigod Meg McCaffrey to find and protect the last vocal prophetic source. Along the way, the formerly immortal Apollo learns lessons in friendship and humility. In this opener for the Trials of Apollo books, Riordan uses a world filled with gods and goddesses to explore the gift of being human. Be advised: The story features two side characters in a gay relationship but without any explicit content. (Ages 12 and up)

Afterword

As new generations retell myths and fairy tales, they adapt the stories to fit new cultural norms. You can see this in the treatment of female characters: Passive damsels in distress have disappeared, replaced by strong, capable women ready to take on the villain and save the kingdom. Yet some of these retellings fall flat. Robert Munsch’s picture book The Paper Bag Princess (Annick Press, 1980) features a prince who rejects the brave, smart princess because of her appearance. This story (and others like it) present females who stand tall by standing stoically alone.

In contrast, heroines like Cinder, Azalea, Anidori, and Meg possess self-reliance without cynicism. Fairy tales speak to the emotions rather than the intellect. Retellings, if they want to be remembered, must ring true in the hearts of readers. They must include magic, not only of the spell-casting, wand-waving variety, but the truer magic of love, family, and friendship. —L.B.