This is the fifth (and final) post in my "Precocious Princesses" series, reviews of inspiring alternatives to traditional princess tales. Spindle's End by Robin McKinley Ace Books, 2001 354 pages If "Rapunzel" is progressive as princess tales go, "Sleeping Beauty" is at the opposite end of the spectrum. However embellished, the story usually goes something … Continue reading Precocious Princesses: Spindle’s End
Precocious Princesses: Rapunzel
This is the fourth post in my "Precocious Princesses" series, reviews of inspiring alternatives to traditional princess fairy tales. Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon and Dean Hale, ill. by Nathan Hale Bloomsbury, 2008 144 pages For a princess story, the tale of Rapunzel is fairly subversive. To begin with, she's not actually a princess, or even … Continue reading Precocious Princesses: Rapunzel
When You Reach Me
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead Wendy Lamb Books, 2009 208 pages When You Reach Me is a fantasy that doesn't know it's a fantasy, a typical coming-of-age novel made atypical--even brilliant--by its sci-fi undercurrent and ever-shifting web of connections and revelations. Set in the late 1970s, the novel centers on Miranda, a sixth-grader … Continue reading When You Reach Me
Read Like a Girl 