Variations on a theme

IF THE SHOE FITS by Sarah Mlynowski. Scholastic, 2013.

The series is called "Whatever After." In the first book in the series, Abby and Jonah travel through a magic mirror to the land of Snow White. Here, the story involves Cinderella. Abby and Jonah travel through the mirror to a palace where a fancy party is being held. Sure enough, there is Cinderella, but the Prince seems to be interested in someone else. How can that be? Before long, of course, Abby and Jonah's presence have changed the course of the story. Now, it is up to them to set things right. Dropped bricks, clownies, and characters who do not fit into their stereotypes make this a humorous addition to the variants on this story. Be sure to let students know about Grimm, Perrault, and others who have shared versions of Cinderella. Philip Pullman's new book with retellings of Grimm is also a good resource.

Twisting the tale

CINDER by Marissa Meyer (Macmillan Audio 2011) has been my driving companion for a few weeks. As the cover not to subtly suggests, this is no ordinary retelling of the Cinderella story. What you get here is a futuristic story with cyborgs, aliens, plagues, and so much more. Cinder is a mechanic and a darned good one. That comes in handy as she has a prosthetic foot and hand, the result of a horrific accident that she does not recall. She lives with her stepmother and two stepsisters. One stepsister adores Cinder, the other sister and stepmother, not so much. And have we mentioned the handsome Prince, soon-to-be-emperor, who comes to Cinder for a repair on his faithful android? a prince, a ball, palace espionage, and a deadly plague all play pivotal roles in this first book in a planned 4 book series. Lots of clever references to Cinderella will amuse readers familiar with the tale's origin, but the story will rivet any reader interested in the twists and turns of Cinder's fortunes. <119>