Sunday, July 09, 2006

Cinderella (As If You Didn't Already Know the Story)



Cinderella (As If You Didn't Already Know the Story) by Barbara Ensor, 2006

This retelling of the Cinderella story offers the reader the traditional story, though slightly updated. Cinderella shares her worries and concerns about her life in letters to her deceased mother. Her father has remarried (but does not die) and her new stepmother and stepsisters are just as unpleasant as in the traditional story. Cinderella's letters to her mother are heartfelt with amusing edits so we know what she is really thinking. The silhouette cutout illustrations added a touch of quirkiness to the story that I enjoyed.

The book was a pleasant and fast read. Entling #3 pronounced it "cute." After reading Bookshelves of Doom's review and the comment by Fuse #8, another reason I liked the book occured to me.

Girls who loved the lush K.Y. Craft fairytales when they were in elementary school are now in jr. high and when I see them at the jr. high library, they still are interested in those stories. In many cases they were NOT strong readers which is one reason they gravitated to the illustrated books in the first place.

One of a school librarian's jobs is to protect the dignity of his or her readers -- (which is why it is nutty for school principals and reading specialists to demand that the school library be organized, labeled, and filed by READING LEVEL. Please! Stop this Madness!)

This book offers students the comfort of an enjoyable, familiar and readable story and which they will not be embarrased to pull out during DEAR time in Reading class. I can already think of at least two kids I want to share this book with.

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