Empowering Bright & Gifted Children

 

Author: Gail Carson Levine

Interest Level: Middle Grades (4-8)
ATOS Reading Level: 4.6
AR Points: 8.0
Publisher Recommended Age: 8+
Publisher: HarperCollins/HarperTrophy
Book Type: Paperback
Pages: 272

 

 

How can a fairy's blessing be such a curse?: At her birth, Ella of Frell was the unfortunate recipient of a foolish fairy's gift--the "gift' of obedience. Ella must obey any order given to her, whether it's hopping on one foot for a day and a half, or chopping off her own head! But strong-willed Ella does not tamely accept her fate.

 

Against a bold backdrop of princes, ogres, giants, wicked stepsisters, and fairy godmothers, Ella goes on a quest to break the curse--once and for all. In this incredible debut novel comes the richly entertaining story of Ella of Frell, who at birth was given the gift of obedience by a fairy.

 

Ella soon realizes that this gift is little better than a curse, for how can she truly be herself if at anytime anyone can order her to hop on one foot, or cut off her hand, or betray her kingdom'and she'll have to obey?

 

 

Book Group Guide: Click here for Reading Group Guide for "Ella Enchanged" by Gail Carson Levine

 

 

School Library Journal: "This is a rich and creative retelling of a fairy tale....A thoroughly enchanting novel that deepens and enriches the original tale."

 

Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review): "Plenty of humorous twists and a spunky, intelligent female lead."

 

ALA Booklist (Starred Review): "As finely designed as a tapestry, with a heroine so spirited that she wins readers' hearts."

 

 

Gail Carson Levine (born September 17, 1947 in New York, N.Y.) is an American author of young adult books. Her first published novel was Ella Enchanted. Telling fairy tales with a twist is a hallmark of Levine's writing. Her Princess Tales series, set in the Kingdom of Biddle, is a collection of light-hearted and heart-warming adventures with smart, sassy heroes and heroines.

 

Levine has also written an illustrated novel for young readers called Fairy Dust and the Quest For the Egg, which was published in 2005 by Disney Press as the cornerstone of the new "Disney Fairies" franchise. The novel explores the world of Never Land (of Barrie's and Disney's Peter Pan) and the community of fairies who live in the area of the island known as Fairy Haven.

 

Familiar characters such as Tinker Bell and Captain Hook appear in the story, as well as original characters. Levine's fairy society is a peaceful one, where every fairy and sparrow man (male fairy) has a specific "talent" -- a job that they instinctively know how to do perfectly, and love. Some of the new characters introduced include Rani (named for Levine's sister), a water-talent fairy; Vidia, a fast-flying-talent fairy (the bully); and Prilla, a fairy whose talent seems to have fallen out of her on her way to Fairy Haven.

 

Levine recently released a sequel to this book, titled Fairy Haven and the Quest for the Wand. There are more books by her coming out in 2007-2008, such as a prequel to The Two Princesses of Bamarre, which she says will focus on the writter of Drualt's epic tale; however, she said that she has not yet begun writing and is only thinking about the idea.

 

Gail, her husband, David, and their Airedale, Baxter, live in a two-hundred-year-old farmhouse in the Hudson River Valley of New York State.

 

The film adaptation for "Ella Enchanted" was released in 1997, starring Anne Hathaway as Ella, and Hugh Dancy as Prince Charmont. There were numerous changes made from the original book and the movie received mixed reviews.