Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver is about Liesl, a little girl that lives a tough life. After her father dies, Liesl's step-mother locks her in the attic. She's been there for over a year! But, one evening a strange little ghost named Po appears and they become instant friends. This book is also about Will, an alchemist's apprentice who has secretly admired Liesl through her attic window for as long as she's been imprisoned there. Will makes a terrible mistake one evening, unknowingly exchanging the box of powerful magic he was supposed to be delivering with a box full of Liesl's father's ashes. Thus begins an adventure for Liesl, Po and Will that changes everything for them all!
Cloaked by Alex Flinn is about Johnny, a seventeen year old boy who lives with his mother and runs his family's shoe business in a South Beach, Florida hotel. Things have been tough for Johnny and his mother since his father mysteriously disappeared when Johnny was only two years old. During the summer of his 17th year, Johnny spends almost all of his time working at the shoe shop - partly to earn money for his family, but partly to escape his apartment where the electricity has been shut off due to lack of payment. One summer day, Victoriana, the Princess of Aloria checks into the hotel. It is the talk of the staff and Johnny desperately wants to see her. Not only does he see her, she offers him a secret mission! Victoriana plans a secret meeting with Johnny and offers him an unbelievable quest: to find her brother, who has been turned into a frog and is somewhere in the Florida Keys. In exchange, she'll marry Johnny! Thinking about the money this marriage will bring to him and his family, Johnny accepts, convinced Victoriana has gone crazy. That is, until she gives him a magic hearing device that allows Johnny to hear the speech of animals who were once men, and a cloak which will transport him anywhere he wishes. Armed with these devices and with the help of his best friend, Meg, Johnny sets out on his journey. Along the way to saving the prince, Johnny encounters witches, giants, deadly scorpions, talking geese and rats and fox, a golden bird, and... the love of his life - who isn't who he thought it might be!
Princess Ben by Catherine Gilbert Murdock is about Benevolence, the niece of King Ferdinand of Montagne. Ben was raised in the soldiers' barracks by her mother and father (King Ferdinand's brother) and lived a very happy life sheltered from the dramas of the kingdom. That is, until her parents and King Ferdinand were assassinated and Princess Benevolence became the only heir to the throne of Montagne. Ferdinand's wife, Queen Sofia immediately took over her care, forcing Ben to learn the ways befitting her station... preparing her for her future queenly duties. Ben fought this at all costs and ended up imprisoned in the wizard's tower of the castle. By day Ben was forced to endure the awful trainings but by night, she worked in her little cell to discover the secrets to the castle. Purely by mistake Ben discovered her magical abilities and the maze-like paths and tunnels that ran throughout the castle. She also discovered a tiny room above her own which held a magical spell book, teaching herself many spells and enchantments. These proved useful as Ben learned of a plot by Queen Sofia to marry her off in an attempt to strengthen the kingdom. Ben winds up escaping the castle, but becoming a prisoner of the very people she suspects killed her parents! In an exciting turn of events, Princess Benevolence finds peace within herself, her aunt, and even the rival kingdom with which Montange has warred for years...
Stardust by Neil Gaiman is about Tristran Thorn of the village of Wall. Wall is adjacent to the land of faerie, separated by a wall with only one opening. The opening is always guarded by villagers who prevent people from traveling through, except on Market Day every nine years when all of the magical vendors from the land of faerie set up their wares just outside the wall. One night, Tristran and the girl he loves, Victoria, see a falling star. Victoria makes a promise to Tristran that she will "give him what he desires" (marriage), if he finds the fallen star and brings it back to her. The very next day Tristran sets out on his journey. He has some help along the way and eventually stumbles upon the star - who turns out to be a young and beautiful woman! She doesn't want to travel with Tristran, but she broke her leg in the fall and needs help. Things take a turn for the worse as several other magical (and evil) beings are closing in on the star, wanting her for themselves. An evil witch wants the star's heart so she and her sisters can use it to regain their youth, a monsterous family of brothers wants her because she holds the key to their kingdom and each will do anything to anyone to claim it. Tristran's only goal is to make it back to Wall, to Victoria with his prize. Will he make it alive and with the Star?
The Unusual Suspects (The Sisters Grimm Series #2) by Michael Buckley is about Sabrina and Daphne, the Grimm Sisters, and their adventures as fairy tale detectives. Along with their Grandmother Relda, their faithful companion Mr. Canis, and the Trickster King (aka Puck), the girls do their best to keep the peace between the humans and the Everafters in their little town. In this adventure, something mysterious is happening at the local elementary school. Daphne, Sabrina, and even Puck work together to find out why all of the school children are exhausted every day, who the strange monsters invading the school and killing teachers are, and what they all have in common with a little boy named Wendell who can control animals with his harmonica! You won't believe the twists and turns in this one!
What the Dickens by Gregory Maguire is about an orphaned Skiberee (more commonly known as a tooth fairy) named What the Dickens. He doesn't know where he came from or where he is or even what he is. During his first few hours of life he meets a family of birds who take him under their wings, an evil cat named McCavity who What the Dickens desperately wants to impress, and another Skiberee named Pepper. Pepper is trying her hardest to become an Agent of Change - a tooth fairy who retrieves teeth in exchange for money. Unfortunately, her encounter with What the Dickens makes her late in returning to her home and she is demoted! The other Skibereen are not fond of strangers, and are not welcoming to What the Dickens. The Crown (the head of the Skibereen) sends Pepper on a final mission - to retrieve two teeth and to "lose" What the Dickens in the process. The plan goes awry when Pepper is captured by a human child (who happens to be McCavity's owner) and What the Dickens must complete the nearly impossible mission alone, knowing that he may never see Pepper again. They both must break all the rules in order to survive and prove themselves to the Skibereen.
The Mystery of the Fool and the Vanisher by David and Ruth Ellwand is a story within a story. It begins with the journal of David, a photographer who finds something exceptional as he explores the English Down. As he's wandering through the deep forest, he comes upon an old dwelling. Inside he finds a mysterious trunk. David claims the trunk and takes it back to his studio. There are many wonderous things inside the trunks - stones with circles through the middle, masks, journals and drawings by Isaac Wilde, glasses with the circle stones inside, and an ancient audio recording from the person who originally packed the trunk. David sends the recording off to a person who has an antique phonograph and receives a CD of the recording in the mail. From this point, the book follows the audio diary of Isaac Wilde, a photographer who was asked to take pictures of an archaeological dig in 1889. This is where he found everything within the trunk. The locals believed the hill where the dig was taking place was haunted by pixies and spirits. Many of them were angry with the archaeologists for disturbing it. Isaac was able to use the stories from the locals and the amazing artifacts he found to see some of the pixies! Needless to say, no one believed him. So, he set out to photograph one of the pixies using a special plate of film that could not be tampered with nor copied. But... things went wrong.
I Was a Rat by Philip Pullman is a fairy tale about a boy who used to be a rat. He doesn't remember how he turned into a boy or why, but he does remember that it was about three weeks prior to showing up on Bob and Joan's doorstep in a page boy's uniform. Bob and Joan, an elderly couple who make shoes for the people of the kingdom, never had children of their own, so they decided to take the boy in. They name him Roger. Right away they notice that Roger has some peculiar habits - gnawing on pencils, ripping up sheets to make a nest, and no knowledge of silverware or cooked food. They take him to the hospital, the orphanage, even the police, but no one seems to want Roger. Finally, they put him in school. Unfortunately, Roger doesn't know how to behave in school and gets into trouble. The Royal Philosopher wants to meet Roger to perform some psychological tests on him. During the testing, Roger becomes frightened of a cat and runs away. From there Roger ends up in a freak show, as a thief, and is eventually caught by police who intend to have him exterminated! All the while, Bob and Joan continue to search for him. In the end, the brand new princess of the land has to come to Roger's rescue in an unexpected way.
The Rumplestiltskin Problem by Vivian Vande Velde is a collection of short stories, all revolving around the tale of Rumplestiltskin. Each story follows the basic details of the classic fairy tale, but with some twists and turns. These stories are Vivian Vande Velde's way of trying to piece together how the strange events of the Rumplestiltskin came to be.
Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale, illustrated by Nathan Hale, is a new twist on Rapunzel. After finding out that her "mother" actually kidnapped her from her true family and forced her real parents to work in the mines surrounding her palace, Rapunzel is locked in a "tower." The tower is actually a tree that Mother Gothel grew as a result of her growth magic. After four years, Rapunzel's hair is long enough that she can use it as a means for escape. Her only goal is to return to Mother Gothel's villa, rescue her mother from the mines, and live happily ever after. Unfortunately, Rapunzel's way is filled with thieves, rabid coyotes, devourers, and a host of unpleasant people! Rapunzel and her friend Jack work together to help everyone they can in order to make their way to freedom.
Castle Waiting by Linda Medley is a fairy tale in graphic novel form. Linda Medley combines elements from many familiar fairy tales such as Sleeping Beauty and Rumplestiltskin, along with other fun original ideas. The first part of the book is a newer version of Sleeping Beauty, explaining how the Castle Waiting got its beginning. The next part is about Jain, a young expecting mother on a journey. She winds up at Castle Waiting, a place where she finds sanctuary for herself and her baby. The rest of the novel is made up of the women at Castle Waiting and a unique convent sharing their own life stories.
A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce is about Charlotte and Rosie, orphaned by their parents during the industrial revolution. The girls inherited a wool mill from their father and desperately try to continue running it so that the town where they grew up doesn't die. The townspeople have long believed that the mill is cursed, and it seems as though that's true as strange bad luck continues to befall Charlotte and Rosie. One of their workers gets his finger cut off, the mill won't open its doors, and eventually all of their wool stock is ruined. In the nick of time, a stranger shows up and promises to fix everything... for a price. At first he only charges Charlotte her mother's ring. The next time it is the necklace her husband gave her. Finally, he asks for either the mill itself or her newborn baby! Charlotte knows she must break the curse immediately to save her son, the mill, and their town.
The Mirror's Tale by P. W. Catanese is about twins Bert and Will. They live with their parents in their father's castle where he has been named baron despite the fact that he has an older brother. His older brother has been ordered to The Crags, a far off castle. Will and Bert get into trouble one time too many, and are separated - Bert must go to live with Uncle Hugh at The Crags, while Will stays with their parents. While exploring his new living quarters, Bert finds a secret room with an enormous secret all its own. Suddenly everything begins to change for both twins, their families, and the kingdom - and all for the worse.
Beastly by Alex Flinn is a modern version of the classic beauty and the beast tale. This novel, however, is told from the beast's perspective. Kyle is a rich and handsome teenager with a nasty attitude. When he makes fun of the wrong classmate, he is turned into a beast. Kyle has just two years to find a girl to love, who loves him back enough to prove it with a kiss.
