Fairty Tales in Different Cultures: Cinderella for Older Children and Adults

We have spent so many Mondays talking about Cinderella tales. Just about every country and/or culture seems to have some version (at least one) of the tale. Did you know there are Cinderella tale books for older children as well as for adults. Here are some that I have found and I have read a few of them.

 

1) If the Shoe Fits by Sarah Mlynowski, is a children's chapter book that Hazel and I enjoyed reading this summer. It is the second book in a series. In the series a brother and sister find an old mirror in their new house that has a fairy living in it and sometimes she lets the children in and transports them to various fairy tales. They of course end up changing the story. In this book they travel to Floom, the hometown of Cinderella. They happen to end up in the coatroom of the palace at the second ball. They manage to talk their way out of the coatroom (there is a servant in there) and go into the ball. They see the prince talking to one of the stepsisters and then Cinderella arrives. It has many fun twists to throughout and makes you look at Cinderella a bit differently.

2) The Princess School: If the Shoe Fits by Jane B. Mason and Sarah Hines Stephens is another children's chapter book in a series. Hazel and I are currently reading this one. It is the first book in The Princess School series and it involves all your favorite princesses: Cinderella (Ella), Rapunzel, Snow White (Snow), and Briar Rose (Sleeping Beauty). The stepsisters make her life miserable as well as all the first year students. It is the tale of the girls starting princess school and finding friends even with their wacky lives.

3) Grimmtastic Girls: Cinderella Stays Late by Joan Holub is a children's book in a series that I have not had a chance to read yet. It is another book about Cinderella starting school and her stepsisters making her life miserable. She becomes friends with familiar princesses and they have to work together to stop the stepsisters from ruining the prince's ball.

4) If the Shoe Fits: Voices from Cinderella by Laura Whipple is a children's book I have not had a chance to read yet. From its description on Amazon, it is a book of 33 poems giving voices to everyone and just about everything involved in the story.

5) Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire is an adult book I read a long time ago. Maguire is the author of Wicked (the one the Broadway Musical is based on). In this tale the young girl is working as a servant for her family and gets forced to model for an artist. On seeing her portrait she finds herself ugly, but gets introduced to the world of art and transforms herself.

6) Before Midnight: A Retelling of Cinderella by Cameron Dokey is a young adult book I am currently reading. Cinderella narrates the tale of her life from birth. It has many interesting twists to the story. I have not gotten to the part of her father remarrying yet, but it does happen.

7) If the Shoe Fits: A Contemporary Fairy Tale by Sandra D. Bricker is an adult novel. It is not completely a retelling of Cinderella, but has a main character who is looking for her prince charming and is missing the one that is with her throughout her story. 

8) If the Shoe Fits (Unruly Royals) by Megan Mulry is an adult book that has an earl chasing a beautiful woman who wants nothing to do with him. I have not read this book yet. 

There is another book on Amazon (free for Kindle) called Cinderella is Evil by Jamie Campbell that tells the story from the point of view of one of the stepsisters who has been mislabeled all these years. With a beautiful and kind stepsister to compete with and a grumpy mother plus bullies.  At the ball one of the sisters has to marry the prince to save the family financially. The prince only has eyes for Cinderella. Will the stepsister play cupid or protect Cinderella from the arrogant prince. I have not read this one, but it sounds like it would be great for teenagers!

I see several more Kindle versions on Amazon that look like they would appeal to teenagers, so if you are interested check them out. Have you read a good version of Cinderella? Please share!!