Ella Enchanted (Book)

Levine, G. C. (1997). Ella Enchanted. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers. ISBN: 0-06-027510-3

Interest Level: Ages 9 to 14
Genre: Fantasy Fiction
Subjects/Themes: Fairy Tales, Cinderella, Curses, Obedience, Fairies, Princes, Step Sisters, Romance

Plot: Based on the Cinderella story, Ella is cursed with the gift of obedience.  Any command given Ella must obey.  But Ella is resourceful and fights her way around every command, only obeying them as much as she must.  When Ella's mother dies, her father attempts to marry her off to a rich old man but fails.  Instead her father ends up marrying Dame Olga for money.  He later finds out she is just as poor as he and was marrying him for the same reason.  Ella's two step sisters figure out Ella's curse and use it to take advantage of Ella and make her life miserable.  Ella also makes friends with the Prince but tries to keep her distance in case someone uses her curse to harm him.  Eventually Ella goes on a quest, battling ogres and giants, to find Lucinda the fairy and have her break the curse.  When her quest fails, she then goes to the Prince's ball to see the Prince one last time.  There Ella triumphantly learns that the curse can only be broken by her own will.

Personal Thoughts: A lovely twist on the Cinderella story.  It always bothered me that Cinderella allowed her step family to treat her so awfully.  Levine gives a plausible reason for Ella's obedience (if you can call fairy magic plausible).  The curse also allows us to see Ella's ingenuity and rebellion against the commands she is given.  Ella's romance with the Prince is also more realistic then just falling in love at the ball.  Ella and the Prince meet and develop their friendship over time through letters that help them learn about one another.  An enjoyable read, this book deals with what obedience truly means, the importance of friendship, and the importance of finding the strength to stand up for yourself.  Definitely a Must Read!

Book Talk: Check out my 2 minute book talk for Ella Enchanted.
Awards/Recognition:
Newberry Honor Award (1998)
ALA Notable Children's Books (1998)
Black-Eyed Susan Book Awards (Maryland): Grades 6-9 (2000)
Booklist Editors' Choice - Books for Youth - Middle Readers Category (1997)
California Young Reader Medal: Middle School (2000)
Grand Canyon Reader Award (Arizona): Teen Book (1999)
Iowa Teen Award (2000)
Maine Student Book Award (1999)
Rebecca Caudill Young Reader's Choice Book Award (Illinois) (2000)
School Library Journal Best Books (1997)
YALSA Best Books for Young Adults (1998)
Young Hoosier Book Award: Middle Books (2000)

Other Books by the Author: Cinderellis and the glass hill (2000); Ever (2008); Fairest (2006); Fairy dust and the quest for the egg (2005); The two princesses of Bamarre (2001);

Author's Website: Gail Carson Levine's Website