Gail Carson Levine's Fairy Tale Backlist Available in Ebook Format

The Fairy's Return and Other Princess Tales and The Wish are not new books. They are actually two of Gail Carson Levine's earliest books, dating back from when Ella Enchanted (Trophy Newbery) was released. I'm posting about them here because they have been released in ebook format for the first time and I have always been a fan of Levine's collection of Princess Tales that appear in The Fairy's Return since she plays with some lesser known tales in fun ways. They are short--short story length really--and were published individually back in the day for a higher price for each than this one volume costs with them all combined. How often do we see Princess and the Pea and Toads and Diamonds used for fairy tale retellings inspiration? Not much. Just see my lists on SurLaLune to understand how rare it is.

Book description for The Fairy's Return and Other Princess Tales:

Ever since Newbery Honor author Gail Carson Levine introduced the magical village of Snettering-on-Snoakes in the faraway Kingdom of Biddle, young readers have been laughing their way through her hilarious retellings of famous and not-so-famous fairy tales.

Now, for the first time, the six beloved Princess Tales are together in one magnificent volume:

The high jinks begin in The Fairy's Mistake, which pokes fun at a meddlesome fairy whose plans for good go terribly awry. In The Princess Test, the author spoofs the notion that a pea can prove a person's pedigree. Princess Sonora and the Long Sleep features a genius of a princess, a hundred years of snooze, two princes, and a flock of balding sheep! Cinderella is a boy in Cinderellis and the Glass Hill, and the glass slipper is a glass hill. In For Biddle's Sake, Parsley tries to forget her beloved prince and get used to life as a Biddlebum Toad. The road to happily-ever-after isn't easy when a baker's son and a princess fall in love in The Fairy's Return.

Elements of the classics are woven into these not-so-typical retellings of "Toads and Diamonds," "The Princess and the Pea," "Sleeping Beauty," "The Princess on the Glass Hill," "Puddocky," and "The Golden Goose." The fresh and funny twists on favorite fairy tales will win the hearts and capture the imaginations of young readers everywhere.

Book description for The Wish:

There's nothing wrong with Wilma Sturtz. She's perfectly nice. But nobody cares about nice at Claverford, her middle school. Wilma is left out, forgotten, ignored -- until she meets an extraordinary old lady who grants a wish: for Wilma to be the most popular kid in school. Presto! Everything changes. Now Wilma has more best friends than she can keep track of and forty dates to the Graduation Night Dance; and someone is writing her love poetry. What more could she want? Nothing! But will it last? How can Wilma make sure she is never unpopular again?

From Gail Carson Levine, author of the Newbery Honor book Ella Enchanted, this modern-day fairy tale shows a very real girl in a very unusual predicament, and along the way it reveals some painful truths about whether or not we really want to be liked for who we are.

Recent New Release: Grim (Harlequin Teen) edited by Christine Johnson

Somehow I missed this one but learned about it yesterday when I had the opportunity to request a review copy. It missed all of my fairy tale related book release searching. Keywords didn't work so well for this one!

Grim (Harlequin Teen) edited by Christine Johnson was released in February. I'll write more when I learn more but I thought I would share this today as my general announcement of a book release. There was even a blog tour promotion. Fairy tale related blog tours should consider inviting blogs like SurLaLune, Once Upon a Blog and Tales of Faerie into the mix. We have a very targeted audience, n'est-ce pas? An audience that would buy this book pretty naturally but may not follow these authors.

Book description:

Inspired by classic fairy tales, but with a dark and sinister twist, Grim contains short stories from some of the best voices in young adult literature today.

About the Authors

A native of Michigan, Christine Johnson has lived in every corner of the state’s lower peninsula. She holds multiple degrees from the University of Michigan but prefers small-town life. After a decade as a librarian, she plunged into writing novels and never looked back. She and her husband now split their time between Michigan and the Florida Keys. You can read more about Christine at http://christineelizabethjohnson.com.

Born in Sacramento, CA, Julie Kagawa moved to Hawaii at the age of nine. There she learned many things; how to bodyboard, that teachers scream when you put centipedes in their desks, and that writing stories in math class is a great way to kill time. Her teachers were glad to see her graduate.

Julie now lives is Louisville, KY with her husband and furkids. She is the international and NYT bestselling author of The Iron Fey series. Visit her at juliekagawa.com.

Table of Contents:

Short Stories

The Key by Rachel Hawkins
Figment by Jeri-Smith Ready
The Twelfth Girl by Malinda Lo
The Raven Princess by Jon Skovron
Thinner Than Water by Saundra Mitchell
Before The Rose Bloomed: A Retelling of the Snow Queen by Ellen Hopkins
Beast / Beast by Tessa Gratton
The Brothers Piggett by Julia Kagawa
UnTethered by Sonia Gensler
Better by Shaun David Hutchinson
Light It Up by Kimberly Derting
Sharper Than A Serpent’s Tongue by Christine Johnson
A Real Boy by Claudia Gray
Skin Trade by Myra McEntire
Beauty and the Chad by Sarah Rees Brennan
The Pink: A Grimm Story by Amanda Hocking
Sell it Out by Jackson Pearce

Grimmtastic Girls Series

There is a new fairy tale inspired series for middle readers starting with Grimmtastic Girls #1: Cinderella Stays Late by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams. The reader reviews are strong for these and this first book is already backordered in paper edition, but of course it's always available in ebook.

This series may become as popular or even surpass the Princess School series by Jane Mason and Sarah Hines Stephens. That one has been out of print for years now and I still get an occasional email about it, asking if it will be continued or reprinted. Alas, it was published before ebooks became de rigueur. So it remains regretfully out of print except for used copies. And I know nothing else about it.

Book description:

The authors of the hit Goddess Girls series put a fun and girly twist on another super-popular theme: fairy tales!

Once upon a time, in faraway Grimmlandia...

A Grimmtastic girl named Cinderella is starting her first week at Grimm Academy on the wrong foot. Cinda's totally evil stepsisters are out to make her life miserable. The Steps tease Cinda, give her terrible advice about life at the academy, and even make her look bad in front of her new friends, Red, Snow, and Rapunzel! But when Cinda overhears the Steps plotting a villainous deed that could ruin Prince Awesome's ball, Cinda, her new friends, and a pair of magical glass slippers have to stop them--before the last stroke of midnight!

Grimmtastic Girls #2: Red Riding Hood Gets Lost is already available and it is not backordered.

Book description:

Red Riding Hood might have a terrible sense of direction, but her grimmtastic friends are always there to help!

Once upon a time, in faraway Grimmlandia...

Red Riding Hood is thrilled to try out for the school play. Acting is her dream, and she's great at it--too bad she has stage fright! After a grimmiserable audition, Red decides to focus on helping her friends Cinda, Snow, and Rapunzel save Grimm Academy from the E.V.I.L. Society. But when Red gets lost in Neverwood forest and runs into Wolfgang, who might be part of E.V.I.L., she needs her magic basket and a grimmazingly dramatic performance to figure out what's going on!

Grimmtastic Girls #3: Snow White Lucks Out will be released on June 24th.

Book description:

Once upon a time, in faraway Grimmlandia. . .

No matter how many lucky charms she wears, Snow White can't catch a break. She's especially worried that her stepmom, Ms. Wicked, is a member of the E.V.I.L. Society. Snow and her friends Red, Cinda, and Rapunzel are trying to stop E.V.I.L.'s plans to destroy Grimm Academy, but Snow seems to be jinxing all their efforts. Her luck might change if she can find her own truly magical charm -- before it falls into E.V.I.L. hands!

Grimmtastic Girls #4: Rapunzel Cuts Loose will be released in September.

Book description:

Welcome to Grimm Academy, where Cinderella, Red Riding Hood, Snow White, and Rapunzel are BFFs -- and saving the world from the E.V.I.L. Society, one magical adventure at a time!

Once upon a time, in faraway Grimmlandia . . .

Rapunzel's magical fast-growing hair can be a nuisance, especially when an accident gives it magical powers she can't control! But Rapunzel can't let her grimmiserable hair woes distract her -- she and her friends, Cinda, Red, and Snow are trying to save Grimm Academy from the E.V.I.L. Society. Once Rapunzel tracks down her magic charm, she won't let a bad hair day get in the way of stopping E.V.I.L.!

New Book: Jack in the Green by Charles de Lint (Author), Charles Vess (Illustrator)

Jack in the Green by Charles de Lint (Author), Charles Vess (Illustrator) was released late last month. This is a limited edition book so if you are interested, don't wait too long.

Robin Hood is not a fairy tale, but he is folklore and one of my personal favorites. This retelling sounds fascinating so I probably need to heed my own advice, yes? And with luscious illustrations by Charles Vess--I couldn't find any other samples from this book and I waited for a while to see if any would appear!--this will be a feast for many senses.

And if I read it, it will probably spark a Robin Hood rereading, I have so many favorites, some I've shared on the blog in the past.

Book description:

Maria Martinez is a young maid, cleaning houses to get by, living in a neighborhood of Santo del Vado Viejo plagued by gang violence and drug cartels. When Maria witnesses her best friend from her teenage years breaking into a house in a gated community where she’s working, she has no problem pretending to the police she didn’t see a thing. But as Luz Chaidez comes back into Maria’s life, Maria can’t help remembering the magic Luz left to look for all those years ago. Magic she may have found. Maria is curiously drawn to one of Luz’s green-hooded gang of robbers, a handsome redheaded boy who calls himself Jack Green. Soon enough, she’s venturing into the dangerous territory of robbing from the rich to give to the poor…

In this deft, 22,000 word novella, acclaimed fantasist Charles de Lint brings one of the world’s most beloved tales into the modern day, transporting Robin Hood from the green wood to the barrio. Jack recasts an epic story of love and friendship, with justice at its center, in a way that readers won’t soon forget.

Jack in the Green features a full-color dust jacket, and five interior b&w vignettes by longtime de Lint collaborator, Charles Vess.

Grimm DVDs on Sale

Grimm: Season 1 and Grimm: Season 2 have both dropped in price significantly over the weekend, probably since the third season just ended and is available for preorder at Grimm: Season 3. The prices are fluctuating but are standing at about 20-30% less than their usual prices on Amazon.

Gypsy just wrote a fun post about the Grimm season finale over on Once Upon a Blog which made me smile.

That's the thing about the little show that could we call Grimm. It makes me smile. On paper, it makes no sense to me--I don't do the horror elements personally and detective shows are stale even if I watch a few.

But I will admit here that Grimm pleases me on so many more levels than Once Upon a Time, namely because they do their research on fairy tales and other folklore to inspire them. I see those quotes at the beginning of each episode and it makes me happy every time, especially when I recognize it!

I appreciate OUAT but I don't really enjoy it--it irritates me more often than not with its Disney commercialization--but I am thrilled so many people love it. It has been a juggernaut. Yay for it!

I'm not actively watching Grimm each week depending on my time constraints, but when I catch it, I enjoy it. I give it more time than OUAT because I find its storytelling more compelling and less predictable. It feels like an independent film show next to OUAT's major Hollywood studio slickness. I enjoyed Grimm's ending. I groaned at OUAT's ending, even though the media had alerted us it was coming. And, hey, I liked Frozen well enough. I have a niece who adores it. Watching the film become a worldwide phenomenon has been fascinating.

And I am so happy they have all been renewed for a 4th season! Who knew that Grimm and Once Upon a Time would both be seeing 4th seasons! And even CW's Beauty and the Beast--so very loosely based on anything fairy tale or related to the inspiration show--escaped the ax and will see a third season. So the name is out there, too. OUAT Wonderland got the ax but Wonderland was a stretch always. I hope the musical version will be much more successful in the fall or whenever it arrives on our screens.

Now I am tempted to order season 2 for a future marathon viewing. I own season 1 and although I can stream, that is still frustrating at times when watching several episodes at a time. Hmmm...

Gingerbread Man Humor

I've been spring cleaning a little--not enough! it's never enough!--and found this card which seemed appropriate for a Monday morning. I got it several years ago but it is still available from the producer, Uncooked Land.

It's says:

a lot of people probably wouldn't eat gingerbread men if the gingerbread men yelped when you ate them.

It's actually a holiday card and says "Happy Holidays!" inside, but we don't care about that here where the Gingerbread Man allusion is welcome any time of year. And we don't really expect me to remember this in December, do we?

Fairy Tales in Stitches Week: Bent Creek

These fairy tale cross stitch designs are by Bent Creek. Well, one is a fairy tale, the other is a nursery rhyme with Little Boy Blue. They are obviously meant to be companion pieces. They are fittingly titled Red and Blue which makes them a little bit harder to find in a search.

All of these images came from 123Stitch.com. I am not affiliated with them but for convenience I recommend 123stitch for acquiring these patterns. I have a favorite local shop in Nashville, but they don't do online orders. I have used 123stitch personally in the past and liked their service, so I feel okay offering them as a resource link.

Fairy Tales in Stitches Week: Prairie Schooler

All of today's fairy tale cross stitch designs are by Prairie Schooler. I have shared the 3 Billy Goats Gruff previously, but the rest are all new to me. Hands down the Billy Goats are my favorite here. I just love that tale. The designs are slightly reminiscent of Arthur Rackham's silhouette illustration work, see here for example.

Little Red Riding Hood

Three Little Pigs

Fables & Tales

Tortoise and the Hare (fable, of course)

All of these images came from 123Stitch.com. I am not affiliated with them but for convenience I recommend 123stitch for acquiring these patterns. I have a favorite local shop in Nashville, but they don't do online orders. I have used 123stitch personally in the past and liked their service, so I feel okay offering them as a resource link.

New Book: Fairy Tales, Natural History and Victorian Culture by Laurence Talairach-Vielmas

Fairy Tales, Natural History and Victorian Culture (Palgrave Studies in Nineteenth-Century Writing and Culture) by Laurence Talairach-Vielmas was officially released last week but it's not shipping quite yet and is still listed for preorder on the publisher's site.

About the book:

Fairy Tales, Natural History and Victorian Culture deals with the way in which natural history was connected to the world of fairies and highlights how shifts in the understanding of natural history, especially after 1859, had a significant impact on fairy stories and Victorian experiments with the literary fairy tale. By exploring the interaction between scientific and literary fields, this book shows the ways in which natural knowledge was shaped and disseminated in Victorian culture and illuminates cultural practices through which new representations of nature and the natural world were popularised. This original approach to Victorian culture, blending studies of fictional and non-fictional narratives, examines therefore a part of the history of the mediation of knowledge about nature in the Victorian period and points out how the mediation of this new knowledge contributed to the Victorians' awareness of environmental issues.

About the Author:

Laurence Talairach-Vielmas is Professor of English at the University of Toulouse, France, and Associate Researcher at the Centre Alexandre Koyré in Paris. Her research specializes on the relations between literature and science. She is the author of Wilkie Collins, Medicine and the Gothic (2009) and Moulding the Female Body in Victorian Fairy Tales and Sensation Novels (2007).

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements
Introduction
1. From The Wonders of Nature to the Wonders of Evolution: Charles Kingsley's Nursery Fairies
2. 'How Are You To Enter The Fairy-Land of Science?': The Wonders of The Natural World in Arabella Buckley's Popular Science Works For Children
3. The Mechanization of Feelings: Mary de Morgan's Toy Princess
4. Nature Under Glass: Victorian Cinderellas, Magic and Metamorphosis
5. Nature Exposed: Charting the Wild Body in Little Red Riding Hood
6. Nature and the Natural World in Mary Louisa Molesworth's Christmas-Tree Land
7. Edith Nesbit's Fairies and Freaks of Nature: Environmental Consciousness in Five Children and It
Epilogue
Index

Fairy Tales in Stitches Week: Cinderella is Proof

Bobbie G Designs

We've all seen this quote before--I think I first saw it about 15 years ago myself. These designs are very different so I thought I'd share in a single post. Neither designer--Bobbie G Designs above or Lizzie Kate below--have any other fairy tale designs.

Lizze Kate Designs

All of these images came from 123Stitch.com. I am not affiliated with them but for convenience I recommend 123stitch for acquiring these patterns. I have a favorite local shop in Nashville, but they don't do online orders. I have used 123stitch personally in the past and liked their service, so I feel okay offering them as a resource link.