This book is a creative, original retelling of the classic fairytale Cinderella. The things that remain the same as the original are the stepmother and stepsisters, the glass slipper that the prince finds, and that Bella disappears at midnight. It reminds me a little of Ella Enchanted, another great book. It's a really fun, exciting read and there were some nights we couldn't put it down because we wanted know what was going to happen. I liked that the stepsisters and stepmother were more likable. Kate picked this for her bedtime story, which was great because I had been thinking about reading it for awhile. The only thing I found a little disconcerting was that the viewpoint changed with each chapter. My little girls had a hard time with that. Ruth was constantly asking, "Now who's talking? Well, who's that?" This shifting viewpoint seems to be all the rage in children's literature right now. The thing I like about it is that you come to understand more than just one character. The shifting viewpoint really helped me sympathize with Bella's stepmother and sisters, even though they weren't very nice to her. It's a good read. I would definitely recommend it.
Friday, December 3, 2010
79. Bella at Midnight by Diane Stanley
This book is a creative, original retelling of the classic fairytale Cinderella. The things that remain the same as the original are the stepmother and stepsisters, the glass slipper that the prince finds, and that Bella disappears at midnight. It reminds me a little of Ella Enchanted, another great book. It's a really fun, exciting read and there were some nights we couldn't put it down because we wanted know what was going to happen. I liked that the stepsisters and stepmother were more likable. Kate picked this for her bedtime story, which was great because I had been thinking about reading it for awhile. The only thing I found a little disconcerting was that the viewpoint changed with each chapter. My little girls had a hard time with that. Ruth was constantly asking, "Now who's talking? Well, who's that?" This shifting viewpoint seems to be all the rage in children's literature right now. The thing I like about it is that you come to understand more than just one character. The shifting viewpoint really helped me sympathize with Bella's stepmother and sisters, even though they weren't very nice to her. It's a good read. I would definitely recommend it.
