Hidden Gem Fairy Tales Retold
Aladdin One of Shahrezad’s tales to the cruel king, the Tale of Aladdin tells the story of a poor thief who is tricked by an evil sorcerer into stealing a magical lamp containing a jinni. When Aladdin becomes the jinni’s master, he uses its magic to wed a princess. The sorcerer continues to pursue Aladdin, eventually reclaiming the lamp and its jinni. Using his wits and with the aid of another jinni, Aladdin is able to defeat the sorcerer and live happily ever after with his princess.
The Orphan’s Wish Teen Melanie Dickerson (Prolific Fairy Tale Author) In medieval Hagenheim, Germany, Aladdin, a poor orphan from the Holy Land, tries to rescue and win the heart of Kirstyn, the Duke of Hagenheim's daughter, his friend since
childhood who is now pursued by greedy men seeking her father's fortune. Available through: Overdrive, Hoopla
The Forbidden Wish Teen Jessica Khoury Forced to hid her true identity, Zahra, a genie, finds her chance for freedom challenged by her love for her master. Available through: Overdrive, Hoopla (audio),
Genie in a Bottle (book 9 in Whatever After series) Middle Grade Sarah Mlynowski (Prolific Fairy Tale Author) In their ninth journey through the magic mirror Abby and Jonah find themselves in the tale of Aladdin, and after giving the hero of the story a bloody nose in a game of dodge ball, they take his place with the evil magician looking for the magic lamp--and things continue to go down hill from there. Available through: Overdrive, Hoopla (audio), WCDPL location
Bluebeard A wealthy man marries a young girl and gives her everything her heart desires. There is only one rule she must follow — there is one door in his home that is locked, and she must never open it. Eventually, her curiosity gets the better of her, and she steals the key and unlocks the room, only to find evidence of all his previous wives that have failed this challenge and been killed.
Strands of Bronze and Gold Teen Jane Nickerson After the death of her father in 1855, seventeen-year-old Sophia goes to live with her wealthy and mysterious godfather at his gothic mansion, Wyndriven Abbey, in Mississippi, where many secrets lie hidden. Available through: Overdrive, WCDPL location Hidden Gem Fairy Tales Retold The Brave Tailor A brave and clever tailor uses his wits to best a giant. A king hears of his deed, and promises his daughter’s hand in marriage if the tailor will rid his land of giants, but when the tailor succeeds, the king goes back on his promise. He comes up with more and more impossible tasks for the tailor to complete. When the tailor achieves them all, the king resorts to assassination. But the tailor bests him again, and eventually wins the princess’s hand in marriage.
Valiant Middle Grade Sarah McGuire A reimagined "Brave Little Tailor" about a clever young girl who saves her kingdom Available through: Overdrive, Hoopla
East of the Sun, West of the Moon A poor farmer’s daughter is brought to the castle of an enchanted polar bear in the hopes that she can break the curse that keeps him from his human form. When she fails, he is taken by the Troll Queen to the land that lies east of the sun and west of the moon, and the girl must set out on a journey to find him, make up for her mistakes, and break his curse once and for all.
Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow Teen Jessica Day George (Prolific Fairy Tale Author) Blessed with an ability to understand animals, the Lass (as she's known to her family) has always been an oddball. And when an isbjorn (polar bear) seeks her out, and promises that her family will become rich if only the Lass will accompany him to his castle, she doesn't hesitate. But the bear is not what he seems, nor is his castle. Available through: Overdrive East Teen Edith Pattou A young woman journeys to a distant castle on the back of a great white bear who is the victim of a cruel enchantment. Available through: Overdrive, Hoopla, WCDPL location
Goldilocks and the Three Bears A young girl finds her way into the home of three bears and causes some trouble. Cottage in the Woods Middle Grade Katherine Coville "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" as told by young Teddy's governess, who came to work at the Vaughn family "cottage" shortly before a golden-haired girl, ragged and dirty, entered the home and soon became a beloved foster child, until evil characters tried to take her away. Available through: Overdrive, WCDPL location, Walbridge location Hidden Gem Fairy Tales Retold
The Goose Girl A princess is sent to a far-off kingdom as part of a marriage alliance. On the way, her maid mutinies and forces the princess to trade places with her. Leaving the princess for dead, the maid makes her way to the kingdom and passes herself off as the princess. The true princess finds her way to the palace and takes a job as a goose girl, waiting for the moment when she can prove her identity and dethrone the false princess.
The Noble Servant Teen Melanie Dickerson (Prolific Fairy Tale Author) Penniless Lady Magdalen and Steffan, the cast-out Duke of Wolfberg, enter a marriage of convenience together and work to reclaim their rightful titles in the aftermath of an evil conspiracy. Available through: Overdrive (audio only), Hoopla
The Goose Girl Teen Shannon Hale (Prolific Fairy Tale Author) On her way to marry a prince she's never met, Princess Anidori is betrayed by her guards and her lady-in-waiting and must become a goose girl to survive until she can reveal her true identity and reclaim the crown that is rightfully hers. Available through: Overdrive, Hoopla (audio only), WCDPL location
Thorn Teen Intisar Khanani A fantasy retelling of the “Goose Girl” fairy tale follows the experiences of a betrothed princess who is robbed of her identity by a mysterious sorceress before a threat against her betrothed prince compels her to make a dangerous choice. Available through: Overdrive, Hoopla (audio only)
Maid Maleen A princess refuses to marry the man her father wishes, because she loves another. Her father imprisons her and her waiting woman in a tower until she relents. Eventually the women escape the tower and make their way to her beloved’s kingdom, disguised as maids. The prince has been betrothed, believing his love dead. Maleen must find a way to prove her identity and stop the marriage before it is too late.
Book of a Thousand Days Teen Shannon Hale (Prolific Fairy Tale Author) Fifteen-year-old Dashti, sworn to obey her sixteen-year-old mistress, the Lady Saren, shares Saren's years of punishment locked in a tower, then brings her safely to the lands of her true love, where both must hide who they are as they work as kitchen maids. Available through: Overdrive, Hoopla (audio only) Hidden Gem Fairy Tales Retold
Mulan When China is threatened, and a man from each family commanded to serve in the army, Hua Mulan disguises herself as a boy and goes to take her father’s place. If her ruse is discovered, she will be put to death.
The Warrior Maiden Teen Melanie Dickerson (Prolific Fairy Tale Author) Giving in to her adventurous spirit, Mulan disguises herself as a boy to join the fight to protect her liege lord from a besieging army before a rival discovers her true gender. Available through: Overdrive, Hoopla
The Wild Orchid Middle Grade Cameron Dokey (Prolific Fairy Tale Author) After disguising herself as a boy to join the Chinese army, Mulan returns home only to face an arena that frightens her more than any battlefield--the royal court where she must honor her family through marriage. Available through: Overdrive, Hoopla (audio only), WCDPL location
The Pied Piper A piper with magical abilities is hired to rid a town of rats. They are entranced by his enchanting music, and he leads them out into the wilderness. The village refuses to pay him for his labor, so in retaliation, he lays the same charm on the village’s children and lures them away from their parents.
The Piper’s Pursuit Teen Melanie Dickerson (Prolific Fairy Tale Author) In 1424 Hamlin, Katerina reluctantly allies with the handsome but brash Steffan to protect herself and her city from formidable dangers--missing children, hordes of rats, a marauding beast, and her devious stepfather, the town's mayor. Available through: Overdrive, Hoopla
Breath Teen Donna Jo Napoli (Prolific Fairy Tale Author) Elaborates on the tale of "The Pied Piper," told from the point of view of a boy who is too ill to keep up when a piper spirits away the healthy children of a plague-ridden town after being cheated out of full payment for ridding Hameln of rats. Available through: Overdrive Hidden Gem Fairy Tales Retold
The Princess and the Pea A domineering queen decrees that her son will not marry anyone who cannot prove that she is a true princess. She devises a test — if the girl can feel a single beneath a pile of twenty mattresses, she will prove her status and be awarded the prince’s hand.
The Beautiful Pretender Teen Melanie Dickerson (Prolific Fairy Tale Author) The Margrave of Thornbeck has two weeks to find a noble bride. What will happen when he learns he has fallen for Avelina, a lovely servant girl in disguise? But something else is afoot in the castle. Something sinister that could have far worse--far deadlier--consequences. Available through: Overdrive, Hoopla, WCDPL location
Middle Grade Two Peas in a Pod (book 11 in the Whatever After series) Sarah Mlynowski (Prolific Fairy Tale Author) Abby and her brother find themselves in a strange version of the Princess and the pea. Available through: Overdrive, Hoopla (audio only), WCDPL location
A True Princess Middle Grade Diane Zahler (Prolific Fairy Tale Author) Twelve-year-old Lilia goes north to seek the family she has never known, accompanied by her friends Kai and Karina and their dog Ove, on an adventure fraught with peril, especially when they become lost in Bitra Forest, the Elf King's domain. Available through: Overdrive, Hoopla
Puss in Boots A third son inherits a cat from his father. The cat turns out to be magical and able to talk, and helps the boy acquire riches and fortune, eventually helping the boy to fight an ogre for a king and winning a princess’s hand in marriage.
A Tale of Two Castles Middle Grade Gail Carson Levine (Prolific Fairy Tale Author) Twelve-year-old Elodie journeys to Two Castles in hopes of studying acting but instead becomes apprentice to a dragon, who teaches her to be observant and use reasoning, thus helping her to uncover who is poisoning the king. Available through: Overdrive, Hoopla Hidden Gem Fairy Tales Retold The Red Shoes A vain girl who is greedy over a beautiful pair of red shoes is cursed to dance uncontrollably whenever they are on her feet. When she will not stop wearing them, the curse gets worse and worse. The more desperate she becomes to stop their magic, the darker the tale grows.
Dark and Deepest Red Teen Anna-Marie McLemore Trapped in a pair of red shoes that compel her to dance uncontrollably, Rosella is drawn to a youth of questionable intent whose family was blamed for witchcraft centuries earlier. Available through: Overdrive, WCDPL location
The Wild Swans A queen, desperate to get rid of her six stepsons, works a magic spell to turn them into swans. Their sister can break the curse, if she weaves a shirt of nettles for each of them. But the counter-curse will only work if she does not speak from the time she starts to the time she finishes, for a total of six years. During this time, a king is taken with her beauty and marries her. Her mother-in-law distrusts the girl because she will not speak, and she eventually turns her husband against her. If she does not speak, she will be put to death, but if she gives in, she cannot free her brothers.
Dearest (book 3 in the Woodcutter Sisters series) Teen Alethea Kontis When Friday Woodcutter, a kind and loving seamstress, stumbles upon seven sleeping brothers in her sister Sunday's palace, she takes one look at Tristan and knows he's her future. But the brothers are cursed to be swans by day. Can Friday's unique magic somehow break the spell? Available through: Overdrive, Hoopla Teen Spinning Starlight R.C. Lewis Sixteen-year-old heiress and paparazzi darling Liddi Jantzen must save her brothers in this outer-space retelling of The Wild Swans. Available through: WCDPL location
Princess of the Wild Swans Middle Grade Diane Zahler (Prolific Fairy Tale Author) Twelve-year-old Princess Meriel must sew shirts from stinging nettles in order to rescue her five older brothers from their evil stepmother's spell lest they remain swans forever. Available through: Overdrive, Hoopla