Ella Enchanted, by Gail Carson Levine

Giants, elves, ogres, oh my!

Once upon a time in the land of Frell a beautiful baby girl was born. Upon Ella's birth a fairy bestowed her with a magical gift, the gift of obedience. Ella must do everything that is given to her as a direct order- Clean up your room. Wash the dishes. Jump up and down. If she were ordered to take her own life she would have to. All is well until Ella looses her mother and her father looses their fortune. He seeks out a new wife that has two cruel daughters of her own. Ella must now deal with her stepsisters that have found a way to use Ella's "gift" to their advantage. She must overcome her "gift" and the manipulation of her step family in order to reach her happily ever after.

There are many Cinderella stories in all sorts of forms, Ella Enchanted is by far my favorite. This is one of the stories I can remember reading when I was younger. Ever since I have made the reference of "fairy feet". Ms. Levine's words and writing style have never left me. As a librarian her words still make me fall into the magical world of Frell and wish I was standing among fairies and elves. If you have not read the book, do NOT compare it to the movie. (Yes, there is a movie starring Anne Hathaway). The movie version is a (cheesy) musical that may have catchy tunes, but does no justice for the book. In this case, as in many, the book is much better than the movie.

I highly recommend Ella Enchanted. It is an easier read and a great light hearted story that will make you feel young again! Even if you are not an avid fantasy reader it has a little bit of everything (swords, true love, and human eating ogres) for everyone.

JAC