The Wide-Awake Princess by E.D. Baker is a cute fairy tale retelling for the juvenile set. Annie, younger sister of the ill-fated Princess Gwendolyn (aka Sleeping Beauty) was given only one fairy gift at her christening: Annie is impervious to magic. So, when Gwendolyn inevitably pricks her finger and the whole castle falls into an enchanted sleep, it's up to Annie to rescue her sister, and the rest of her family, from a hundred-year nap. Annie wanders and blunders through several other well-known fairy tales in an attempt to locate her sister's True Love -- and she just may find the key to her own happiness along the way.
Baker's writing is light and fun. As with Gail Carson Levine's fairy tale retellings, I often find that there's not enough substance there for a really satisfying read, but
The Wide-Awake Princess and books like it are a nice introduction to the genre for young readers.
(Reviewed from a copy borrowed through my library system.)
No comments:
Post a Comment