Poisoned by Jennifer Donnelly - ADVISABLE

Poisoned by Jennifer Donnelly, 303 pages. Scholastic Press (Scholastic Inc), 2020. $13.

Language: PG13 (17 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG13 (alcohol use, scary elements, kissing, and innuendo); Violence: PG13 (animal cruelty, assault, corpses, fantasy violence, blood and gore, suicide, and murder)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Princess Sophia (16yo) is not strong enough to be a ruler— she’s too soft, too trusting, too compassionate. If Sophia receives the crown, everything her stepmother, the queen, has built will fall, so the queen tells her huntsman to kill the princess and bring back her heart. And thus begins the princess’s quest to reclaim her heart.

The narrator of the story breaks the fourth wall and switches randomly through first, second, and third person perspectives. Some of the chapters feel only loosely connected to the story, and I can’t tell if the epilogue is meant to lead to a sequel or not. And yet, with all those technical issues, I liked the story itself. Donnelly sometimes gets more caught up in painting pictures of the mood more than in explaining what’s going on, like adding a dash of poetry to the book. I love her spin on Snow White and the connections she makes between fear, love, pain, courage, and heart.

Reviewer: Carolina Johnson

Glass by Kathryn Lasky - ADVISABLE

Glass by Kathryn Lasky, 213 pages. Harper, 2024. $20.

Language: G (0 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (some bullying, deaths)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE, MS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

14yo Bess feels like the outsider in her family of glassblowers. When she discovers the horrible secret behind the most wondrous of their creations, she flees to the forest. Unfortunately, a poor cousin has to take refuge with the Wickham’s and she may be the next victim in their scheme for money and prestige. 

The subtitle calls this a Cinderella story, and while I might say it is Cinderella adjacent, I would have never minded not knowing about the subtext. By itself, it is an interesting fairy tale that I enjoyed reading. Bess is 14yo at the beginning and is in the woods for at least a couple of years, but the story itself will attract a 5,6,7th grade audience.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Angelica and the Bear Prince by Trung Le Nguyen - SEVERAL

Angelica and the Bear Prince by Trung Le Nguyen, 224 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL Random House, 2025. $18. 

Language: R ( 18 swears 1 'f'): Mature Content: PG (cheating boyfriend, kiss) Violence: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

Angelica was so busy with all her high school activities that she burned out last year. She had to stop all her extracurricular activities and started seeing a counselor. Now, she's decided she can take on one thing - so she's starting an internship at a local community theater. During her recovery, she started a virtual relationship with "Per the Bear" the mascot of the theater company - hence the interest in the internship. Maybe if she's working, she'll meet the bear IRL. 

This story has many layers, tension with parents, best friend issues and grief. Jelly is still grieving her grandmother, who died 10 years ago, and other characters are feeling it as well. I think this is the driving action of the plot - she's not dealing well with her grief, and it's messing with everything else. Nguyen's illustrations are marvelous; some of the faces are perfect and made me laugh out loud. A slice of life, a cute story. One character is transgender. Angelica's family is Vietnamese. 

Lisa Librarian 

Braided by Leah Cypess - ESSENTIAL

Braided (Sisters Ever After) by Leah Cypess, 280 pages. Delacorte Press (Random House), 2024. $18 

Content: G (Possible poisoning, attack by a fae queen)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: MANY

12yo Cinna has longed for her older sister, Rapunzel, to return home from the fairy realm where she was taken captive as a child and placed in a tower by the fae queen. The day finally arrives when Rapunzel is rescued and returned home. Cinna is so happy to have her sister back. But, Rapunzel had learned a few things while away in her tower. Rapunzel feels more like a prisoner in her own home than in her fairy tower. The queen mother is very demanding and expects Rapunzel to obey all her wishes. Rapunzel leaves of her own accord but Cinna is determined to bring her back.

The twist on the old story of Rapunzel creates fun tension between sisters. While they struggled to understand each other at first, things worked out in the end. This delightful story will keep readers of all ages entranced. 

MOMMAC 

Rapunzel and the Sea Witch by Kim Bussing - ADVISABLE

Rapunzel and the Sea Witch (or, The Little Mermaid and the Tower) (Princess Swap #3) by Kim Bussing, 311 pages. Random House, 2025. $10.

Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Making a deal with the Sea Witch is said to be foolish, but if Hana (13yo) steals a contract and makes a deal with herself to stop the Storm and a war with the humans, that can’t be as bad, right? Until she ends up with legs in a tower. Meanwhile, Rapunzel is found by the Sea Witch and trades her voice to get rid of her Curse. But if Rapunzel can’t find a way to break her Curse permanently, she’ll never get her voice back.

Bussing creatively mashes fairy tales together in this series beyond the advertised “princess swap,” and, though the first two books are referenced, reading them is not required to enjoy Hana’s and Rapunzel’s stories. I love the references to the familiar stories we know—like when the price to enjoy a lagoon symphony is to “kiss the girl”—and that Bussing adds her own new spins to the tales—like how this little mermaid has singing ocean magic! Fairy tales like Hana’s and Rapunzel’s remind us that we have yet to fulfill our grand potential, regardless of how others try to stifle our growth.

Rapunzel is depicted on the cover to have light skin, and Hana is depicted to have tanner skin. Lady Grimm is described as having “fair” skin, Melusine has “pale” skin, and Oliver has “slightly tan” skin. The mature content rating is for kissing, and the violence rating is for mild fantasy violence and assault.

Reviewer: Carolina Johnson

 

Witchkiller by Ashlee Latimer - OPTIONAL

Witchkiller by Ashlee Latimer, 336 pages. Scholastic, 2025. $20 

Language: G (0 swears); Mature Content: PG (romance); Violence: PG (domestic violence, murder) 

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - OPTIONAL 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

Gretel killed a witch to save her brother, Hansel. In gratitude, the kingdom has upgraded her family's status, though it doesn't help Gretel, who lives in fear of her abusive father and her brother, who is becoming more and more like her father. In order to avoid a loveless marriage, Gretel engages in a sham betrothal to the local prince. Things are not as they seem when Gretel discovers the witches are healers and that her family may be part of a dark plot to endanger those she loves. 

I always love a fairytale retelling. This one was really dark because of Gretel's abusive father and brother. It may give some readers PTSD. There was a lot of time spent dwelling on the abuse before getting to the meat of the plot. The same sex attraction was jarring, since Gretel seemed in love with the prince she spent increasing amounts of time with, and then goes off with a girl she hasn't hardly talked to. Gretel is most likely European. 

Michelle in the Middle 

Cinder House by Freya Marske - ADULTS

Cinder House by Freya Marske, 144 pages. Tor, OCTOBER 2025. $25

Language: G (2 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: R (steamy scenes with vague language, menage a trois mentioned); Violence: PG-13 (bullying)

BUYING ADVISORY: ADULTS

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Ella’s father is dead and so is Ella, but somehow she is tied as a ghost to her family home.  And, unfortunately, she is under the control of the stepmother and stepsisters - one of whom, Greta,  delights in torturing Ella with her commands. Then Ella makes a bargain that helps her to be seen and touched for only three nights - the same three nights of the Prince’s ball to choose a wife. 

Marske changes and adds to the Cinderella story in very interesting ways. Without the racy scenes, I would have recommended this to a much wider audience. As an adult reader, I enjoyed Marske’s additions - including a creative curse placed upon the prince and an evil stepsister who is also a magic user. 

The characters default white in a fantasy realm.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Liar’s Kingdom by Christine Callela - ESSENTIAL

Liar’s Kingdom by Christine Callela, 384 pages. Page Street, 2025. $19.

Language: PG-13 (31  swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: PG (kisses); Violence: PG (2 deaths)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - ADVISABLE; HS - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Ell is on her way to the palace to wed the prince after he appears at her home and she fits the glass slipper.  She is so happy to be out from under her evil stepmother’s iron-fisted rule that she doesn’t even care that she wasn’t even at the ball. But someone knows that she is not the girl who danced at the ball.  And her stepmother is not ready to give up Ell so easily.  And the king is a volatile tyrant who wants to eliminate every fairy from existence. Turns out that Ell was only in the pan - the fires raging around her are oh so worse.

The ferocity of Callela’s Cinderella reminds me of Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron - the Cinderella is going to have to save herself. Readers who enjoy complex fairy tale reworks will have a great time.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Snow White and the Dragon or Sleeping Beauty and the Seven Dwarves (The Princess Swap) by Kim Bussing - OPTIONAL

Snow White and the Dragon or Sleeping Beauty and the Seven Dwarves (The Princess Swap) by Kim Bussing, 311 pages. Random House, 2025. $18.

Language: G (0 swears, 0  “f”); Mature Content: G; Violence: G (mild danger)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

Snow White was a pampered princess stuck in a castle with an evil stepmother, but now she is in a cottage in the woods. She desperately needs to get back to her kingdom, or the stepmother maybe able to usurp the crown. Meanwhile, Rose now finds herself in the castle after having been raised in a simple woodland cottage.  The girls’ destinies are entwined in a way that they could have never predicted.

The swap only has a little to do with dragons and only a little to do with dwarves - I didn’t find it as successful as the first Swap book I read.  Plus, if you were paying only a tiny bit of attention, the villain is obvious, though the characters in the book seem to have to clue up until the final reveal.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Cinderella and the Beast or Beauty and the Glass Slipper (The Princess Swap) by Kim Bussing - OPTIONAL

Cinderella and the Beast or Beauty and the Glass Slipper (The Princess Swap) by Kim Bussing, 292 pages. Random House, 2025. $18.

Language: G (0 swears, 0  “f”); Mature Content: G; Violence: G (mild danger)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

Once Ella is the prisoner of her evil stepmother - then suddenly she is in a room that is not her own, with a father who is not hers either.  But this father needs help, because his daughter Belle is missing and he is in trouble with a beast who lives in a mysterious castle. Meanwhile, Belle may think she is clever, but she can’t seem to outwit this stepmother who is determined to have Belle be her new slave, since Ella is now missing.

The best thing to do is to completely forget the stories as you know them and buy into the timelines.  When the girls’ stories collide, Bussing varies widely from the original, or even the Disney tales.  Once I surrendered, I enjoyed them much more. Both girls are very resourceful and courageous.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

The Deathly Grimm by Kathryn Purdie - OPTIONAL

The Deathly Grimm (Forest Grimm #2) by Kathryn Purdie, 400 pages. St. Martin's Press, 2025. $24

Language:  PG (2 swears, 0 ‘f’); PG-13 (kissing); PG-13 (bloody violence)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

17yo Clara and Axel follow a group of sisters in a trance as they’re being called into the cursed forest. Clara and Axel want to save the sisters from the curse which will cause them to go mad or die. As they follow them, Clara meets Harlan, an enchanted frog, and she frees him with a kiss that turns him back into his human form. Harlan helps Clara have visions which give her clues to the person who murdered a Grimm Hollow villager, causing the curse. Clara and Axel sift through the clues to discover the murderer, which will ultimately break the curse on their village and they need all the help they can get. Harlan seems to be helpful but can he be trusted?

 I enjoyed how the author incorporated fairytales into the story and how she twisted them a bit. I liked unraveling the mystery behind the curse and how the author used Clara’s incomplete visions to create uncertainty about the suspects. Axel is still so kind and caring but he also shows insecurities and frustration.

Clara and Henni have pale skin and Axel has tawny skin. Lila has bronze skin.

LynnDell Watson, DHS Librarian, Delta, Utah

The Forest Grimm by Kathryn Purdie - ADVISABLE

The Forest Grimm (#1) by Kathryn Purdie, 352 pages. St. Martin's Press, 2023. $15

Language: PG (3 swears, 0 ‘f'); Mature Content: PG (kissing); Violence: PG (death)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

17yo Clara is determined to save her lost mother from the Forest Grimm where she wandered into three years ago. Her best friends Axel and Henni join Clara and they want to save Henni’s lost sister also. The Forest Grimm changed when a curse happened in Grimm Hollow and twisted the magic that used to be helpful to the villagers. The three are in danger of becoming lost themselves because the Forest moves and changes. They are surrounded by creatures who want to cause them harm. They can only trust each other and hope that trust is enough to save them.

Axel’s gift for finding silver linings in any situation is charming. I enjoyed the story of the young ghost, Ollie. It adds a bit of spookiness and melancholy. The author wove a creepy tale of twisted magic.

Ethnicity cues white.

LynnDell Watson, DHS Librarian, Delta, Utah

The Forest Grimm by Kathryn Purdie - ADVISABLE

The Forest Grimm (The Forest Grimm #1) by Kathryn Purdie, 352 pages. Wednesday Books (St. Martin’s Press), 2025. $14.

Language: PG (3 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG13

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Three years ago, Clara’s mother went missing in the Forest Grimm and became the first of the Lost. Clara (17yo) has known that she and her mother are fated to die young, but Clara is determined to be a changer of fate—to use her early death to save her mother from an early death. Armed with a red hooded cape her mother made and a map she’s spent years drawing, Clara enters the forest knowing she will not return home alive.

Purdie weaves together several fairy tales—some more subtly than others—that harken back to the Grimms’ versions of the fairy tales. Rather than princesses looking for happily ever after, they are monsters setting traps to regain what they have lost. The darker tales raise the stakes for Clara who tests whether fate can be changed and who must decide whether she is as willing to live as she is to die.

Clara is of implied French descent, and the majority of characters are implied White. The mature content rating is for mentions of alcohol, scary elements, kissing, and partial nudity. The violence rating is for corpses, blood and gore, mentions of cannibalism, assault, fantasy violence, and murder.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Tale of the Flying Forest by R.M. Romero - OPTIONAL

Tale of the Flying Forest by R.M. Romero, 350 pages. Little Brown, 2024. $17

Content: G (mild tension)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

11yo Anne feels, rightfully, neglected by her father as he wallows in his grief over her mother’s death and ignores Anne by submerging himself in his work. Anne’s mother raised her on a book of fairy tales about a flying forest. Anne has always felt there was a hole in her life - and one day a magical raven tells Anne that the stories are true and that she has a twin brother who was snatched away at birth and is being raised within the forest.  Anne is needed, as the person holding her brother is about to make a play to break into Anne’s reality and control the whole world.

At first I was lost within Anne’s story, but it  is about 100 pages too long - a tighter tale with fewer scenes would have kept my attention.  By the end I just wanted it to be over. Almost a great modern new fairy tale. Some will enjoy it.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Plain Jane and the Mermaid by Vera Brosgol - ADVISABLE

Plain Jane and the Mermaid by Vera Brosgol, 368 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL. First Second, 2024. $15.

Language: G (2 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: PG-13 (several off page deaths, references to eating people, some bullying) ; Violence: PG (there are two instances where characters are hit on page, and several off page gruesome deaths).

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS – ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Jane doesn’t have much going for her. She is depressingly average and is about to be forced out of her home because as a girl, she can’t inherit. Her solution is to propose to Peter, a beautiful village boy she has a crush on. Before they can come to an agreement, he is stolen away by a mermaid! Jane must go to the sea to save her maybe-fiancé and perhaps discover something new about herself in the process.

Loved this addition to any graphic novel shelf! It’s a great story of self-discovery told through compelling storytelling and eye-catching illustrations. I loved seeing Jane’s journey, both literally and metaphorically. I also loved the message that self-worth isn’t dependent on outward appearance. 

Reviewer: Kiera Beddes, #bookswithbeddes

The Sisters of the Winter Wood by Rena Rossner - OPTIONAL

The Sisters of the Winter Wood by Rena Rossner, 464 pages. Redhook, 2018. $11 

Language: PG (4 swears, 0 ‘f'); Mature Content: PG (kissing); Violence: PG-13 (Jews were killed, raped and injured off page)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SOME

17yo Liba, 15yo Laya, and their parents live a happy life together on the outer edge of town, away from scrutinizing villagers. They enjoy their privacy and freedoms. When their father’s brother comes knocking at the door to request that he returns home, everything the girls have known changes completely. They discover that their parents were shunned by their own families because of their differences; despite that, they’ve made a good life on their own with Liba and Laya. When the girls are left on their own so their parents can travel to see family, danger arrives. It’s up to the sisters to protect each other and remember what their mother told them above all, it’s their choice what they do with their lives and to not let anyone take that choice away from them.

I like how the story is told in alternating points of view and that Liba is strong and her words take up the whole page while Laya’s words are in a thin column, delicate like her. Jewish mythology and Russian culture abounds in this story. I appreciate the Author’s notes about the true history this book is based on.

Ethnicity is predominantly pale skin, Russian and Jewish.

LynnDell Watson, DHS Librarian, Delta, Utah 

The Fixer Upper (Lost Legends) by Jen Calonita - ADVISABLE

The Fixer Upper (Lost Legends) by Jen Calonita. 183 pages. Disney Hyperion, 2023 $8 Language: G (0 swears, 0 f') Mature Content: G Violence: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL 

12yo Kristoff is happy living with his adoptive troll family, learning their ways, and being part of a group. He had spent many years as an orphan and he liked finally feeling like he was part of something. But when he turns 12 his adoptive parents decide it is time for him to go to human school so that he can have some human interactions. Kristoff is not so sure he wants to reenter a world where humans are often unkind. He was right to be nervous, the same boy who bullied him at the orphanage, Gustav, is a student at Kristoff's new school. At school, Kristoff learns that there will be an ice harvesting contest. He is excited that he can return to his first love of ice harvesting. Gustav also wants to win the contest and he will stop at nothing to win. 

To be honest, I did not have high hopes for this spin-off story based on a Disney movie. I, however, was pleasantly surprised. This is a sweet story about an orphan boy who with some trepidation, is willing to step out of his comfort zone to learn new things, make new friends and push through life's difficulties. He takes the lessons of kindness and friendship that he learned from his troll family into the human world. He chooses to be kind and look out for others. I would recommend this book. All of the character are assumed to be white. 

Reviewer: A. Snow 

The Day I Fell into a Fairy Tale by Ben Miller - ESSENTIAL

The Day I Fell into a Fairy Tale by Ben Miller, 240 pages. Children's Fiction Simon and Schuster, 2024. $18. 

Language: G (0 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (peril, talk of eating children) 

BUYING ADVISORY:, EL - ESSENTIAL 

APPEALS TO: MANY 

9yo Lana discovers a book of fairy tales in a new discount supermarket. Although the strange man who seems to manage the store tells her they are too scary for her, her mother buys the book and Lana hears the first part of the story of Sleeping Beauty. Her mother agrees that it is probably too scary, and takes away the book - so on her next trip to the store, Lana tries to find another, but instead the odd little man pushes her through a candy bin and Lana finds herself in the story of Sleeping Beauty. She also discovers that there is some real-world danger going on, and now must convince her 12yo brother Harrison to come back into the story with her, as there is a witch to defeat. 

I absolutely loved The Day I Fell into a Fairy Tale. I listened to the audiobook as I read along and found the author's narration delightful. Ben Miller is an actor (he was in Bridgerton) and his reading is so entertaining. With just 22 chapters and lots of plot twists and turns, it would be a perfect bedtime read aloud, a great introduction to fairy tales or even an exciting independent read. Buying and recommending! The characters are British 

Lisa Librarian 

Beastly Beauty by Jennifer Donnelly - OPTIONAL

Beastly Beauty by Jennifer Donnelly, 336 pages. Scholastic Press, 2024. $17

Language: R (83 swears, 0 'f'); Mature Content: PG (kissing); Violence: PG-13 (bloody fighting) 

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

19yo Beau rides with a group of thieves who saved his life and expects him to earn his way by stealing, even though he only wants to get away and retrieve his younger brother Matti from the orphanage. 17yo Arabella is a daughter of a Duke, living in a cursed castle with a dangerous beast that appears at midnight. When Beau and his group arrive at the castle, no one is around but the dining table is set for a feast. They eat until a beast arrives, then run, leaving Beau behind. What Beau finds, as he’s trapped in the castle, changes his life forever.

Donnelly’s story contains good messages. The clever names of the court ladies were fun to figure out. The romance could have been more developed. Beau is Spanish and Arabella is white.

LynnDell Watson, DHS Librarian, Delta, Utah

Beastly Beauty by Jennifer Donnelly - ESSENTIAL

Beastly Beauty by Jennifer Donnelly, 336 pages. Scholastic Press, 2024. $19 

Language: R (75 swears, 0 "F"); Mature Content: PG (robbery, implied seduction) Violence: PG (peril)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS, ADULT - ESSENTIAL 

APPEALS TO MANY 

17yo Arabella has been told all her life how to live it: what to say and what not to say, to be the perfect future bride. But Arabella want so much more. Her wildest hopes and dreams come to a screaming halt when her attempt to control her emotions brings a curse on herself and those around her, trapping them in their castle. Enter a handsome thief named Beau who also has a troubled past. Those in the castle are hopeful he will be the one to break the curse. 

Jennifer Donnelly writes that this book isn't for heroes or princesses but for the screw-ups and the courage it takes to choose hope over despair. Beautifully written, it carries a message of hope to those who may be lacking it and reminds us that sometimes the cruelest prisons are the ones we build ourselves. This take on Beauty and the Beast will appeal to almost anyone and is a book I would reread and underline. The main characters are European. 

Michelle in the Middle