Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

Author: Gail Carson Levine

Reading level: Middle School

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Rated 9/10

At her birth, Ella of Frell was the unfortunate recipient of a foolish fairy's gift-- the "gift" of obedience. Ella must obey any order given to her, whether it's hopping on one foot for a day and a half, or chopping off her own head! But strong-willed Ella does not tamely accept her fate. Against a bold backdrop of pronces, orgres, giants, wicked stepsisters, and fairy godmothers, Ella goes on a quest to break the curse-- once and for all.

MY REVIEW
I really like this book, it's an awesome and different take on the Cinderella story we all know, in fact I like this version more than any of the others I have seen. I'm not too fond of the cover though, she looks nothing like she is described in the book.

 Ella is given the gift of obedience by the fairy Lucinda who happens to give the worst gifts out of all the fairies and is careless with her magic. From then on any command she is given by anyone or anything she has to obey, whether it be a human, orgre, parrot, or a command she has read directed to her. Before her mother dies she commands her to never tell anyone of her gift, but it's not long before those who Ella despises the most figure it out. While at the finishing school her father sends her to, Hattie a girl who isn't very fond of Ella learns Ella has to do anything she commands her to. Then Ella runs away from finishing school to go to a wedding for a giantess to see Lucinda and try to get her to take back her gift of obedience once and for all. On the way there Ella runs into Prince Charmont and gets help escaping from some ogres. When Ella realizes Lucinda isn't going to take back her gift she goes home with her father to find out he is finacially ruined and he's going to marry Dame Olga and she is going to have Hattie and her sister Olive as stepsisters. Because she is poor now Dame Olga makes Ella work as a servant, the only thing that keeps Ella going is the friendship and love she has with Prince Charmont, but as always her gift gets in the way.

                                                                                         

The Fairies of Nutfolk Wood by Barb Ullman

Author: Barb Ullman

Reading level: Middle School

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Rated 7/10

Welcome to

Nutfolk Wood

population 52

In the country town of Plunkit, where Willa and her mom start anew after her parents' divorce, Willa catches sight of a strange sparkle by the creek and in the old woods. Her older-than-old neighbor, Hazel Wicket, has an amusing story about these surroundings and an imagined family of tiny people that inhabit a tree stump. Willa knows there's no such thing as fairies, but when she spots more and more oddities around her, she can't stop an itchy feeling that there's some certainty to Hazel's curious tales of the Nutfolk.

Barb Bentler Ullman's fine first novel shares a special magic -- behind which hard truth and hidden wisdom await discovery.

MY REVIEW
It was an OK book, the fact it was about fairies is what drew me to it. I guess most middle school aged kids will love it but to me it wasn't that good and I love a lot of books written for that age group. Half the time things happened that didn't go with the storyline and you just wanted her to get to the point instead of telling us little details about every  little thing. It didn't have a lot about the fairies really and when it came to describing the fairies like she did everything else it just wasn't that good. I did however like the relationship between Willa and Hazel, I thought it was sweet.