Fairy Tales Reconstructed—Past, Present and Future

Once upon a time, long, long ago…long before there were books written for reluctant readers, books about social issues, or distinct markets such as ‘tween’ or ‘young adult’…long ago, there were just fairy tales.

Stories within stories; stories originally told as a way of socialising children, warning them of the perils of  trusting strangers,  the misfortunes of birth, the saving power of romance and—in most cases—the  ultimate victory of good over evil. They outlined traditional roles: girls becoming women; boys leaving home, taking risks and being protectors; and so many of us grew up with them. Then fairy tales fell from favour. These tales full of stereotypes and unconscious myths—myths such as those equating beauty and good; ugliness and evil; and the idea that a female is helpless until ‘saved’ by her handsome prince—were not politically correct!

But fairy tales also feature resilience and resourcefulness, courage and triumph - together with a gripping tension and delicious thrill that is, somehow, unique to this genre. And, whatever the suggested age of appeal, the timeless nature of fairy tales can be enjoyed into adulthood.

“..It’s in the nature of fairytales to be altered and to morph with time and with each new storyteller. I was really drawn to taking the original fairytales and morphing them into something new and fresh, while still maintaining some of the themes that everyone is familiar with.”  —Jackson Pearce

So, good news! The fairy tale tradition has been reborn in recent years with some highly (highly) engaging and imaginative results. The trend not only crosses both children’s and young adult’s series, but the interpretations range from the more traditional retelling to humorous takes; from versions with contemporary settings to even ambitious futuristic adventures, such as the ‘Lunar Chronicles’ serial by Marissa Meyer. Here's a brief guide to some of the bold new options.

Fresh Retellings in the Fairy Tale Tradition

If you’re looking for a more traditional retelling that moves well beyond the picture book versions for small children, here are two well worth exploring. Folktales by Robin McKinley is a series which features spellbinding retellings of classical fairy tales, for ages 11+. For a  similar age,  there is the award winning Books of Bayern series by Shannon Hale. This original and magical series is woven from the Grimm’s fairy tale of a princess who became a goose girl and must discover her own unusual talents before she can lead her people as their queen.

Tales Dark and Grimm…and Witty!

As a springboard for the imagination, fairy tales provide infinite scope, as shown by authors Adam Gidwitz and Christopher Healy. In their respective series, they mix characters across stories and add humour and mayhem.

In Adam Gidwitz’s  mischievous and utterly original trilogy, Tales Dark and Grimm,  he steers clear of romance and revisits the grimmer fairy tales. Hansel and Gretel, Rumpelstiltskin, and Jack and Jill are in for a bit of confusion, as Gidwitz plays with their fates, taking these tales in new directions—literally—by  walking well-known characters out of their own stories and into other classic Grimm–inspired tales. Gidwitz seems to have a handle on events that will captivate pre-teen imaginations, bringing fairy tales alive again with sinister happenings and dark, humorous fun. These fairy tales veer to the irreverent and subversive, as characters “take charge of their destinies and become the clever architects of their own happily ever after.” (ages 10+)

Humour abounds in the illustrated Christopher Healy series, League of Princes (ages 9+). The string of ‘cardboard cut-out’ princes required only to sweep in, save the day, and look good in a wedding frock-coat, are finally given some back story as they take centre stage. Teaming up to crisscross fairy tales, the members of the League of Princes are revealed for all their foibles and eccentricities as they embark on action...that is, to the best of their abilities. A series I’m sure will appeal to many boys!  I’m intrigued by Christopher Healy's idea of also exploring the nefarious and unstable evil fairy tale characters in a future series. I think that would make for some very funny stories, indeed.

Fairy Tales in a Contemporary Setting

Several series have chosen a contemporary setting in which to present a modern take on the fairy tale. Located in a world that includes high school, the Internet and a variety of adolescent concerns, the classic elements of the fairy tale have a fresh twist in a familiar backdrop. Here are a few written for slightly older readers.

The award-winning series, Beastly by Alex Flinn (ages 13+). At their heart, the stories echo the well-known tales, however, Prince Charming is now the most popular boy in school; the wicked witch is a goth girl determined to teach her peers a lesson they won't forget; and the damsel in distress has a bizarre past.

In the Unfortunate Fairy Tale series by Chanda Hann (ages 13+) Mina, a descendant of the Brothers Grimm has inherited all of their unfinished fairy tale business—she must finish the tales to the end, or she and her family will suffer dire consequences. Action and fierce family loyalty also feature in the Fairy Tale Retellings series by Jackson Pearce (ages 14+). These dark and gorgeous fairy tale retellings have action to set the heart-pounding,  and romance to leave readers breathless.

The Enchanted Fairytales by Cindy C. Bennett also has a contemporary setting, but the heart-felt stories have no magical or supernatural elements. This charming series, most comprised of novellas, is well-suited to the pre-teen age group (ages 10-11+).

For slightly younger readers, the Land of Stories series (ages 8+) by Chris Colfer, tells the tale of twins Alex and Conner. Through the mysterious powers of a cherished book of stories, they leave their world behind and find themselves in a foreign land full of wonder and magic where they come face-to-face with the fairy tale characters they grew up reading about.

The Futuristic Lunar Chronicles

One of the most innovative fairy tale-inspired series is the recently published Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer. This fast-paced story successfully melds intelligent and resourceful heroines—Cinder (Cinderella), Scarlet (Red Riding Hood), Cress (Rapunzel) and Winter (Snow White)—romance,  space technology and viral warfare. Yes, space technology and viral warfare. That this unlikely combination creates an engaging, hold-on-to-your-seat ride, is a tribute to Meyer’s imagination and daring.

The series begins with the story of Cinder, a cyborg mechanic in a futuristic New Beijing. New Beijing is plagued with a mysterious illness and the threat of invasion from the moon-based, Lunar people. The subtle but distinct Chinese setting and references, which played out in names, foods and other cultural references, was refreshing.

Events in Cinder set the scene for subsequent novels, with new characters gradually added to the unfolding action, rather than each feature character and fairy tale having a separate book, per sage. As a result, this series is also a serial, with definite cliff-hangers at the end of each book. But have no fear, when the fourth and final book featuring Winter, is released in early 2015, I’m quite sure we’ll see some fairy tale endings! A thoroughly engaging—and perfectly suitable—series for ages 12+.

Still firmly in the fairy tale genre but not falling easily into the categories above, the following series offer further variety in the fairy tale genre, many of them having been nominated for or won respected awards.

• Sisters Grimm (ages 7+)
• Guardians of Childhood (ages 8+)
• Wildwood Chronicles (8+)
• Inkheart (ages 9+)
• Princess Academy (10+)

"Out of old tales, we must make new lives" —Carolyn Heilbrun

Oh, and there are many more! Stow any preconceived ideas you may have about this genre and sample a few. With such a variety of series paying homage to the fairy tale tradition in new and exciting ways, there’s sure to be something that appeals to almost every taste. If you have another fairy tale series you'd like to see added to Cereal Readers, please email us at: books@cerealreaders.com.

Marielle Rebbechi

How to Choose Your Own Ever After...

Cereal Readers is pleased to welcome a new Australian series out this month, called Choose Your Own Ever After. The series has been written for girls aged 10-14 years with a focus on realistic situations relating to friendships, family, school and budding romance. As in every day life, dilemmas arise for the main characters – situations in which they must make decisions and determine their own path. Each of the books is structured so that the reader becomes integrally involved in the direction of the story, making choices for the main character at critical points along the way and there by affecting the outcome of events.

The aim of the series is to engage girls in the sensitive tween age group – sandwiched as they are between childhood and adolescence – enabling them to read contemporary stories and to determine their own happy ending, all without straying into inappropriate topics or material. The series launches this month with two titles, How to Get to Rio by Julie Fison, and A Hot Cold Summer by Nova Weetman.

"...it is a tricky age to be...there are so many issues a girl 

of this age faces as she works out her place in the world." 

Cereal Readers had the pleasure of interviewing Julie Fison and asking her more about the series and her first of three books for the project, How to Get to Rio.

Author Julie Fison

The 10-14 age group for girls – particularly 10-12 years – can be a tricky age to write for! What prompted you to write for this age group?

[Julie] Perhaps it’s a tricky age group to write for, because it is a tricky age to be! But it appeals to me because I enjoy the mix of playful, innocent fun and teen angst in this age group. There are so many issues a girl of this age faces as she works out her place in the world. Girls are so desperate to grow up, but they can still slip back into being young and silly. That’s something I had a lot of fun exploring.

Making decisions at critical times in the book is a unique element of the Choose Your Own Ever After series, allowing for variations of the storyline to develop. How did this idea come about?

[Julie] The publisher, Hardie Grant Egmont, developed the series to explore the idea that a girl’s future is in her own hands.  Situations will turn out differently depending on the choices she makes. In How To Get To Rio, the main character Kitty’s first choice is between going camping with her best friends or going to a beautiful beach resort with a popular girl that she’s just getting to know. Kitty is completely torn and I would be too! Her choice opens up different pathways in the story and then there are more choices to be made along the way. Sometimes the decisions are major, sometimes they seem quite trivial, but they all have an impact on the outcome of the story. How To Get To Rio has seven possible endings – quite a challenge to write, but I think the result is lots of fun for the reader.

The dynamics of friendships between girls in the tween/teen age group can be very complicated and intense: the fierce loyalties; the reluctance to offend; the desire to belong…but then also to break away from well-worn friendships that might not allow for growth or change. How closely did some of Kitty’s experiences (and those of her friends) echo your own from that age?

[Julie] I definitely faced all of those issues. I remember my first year of high school being a very testing one. I went from a lovely little primary school where we all played together, to a great big scary high school. Luckily I arrived with a gang of good friends that I clung to very tightly for quite some time! But the transition from old friends to new friends is something we all go through as we work out who we are, develop our interests and discover other people who share our passions. It’s a tricky path to tread at high school when groups are so clearly defined and our identity is so closely linked with our group. You have to be very brave to break out of one group and move to another. 

"We normally get stronger from stepping... 

...outside our comfort zone."

 
I had to laugh at one of Persephone’s comments in the book, “The advantages of having an older brother are that you get used to disgusting things and you learn to aim straight.”  That sounded like the voice of experience! Did you grow up with brothers?

[Julie] I had a younger brother and now I have two teenage sons. My house is often full of boys. So, yes, I have a lot of experience with disgusting things, noise, risky behaviour and accidents! How To Get To Rio was inspired by a recent family camping trip to Carnarvon Gorge in Queensland’s Central Highlands. It’s an ancient oasis of towering sandstone cliffs, Aboriginal rock art and giant tree ferns. We went with two other families, so that meant ghost stories around the campfire, endless games of capture the flag and some epic slime fights in the creek. The girls were outnumbered by the boys - three to seven, but they gave as good as they got. They definitely aimed straight when they had their brothers in their sights.  

I could really, really feel Kitty’s embarrassment and awkwardness in certain situations. What did you use as inspiration for them, and why do you think it was important to include them in How to Get to Rio?

[Julie] Very cruel of me, I know, putting Kitty through those embarrassing situations. But I think readers will to relate to them. We’ve all been there – making a fool of ourselves in front of peers, and wishing the world would just swallow us up. I know I have! But it’s that fear of doing something embarrassing that often holds us back from trying new things. We normally get stronger from stepping (or stumbling) outside our comfort zone. I wanted to push Kitty into places where she felt awkward. Even though she gets embarrassed, she gets through things. Then as her confidence grows she takes more risks and gets rewarded.  

"There’s a buzz around a popular series that kids 
and teens tune in to and want to be part of."

 
What series books did you enjoy reading when you were growing up?

[Julie] I was a massive fan of The Famous Five, by Enid Blyton. I really wanted to be part of their summer holiday adventures. In fact I had a lot of holiday adventures of my own – mostly exploring rocky coves, fossicking for sea life and looking for treasure around the islands of Moreton Bay in Queensland. You might see the influence of The Famous Five in my adventure series for young readers Hazard River (Ford Street Publishing). The four kids in my books come up against rogue fishermen, dodgy developers and smugglers while holidaying at Hazard River. The books all have an environmental twist, but just like the gang in the The Famous Five, the crew at Hazard River has a way of turning everything into an adventure.   

What, in your opinion, is the appeal of series for children and young adults?

[Julie] I think many children and young adults feel more secure about picking up a book that they know is part of a series. If they commit to reading a book, they like to know, that if they enjoy it, they can find more of the same. It’s much easier to go back to a series that they know they like, than risk a new book that they’re not sure about. I think children and young adults also feel like they are part of something when they read a series. It’s a bit like being in a club, where all the members are reading the same series. There’s a buzz around a popular series that kids and teens tune in to and want to be part of. I also think that children love a collection of any kind, and it’s genuinely exciting for them to add to their collection of books from their favourite series.

How many more books can we look forward to in the Choose Your Own Ever After series, and do you plan to write another book for the series?

[Julie] There are six books planned for the Choose Your Own Ever After series and I am writing another two. My second book in the series - The Call of The Wild is due for release in July. In that story, nature-loving Phoebe has to choose between going to a save-the-orangutan fundraiser or going to a party with her best friends. The story is close to my heart because I encountered orangutans when I was on holidays in Borneo. Sadly orangutans are facing extinction in the wild because their habitat is being destroyed to make way for palm oil plantations and mining.

My third book for the Choose Your Own Ever After series will be out in January [2015]. That book is still in the planning stages, but I can tell you it will be a summer holiday story with lots more tricky choices to make, awkward family moments, girlfriend dramas and boy trouble!

Thank you for having me on Cereal Readers. I look forward to visiting again soon!

Thanks for talking with us, Julie! Congratulations on your new book and best wishes for your upcoming titles in the series.

You can view series information and keep an eye out for new books in the series at Cereal Readers.com - Choose Your Own Ever After.