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The Fairy's Mistake (The Princess Tales, Book 1)
- By Gail Carson Levine
- Genre: Fairy Tale
Common Sense Media says
A fairy's reward and punishment backfire.
Parents say
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that the behavior of both sisters is filled with points for discussion, as the bad sister gets what she wants through blackmail, and the good sister marries a man she does not love.
What's the story?
Rosella helps the fairy, Ethelinda, disguised as an old woman, get a drink of water from the well, and is rewarded by having jewels tumble from her mouth whenever she speaks. Her selfish sister, Myrtle, is punished with bugs and snakes coming out of her mouth. But Ethelinda's plans backfire when Myrtle uses her affliction to force townspeople to give her whatever she wants, while Rosella is married to a greedy prince who only loves her jewels.
Is it any good?
This is the first of The Princess Tales, a series of short retellings of fairy tales by the Newbery-honored author of Ella Enchanted. Her light sense of humor and deadpan descriptions of absurdities, along with the short length and easy-to-read text, make this a delightful snack rather than a heavy meal. But she never talks down to her audience, which makes this a good choice for young readers, reluctant readers, and reading aloud.
Some may find the values here a little questionable: Myrtle's outrageous behavior is never punished, bringing success to her and her nasty mother. She even helps Rosella deceive the prince to get him to behave somewhat better, but he still gets to keep half of the jewels Rosella produces, while she gets to give the rest to the poor. But it's all meant in fun, and it's unlikely any young readers will take Myrtle as their role model.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about how the fairy's reward and punishment are exploited. Do you think she could have foreseen the consequences? Would you be happy if jewels fell out of your mouth every time you spoke?
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AGE
Great for tweens....
I think this book is really funny and most girls would love it. The rest of this series is really good too.
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AGE
WOWIE! WOW this was great.
I liked the details of the emotions of the people, and fairies. I liked how it ended when the two sisters worked together to make the prince stay away long enough to gain her health, and voice. She started to like the prince untill she stopped counting her jewels in her poor box. I finnished the book and, all ready for the next book THE Glass Hill and, The Fairys Return.
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AGE
Half/Half
It's good. It's a little book, Small story, Not that interesting for teens.
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| Author: | Gail Carson Levine |
| Illustrator: | Mark Elliott |
| Book type: | Fiction |
| Genre: | Fairy Tale |
| Publisher: | HarperCollins Children's Books |
| Publication date: | August 29, 2004 |
| Number of pages: | 87 |
| Hardcover price: | $8.95 |
| Publisher's recommended age(s): | 7 - 11 |
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