Fresh Reads, Honest reviews, Educator-approved
What if Wendy first traveled to Neverland with Captain Hook? Liz Braswell’s Straight on Till Morning puts a feminist spin on a classic Disney tale. Shifting the focus to Wendy Darling’s resilience, imagination, and quest for agency away from Edwardian societal constraints, this empowering young adult fantasy is an excellent addition for middle and high school readers who love subversive retellings driven by female independence.
Reclaiming the river. In David F. Walker’s 5-star graphic novel Big Jim and the White Boy, the lens of an American classic is shifted to center Jim’s humanity, family, and courage. Spanning from the antebellum South to a modern-day lecture hall, this “radical retelling” replaces caricatures with a gritty, multi-generational epic.
Beauty is only skin deep, but the Beast’s curse goes much further. We discover the “why” behind the monster. Guided (and manipulated) by the eerie Odd Sisters, the Prince’s journey from vanity to bitterness is a dark reimagining of a classic.
Is she truly the master of the deep? Serena Valentino attempts to unmask the sea witch, Ursula. The retelling often leaves its titular villain in the shadows of the meddling Odd Sisters. It’s a darker look at the depths of the sea.
The glass slipper has shattered. 200 years after Cinderella, the kingdom of Mersailles is a nightmare for women. Sophia refuses to be “chosen” at the royal ball. Choosing her own heart over a Prince’s decree, she teams up with a forgotten rebel to expose the lie of the fairy tale.