The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion

25.8 - Sandy's Task - Once Upon A Time…
There was a time in nearly every child's life where they believed in the tooth fairy...and so to celebrate this childhood icon August 22 has been named National Tooth Fairy Day.

In honor of the tooth fairy, read one or more books (totaling at least 400 pages) of fairy tales, books based on traditional fairy tales (EXAMPLE: Snow White And Rose Red by Patricia C. Wrede), or adult or YA books specifically about the tooth fairy (EXAMPLE: The Tooth Fairy: A Novel by Graham Joyce).

For interesting information about the elements of a “fairy tale,” see...Fairy Tales Defined
For a more exhaustive discussion, see...Wikipedia Entry For Fairy Tales

If you need suggestions OR have suggestions for books to read for this task post them here.

I assume What-the-Dickens: The Story of a Rogue Tooth Fairy would fit the bill for this one.

Felina wrote: "I assume What-the-Dickens: The Story of a Rogue Tooth Fairy would fit the bill for this one."

Looks fine to me!

I've read the Book of Lost Things by John Connolly and I think it would work for this task.

How about Briar Rose by Jane Yolen which I think is related Sleeping Beauty?


Would Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine work?


Ingo by Helen Dunmore is about mermaids so would that fit?

Sandy - What the Dickens is only 304 pages. Can I read The Tales of Beetle the Bard that clocks in at 105? Not sure if you would count these for fairy tales although they are in the HP books. Please say yes, please say yes, please say yes.

Felina wrote: "Sandy - What the Dickens is only 304 pages. Can I read The Tales of Beetle the Bard that clocks in at 105? Not sure if you would count these for fairy tales although they are in the HP books. Pleas..."

It's described in the HP books as a collection of wizard children's fairy tales, so that seems fine to me.

Yessssssss

As of now I will be reading The Stolen Child and The Bloody Chamber.

Here is the Fairy Tales and Retellings list

http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/96...

Cindy wrote: "Here is the Fairy Tales and Retellings list

http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/96..."

Thanks for posting that, Cindy.

I am having such a hard time deciding!!! I am probably going to go with The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales

and one of these:

A Kiss in Time (read her book Beastly for the current challenge and LOVED it)

Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister

I'll put in a plug for Ash by Malinda Lo which is a retelling of Cinderella. I enjoyed it. Also someone mentioned Briar Rose - definitely based on Sleeping Beauty and I really, really liked that one.

I also have to say that I loved The Book of Lost Things.

I own Once Upon a Marigold, so I can use that as a backup.

Sandy wrote: "Cindy wrote: "Here is the Fairy Tales and Retellings list

http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/96..."

Thanks for posting that, Cindy."

Oh oh! The Boy Detective Fails was on that list, can I use it? That would be awesome.

Also, both The Big Over Easy and Neverwhere were on the list as well, do they count?

ETA: Also listed is The Robber Bride. That would work, right?

Cait wrote: "Sandy wrote: "Cindy wrote: "Here is the Fairy Tales and Retellings list

http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/96..."

Oh oh! [book:T..."

To keep life simple, if it's on this list, it's okay to use it. This list is a great help to find books that fit, so go for it.

Awesome Sandy, thanks so much!

Would this book fit - In the Night Garden. In this book a girl begins telling a little runaway prince fairy tales in the palace garden. The book has been compared to the story of Scherezade, but the stories are more like western fairy tales than the Arabian Nights.

Cindy wrote: "Would this book fit - In the Night Garden. In this book a girl begins telling a little runaway prince fairy tales in the palace garden. The book has been compared to the story of Sche..."

that works.

Sandy, are you okay with Enchantment?

Nicole NC wrote: "Sandy, are you okay with Enchantment?"

Sure. It sounds good!

YAY! I LOVE fairy tales!! It's the romantic in me I guess! I can't wait to look at the recommendations above (and more!) and pick my books! I'm so glad Enchantment works-- I was going to ask about it.

I do want to ask: Sandy, would Cinderella: A Casebook work? It contains various versions of "Cinderella" and scholarly articles about it. Or do the books need to be all fiction? Just wondering!

I do want to ask: Sandy, would Cinderella: A Casebook work? It contains various versions of "Cinderella" and scholarly articles about it. Or do the books need to be all fiction? Just wondering!

Let's stick to fairy tales themselves.

Please recommend some Tooth Fairy books! I don't know oh any!

Sandy wrote: " I do want to ask: Sandy, would Cinderella: A Casebook work? It contains various versions of "Cinderella" and scholarly articles about it. Or do the books need to be all fiction? Just wondering!
..."

Ok, that's cool. :) Anything fairy tale is fine by me! Thanks for the quick reply!

Erin wrote: "Please recommend some Tooth Fairy books! I don't know oh any!"

The only two adult or YA ones I know of are What-the-Dickens: The Story of a Rogue Tooth Fairy and The Tooth Fairy: A Novel (which doesn't mean there aren't any!). You'll have lots more choices if you go with fairy tales in general.

Sleep Tight is another one

I am planning to read The Fairy-Tale Detectives (this is the first of the series, I plan to read two)

I'm planning on reading The True Story of Hansel and Gretel (320 pgs) as one of my books.

I think I'm going to try Phoenix and Ashes by Mercedes Lackey. I read The Fire Rose (a Beauty and the Beast re-telling) by her several years ago and really liked it. But, not being my usual genre (I only picked up The Fire Rose because of a book club), I haven't gotten back to reading any more of her books. That's why I love these challenges (and book clubs) -- they force me out of my little genre rut ;o).

Kristi (Passion for the Page) wrote: "I think I'm going to try Phoenix and Ashes by Mercedes Lackey. I read The Fire Rose (a Beauty and the Beast re-telling) by her several years ago and really ..."

I enjoyed both of those.

Terribly Twisted Tales has new twists on old fairy tales;
The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse : "In Robert Rankin’s latest warped fantasy, a serial killer is murdering notable nursery rhyme characters and leaving chocolate calling cards." Funny; also funny was Jasper Fforde's pair of "Nursery Crime" novels, The Big Over Easy and The Fourth Bear

Kristi - I've read all the Elementals and enjoyed them. Each one in the series is based upon a fairy tale. So if you want to read the 2nd book in the series, The Serpent's Shadow is based on Snow White.

I agree Tanja--The Elementals books are good. Lackey's series Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms also has some good ones--the first is a Cinderella story The Fairy Godmother. They are lighter in tone than the Elemental series.

Donna Jo wrote: "I agree Tanja--The Elementals books are good. Lackey's series Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms also has some good ones--the first is a Cinderella story The Fairy Godmother. They ar..."

All of the Five Hundred Kingdom books work as fairy tales, regardless of whether they're based on traditional tales - they all have the basic fairy tale elements. I've enjoyed all of them.

And the TBR pile grows and grows and grows... (it's like Jack's beanstalk hehehe).

Thanks, everyone. These all sound great!

*giggles*
The Five Hundred Kingdoms series is more amusing than The Elementals. Just imagine your favorite tale gone wrong :P

I have the Five Kingdoms books and some of the Elementals and they been sitting on my shelf forever.

Jayme, get to reading them! I can go through an Elemental or Five Kingdoms within a day or two. Or maybe that's because I love Lackey so much.

Dust Me Baby One More Time by Michelle Hauf is about a tooth faery. It is in the anthology:

Would The Princess Bride work?

Jennifer N. wrote: "Would The Princess Bride work?"

sure will

Hello! On the Goodreads list Cindy linked to (post #9), Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal is listed. Would you accept this book? :D

How about The Hobbit: Or There and Back Again?

I somehow have managed to avoid reading it, even though I have read & reread LoTR many times.

Cindy, thanks for the link!


Sandy, is Stardust be acceptable? The reviews mention "adult fairy tale" but nowhere does it seay which fairy tale its retelling.
If so, I'll read Stardust and Bound.

Jennifer wrote: "Hello! On the Goodreads list Cindy linked to (post #9), Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal is listed. Would you accept this book? :D"

I looked at the description again, and even though it's on that list, I just don't see it as a fairy tale - more of a religious/mythology parody. It doesn't seem to have any of the elements of a fairy tale.

Liz wrote: "How about The Hobbit: Or There and Back Again?

I somehow have managed to avoid reading it, even though I have read & reread LoTR many times."

That works. It has the basic fairy tale elements.

Petra wrote: "Cindy, thanks for the link!


Sandy, is Stardust be acceptable? The reviews mention "adult fairy tale" but nowhere does it seay which fairy tale its retelling.
If so, I'll read St..."

the fairy tale doesn't have to be a retelling - it can be its own new story, as long as it meets the general characteristics of a fairy tale.

Sandy wrote: "I looked at the description again, and even though it's on that list, I just don't see it as a fairy tale - more of a religious/mythology parody..."

I know. Weird, right? I thought it would be a no-go, but I own the book so thought I would at least ask. Thanks Sandy. :D

Sandy wrote: "the fairy tale doesn't have to be a retelling - it can be its own new story, as long as it meets the general characteristics of a fairy tale. ..."

Thanks!

How about The Complete Grimm's Fairy Tales? Been meaning to read that one for awhile...