Ella Enchanted (Newbery Honor Book) [Hardcover]

Gail Carson Levine (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up | Series: Newbery Honor Book

How can a fairy's
blessing be such a curse?

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 princes, ogres, giants, wicked stepsisters, and fairy godmothers, Ella goes on a quest to break the curse -- once and for all.

In this incredible debut novel comes the richly entertaining story of Ella of Frell, who at birth was given the gift of obedience by a fairy. Ella soon realizes that this gift is little better than a curse, for how can she truly be herself if at anytime anyone can order her to hop on one foot, or cut off her hand, or betray her kingdom'and she'll have to obey? Against a bold tapestry of princes, ogres, giants, wicked stepsisters, and fairy godmothers, Ella's quest to break the curse once and for all and discover who she really is is as sharply funny as Catherine, Called Birdy and as richly poignant as Beauty, and has all the marks of a classic in the making.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Every child longs for the day when he or she will be free from meddling parents and bossy grownups. For young Ella, the heroine of Gail Carson Levine's Newbury Honor-winning debut novel, this is more than a fanciful wish; it could be a matter of life or death. Placed under the spell of a blundering fairy, she has no choice but to go through life obeying each and every order--no matter what the consequences may be. "If you commanded me to cut off my own head, I'd have to do it."

Eden Riegel (As the World Turns, Les Miserables) uses her youthful, energetic voice to lead the listener into a familiar world of fairy godmothers, wicked stepsisters, and handsome princes. But this imaginative retelling of the Cinderella story comes with a welcome twist. Instead of a demure heroine patiently awaiting a prince who will carry her off, this Ella is a feisty ball of fire with the courage and ambition to take matters into her own hands.

Riegel narrates in a youthful, energetic tone that is perfectly suited to Ella's character. Her voice adds charm and immediacy to a wonderful story already rich with excitement, adventure, romance, and mystery. (Running time: 5.5 hours, 4 cassettes) --George Laney --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

This lighthearted fantasy and recent Newbery Honor book re-invents the Cinderella story. "A winning combination of memorable characters and an alluring fantasy realm," said PW in a starred review. Ages 8-12.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins; 1st edition (April 25, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060275103
• ISBN-13: 978-0060275105
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1,198 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #77,355 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Gail Carson Levine grew up in New York City and has been writing all her life. Her first book for children, Ella Enchanted, was a 1998 Newbery Honor Book. Levine's other books include Dave At Night, an ALA Notable Book and Best Book for Young Adults; The Wish; The Two Princesses of Bamarre; and her Princess Tales books: The Princess Test, The Fairy's Mistake, Princess Sonora and the Long Sleep, Cinderellis and the Glass Hill, For Biddle's Sake and The Fairy's Return. She is also the author of the picture book Betsy Who Cried Wolf, illustrated by Scott Nash. Gail, her husband, David, and their Airedale, Baxter, live in a two-hundred-year-old farmhouse in the Hudson River Valley.

In Her Own Words..."I grew up in New York City. In elementary school I was a charter member of the Scribble Scrabble Club, and in high school my poems were published in an anthology of student poetry. I didn't want to be a writer. First I wanted to act and then I wanted to be a painter like my big sister. In college, I was a Philosophy major, and my prose style was very dry and dull! My interest in the theater led me to my first writing experience as an adult. My husband David wrote the music and lyrics and I wrote the book for a children's musical, Spacenapped that was produced by a neighborhood theater in Brooklyn.

"And my painting brought me to writing for children in earnest. I took a class in writing and illustrating children's books and found that I was much more interested in the writing than in the illustrating.

"Most of my job life has had to do with welfare, first helping people find work and then as an administrator. The earlier experience was more direct and satisfying, and I enjoy thinking that a bunch of people somewhere are doing better today than they might have done if not for me."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

48 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It was true love for me, June 11, 2000

By 

Ilana Teitelbaum - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ella Enchanted (Trophy Newbery) (Paperback)

Rarely does one find a children's book that is as potentially appealing to adults as it is to children. 'Ella Enchanted' kept me up at night till the wee hours of the morning--I wanted to see what would happen!

The first-person narrative is immediately endearing, capturing the personality of the main character in just a few lines. All the major characters are drawn and handled with care. My personal favorite was Ella's father--so heartless, yet so likable at the same time. Such a complex character rarely makes an appearance even in adult fiction.

The romance between Ella and Char made me laugh and sigh by turns. While a deep romance featuring a fifteen-year-old girl is not exactly believable, if one succeeds in suspending disbelief there is a beautiful depiction of the relationship, yet without ever becoming overdone or sappy.

I also liked the way Levine draws on elements from the original fairy tale while giving them a new twist--such as the obedience spell.

The only problem I had with this book were the occasional logical gaps that detracted somewhat from the plot's believability. Yet this is a minor detail, and one that I would probably not have noticed at age nine--which is, after all, the ideal age to read this book. But a teenager or an adult who is interested in fairy tale re-tellings should enjoy this hilarious new spin on 'Cinderella'.

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you haven't read this book, buy it Right now!, November 27, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Ella Enchanted (Trophy Newbery) (Paperback)

Gail Carson Levineis the most brilliant and best author I have ever read, and everyone I know agrees! I guarentee that you'll love it. If you have never read this book, a quick summary: This book is another version of Cinderella, but the best version. Ella's much loved mother dies and her father is an unloving greedy merchant. Ella, her mother, and her cook Mandy (Ella's fairy god-mother) are the only ones who know about the spell of obedience put on Ella at her birth by Lucinda, a crazy fairy. Ella is sent of to finishing school with her evil soon to be step-sisters, but really wants to get rid of her evil spell. Her friendship with the prince, Char, grows throughout the book. There are a couple of parts that were really sad, but it ended up happy! I recommend this book to who ever I can, but mostly to 10-16 year old girls! This was the first (and favorite book) my sister read over 200 pages. If you are thinking of buying this for someone, please, buy it, you won't regret it!

47 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Totally awesome!, December 27, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Ella Enchanted (Trophy Newbery) (Paperback)

This book was so cool! The first time I read it the beginning was a little confusing because of all of the introduced languages and stuff, so I thought that was kind of strange. But Ella is so well described by Gail Carson Levine that you can feel the emotions as she struggles to overcome her wicked stepsisters' commands. I was so mad when her stepsister took Ella's necklace after she found out about her curse. It was all very suspenseful in the middle when she was with the ogres and I rejoiced at the end when...well, you'll have to read it to find out. I loved to book so much! I'm reading it right now for the fourth time and all of my friends are interested in reading it and asked if they can borrow it. This book is so beautifully written and the characters in it come alive just like Agulen's masterpieces! I loved the elves and d the ogres and I soon found myself worrying over the ending - whether Ella would break the curse and if she would get her wish of being with Char. This book is so awesome and I'd recomend it to everyone - in fact, I already have!