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Margaret Peterson Haddix

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Just Ella (1) (The Palace Chronicles) Paperback – August 1, 2001

by Margaret Peterson Haddix (Author), René Milot (Illustrator)

4.4 365 ratings

Book 1 of 3: The Palace Chronicles

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It's a familiar story: In spite of the obstacles put in her way by her wicked stepmother, Ella goes to the ball, sweeps Prince Charming off his feet, and is chosen to be his bride. Now she's comfortably ensconced in the palace, awaiting marriage to the man of her dreams. It's happily ever after time, right?
Wrong! Life for Ella has become an endless round of lessons and restrictions; even worse, Prince Charming turns out to be more like Prince Boring. Why can't she talk with him the way she can with Jed, her earnest young tutor?
Slowly, Ella comes to realize she doesn't want the life she fought so hard to win. But breaking her engagement proves more difficult -- and dangerous -- than escaping her stepmother's tyranny.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

W wrote, "Haddix puts a feminist spin on the Cinderella story, beginning her tongue-in-cheek novel where the traditional story ends. Her straightforward, often gleefully glib narrative breathes fresh life into the tale." Ages 10-14.

About the Author

Margaret Peterson Haddix is the author of many critically and popularly acclaimed YA and middle grade novels, including the Children of Exile series, The Missing series, the Under Their Skin series, and the Shadow Children series. A graduate of Miami University (of Ohio), she worked for several years as a reporter for The Indianapolis News. She also taught at the Danville (Illinois) Area Community College. She lives with her family in Columbus, Ohio. Visit her at HaddixBooks.com.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (August 1, 2001)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 240 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0689831285
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0689831287
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 10 - 14 years
Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 790L
Grade level ‏ : ‎ 5 - 9
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.13 x 0.7 x 7.63 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #731,874 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #762 in Teen & Young Adult Fairy Tale & Folklore Adaptations
- #1,607 in Teen & Young Adult Wizards & Witches Fantasy
- #1,844 in Teen & Young Adult Sword & Sorcery Fantasy

Customer Reviews:
4.4 365 ratings

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Margaret Peterson Haddix

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I grew up on a farm outside Washington Court House, Ohio. As a kid, I liked to read a lot, and was also involved in 4-H, various bands and choirs (I played flute and piano), church youth group, the school newspaper, and a quiz-bowl type team. I was pretty disastrous as an athlete, although I did run track one year in high school. After graduating from Miami University (of Ohio), I worked as a newspaper copy editor in Fort Wayne, Indiana; a newspaper reporter in Indianapolis; and a part-time community college instructor and freelance writer in Danville, Illinois, before my first book was published. I've moved around a lot as an adult, having also lived in Luxembourg (during a college semester abroad) and in Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania. Several years ago, I moved back to Ohio with my husband and kids; we now live in Columbus, Ohio. My husband trains investigative journalists, and my kids are in high school, so there's always a lot going on around our house.

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Customers find the book enjoyable and a great fairy tale. They appreciate the romance, action, and humor, which is not silly or kidish.

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Readability Humor

28 customers mention "Readability"28 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's readability. They find it a wonderful story with a nice flow of events. The heroine is relatable and has quite a bit of spunk. The book contains bits of fairy tale and action.

"...This is a really wonderful story to read, and you will not be able to put the book down until you finish it...." Read more

"...This is definitely a retelling and it was good but confusing as well. I hope to get more answers in the second book...." Read more

"This book is so good. When I'm reading it I never want to stop. I've already read it 5 times. This book contains bits of fairy tale and action...." Read more

"...Ella Brown was kind, relatable, and had quite a bit of spunk to her. Though not the most romantic book, the story does well for a 12yr old audience." Read more

3 customers mention "Humor"3 positive0 negative

Customers like the humor in the book. They say it's not silly and kidish.

"...me of the fairy tales I heard when I was little but it was not silly and kidish. It also showed..." Read more

"...There is romance, action, and humour. That is why I give it five stars." Read more

"...This book is the prefect mixture of funny, romance, and adventure." Read more

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A great retelling of Cinderella! -- review by a 4th grader
Reviewed in the United States on June 13, 2018
Verified Purchase
Just Ella is a retelling of “Cinderella”, and it’s about a girl named Ella who has all of the hard luck. She’s stuck cleaning the house and being her step-mother’s servant. When she finally gets noticed at the ball for her beauty, she is promised she will marry the prince. But training to become a princess isn’t what she thought it would be like. With being constantly told to act like a “proper lady”, an almost-evil decorum instructor, and those silent meetings with the prince, Ella wonders whether she really is in love with the prince. Ella decides that she doesn’t want to marry the prince, but she is told that she can’t stop the marriage. Even when she is crushing on another boy, and the prince is definitely not charming, Ella knows that it will be hard to stop the marriage, … and that there will be consequences.

This is a really wonderful story to read, and you will not be able to put the book down until you finish it. Margaret Peterson Haddix has done a great job writing Just Ella. You will feel for Ella, as she stumbles her way to her own happily ever after. -A.M.L., age 10

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Elie
Awesome book
Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2019
Verified Purchase
I especially liked Ella’s personality. Sometimes she was defiant others she was dignified. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes old stories or anyone who likes a great book. I rated it a 5 because everything made sense and it was based off of a famous Disney movie. I like the fact that it tells a different version of what happened in Cinderella.

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Madeline Hunter
I have so many questions but none at all.
Reviewed in the United States on October 24, 2024
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If you were to ask me about this book I’d tell you, it’s a mix of beauty and the beast, the princess diaries, and of course, Cinderella! This is definitely a retelling and it was good but confusing as well. I hope to get more answers in the second book. I feel like Prince Charming knew how to be a ladies man but abused his power, similar to Gaston in Beauty and the Beast . Madam Bisset I wish I knew more about and her past. I also wish I knew about the updated scene for the show fitting and such. It was like Princess diaries because she fell/falls in love with her not-betrothed. I have so much more to share but will not bore anyone. But if you’re genuinely curious if you should read this book? I would say go for it, but definitely read the sample first. I feel it could be either a hit or miss and that was what it was for me, a hit! Enjoy!! 😊

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Q B smith
WOW
Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2018
Verified Purchase
This book is so good. When I'm reading it I never want to stop. I've already read it 5 times. This book contains bits of fairy tale and action. This book is briskly Cinderella but no magic and the fact that Ella ends up hating the Prince and runs away.

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AKgirl29
3-star rating
Reviewed in the United States on December 23, 2013
Verified Purchase
The story about Cinderella's ever after is hard to attempt. Haddix created a strong and independent character, which I appreciated. The story has a nice flow of events, not choppy (except for the end. But maybe that is to get the reader to buy the sequel?)
3 stars is due to my inability to merge, at times, the language used to the setting being described. Haddix has a very modern and popular style of writing, using at time catch phrases unique to the 21st century. This was a hard contrast for me to digest, knowing that the setting was either fairytale or many years back.

Ella Brown was kind, relatable, and had quite a bit of spunk to her. Though not the most romantic book, the story does well for a 12yr old audience.

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Megan Smith
Just Ella
Reviewed in the United States on June 12, 2013
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I loved this book! If you are a ten through fifteen year old girl you will love it too. It reminded me of the fairy tales I heard when I was little but it was not silly and kidish. It also showed
us what happens after happily ever after but still has a nice, happy and very open ending.

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Card Shark
AMAZING Book
Reviewed in the United States on April 8, 2014
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I love this book. I read it for the first time yesterday and I fell in love with it. My mother told me not to read it so fast but I did because I loved it Haddix outdid herself. Thank You Amazon for putting this book on the book store. Please get this book if you have not read any Haddix books at all. or like Haddix.

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Basically Amazing Ashley
Definitely one of my favorite Cinderella retellings!
Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2012
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I have always loved fairy tales. I love losing myself in the worlds and ideas that fairy tales create, and they have always had a special place in my heart and on my shelf. The best fairy tales are always the ones that take the original story and crafts something new and wholly unique from them.

Just Ella by Margaret Peterson Haddix is my kind of fairy tale. Ella is basically hardcore, and she does it on her own. This fairy tale has no magic, no helpless heroine, no overly heroic prince (although he kind of tries- creepy!) and our Ella is SMART! (Sadly, the prince does have the personality of a noodle, and a dry one at that.) Ella doesn't sit around crying into the ashes of the fire her stepsisters left for her waiting for a magical solution to her problem. She decides she wants to go to the ball, finds an old gown, alters it and goes. No magic required. Once at the ball, the prince, of course, does decide he is in love with her, cannot live without her, and must bring her to his castle immediately for their happily ever after and Ella is, of course, ecstatic. Aside from the no magic part, this book still sounds very much like the typical Cinderella story. But the brilliance of this story comes after the 'ending.' Most of Just Ella takes place after the ball but before the wedding and we get to see what happens when you commit to spend your life with someone you've known for five minutes. (Like when you buy something really pretty (Ooooh, shiny!) and then get home and realize you hate it, but the store won't take it back).

Ella tries really hard to find her happily ever after. She has what every girl in the kingdom wants (the prince to marry and a lifetime of ease and luxury in the palace ahead of her.) She thinks she should be happy but she slowly begins to realize that she is not and that she doesn't know if this life can be right for her. She sits down with the prince one night before their wedding, and tries to talk to him about her concerns, and address the problems she is facing. I won't spoil the ending for you. That's the best part of the book. You'll have to read it yourself if you want to know how that conversation goes.

I loved this story because it isn't just the traditional Cinderella story. It's more practical, more true to life and addresses the issues I've always had with the story (weak heroine, true love at first site etc.) to craft a story that goes beyond the original. It's pretty awesome, but one that is definitely geared toward younger readers. So keep that in mind when you read it.

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