Title: The Fairy’s Mistake
Author: Gail Carson Levine
Publisher: Scholastic,
New York Year: 2000
ISBN:
0-439-17911-4
Series: The Princess Tales
Genre: Fiction/Fables
This book is for
Ages: 8 up
Subjects/Themes: Kindness/Selfishness
Rosella is a kind girl who is always
fetching water. One day she meets an old
woman at the well, the fairy Ethelinda in disguise. As a reward for Rosella’s kindness in giving the
woman a drink, Ethelinda puts a spell on Rosella so jewels drop from her mouth
whenever she speaks. Her lazy twin sister,
Myrtle, goes looking for the fairy hoping for a similar gift. When Ethelinda appears to Myrtle as knight, Myrtle
is selfish and unkind. Ethelinda punishes
her by having bugs and snakes come from her mouth when she speaks. A prince asks Rosella to be his wife. Rosella accepts and is mostly unhappy as the
prince and her ladies-in-waiting are blinded by her gift. Myrtle uses her gift to make the villagers give
her whatever she wants because they do not want her unleash snakes and bugs
into their lives. Somehow the Fairy
Ethelinda has made a mistake. Can she fix it so everyone can live happily ever
after?
This is a humorous retelling of a
traditional folk tale. Gail Carson Levine is surprisingly able to create
characters who are not all good or all bad.
This book is a quick read, perfect for younger tweens who enjoy fairy
tales and for students who need a fast AR point. Myrtle is a strong female character who uses her
punishment for her benefit and teaches Rosella how to stand up for herself. While you may think that Myrtle is a mean
character in the end she is the true heroine of the story for Rosella and for
the people of her village.
If you like this book
you may also like: Princess Sonora and the Long Sleep, Ella
Enchanted, Goose Chase.
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