description: At birth, Ella is inadvertently cursed by an imprudent fairy named Lucinda, who bestows on her the "gift" of obedience. Anything anyone tells her to do, Ella must obey. Another girl might have been cowed by this affliction, but not feisty Ella: "Instead of making me docile, Lucinda's curse made a rebel of me. Or perhaps I was that way naturally." When her beloved mother dies, leaving her in the care of a mostly absent and avaricious father, and later, a loathsome stepmother and two treacherous stepsisters, Ella's life and well-being seem in grave peril. But her intelligence and saucy nature keep her in good stead as she sets out on a quest for freedom and self-discovery, trying to track down Lucinda to undo the curse, fending off ogres, befriending elves, and falling in love with a prince along the way. Yes, there is a pumpkin coach, a glass slipper, and a happily ever after, but this is the most remarkable, delightful, and profound version of Cinderella you've ever read. Gail Carson Levine's examination of traditional female roles in fairy tales takes some satisfying twists and deviations from the original. Ella is bound by obedience against her will, and takes matters in her own hands with ambition and verve. Her relationship with the prince is balanced and based on humor and mutual respect; in fact, it is she who ultimately rescues him. Ella Enchanted has won many well-deserved awards, including a Newbery Honor. (Ages 9 to 14) --Emilie Coulter
language: English
title: Ella Enchanted
titlecomplete: Ella Enchanted
characters: Areida, Olive Abroholos Elephanta, Lucinda, Hattie, Mandy, Ella Varner, Prince Charmont
genres: Fiction, Magic, Retellings, Adventure, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Romance, Childrens, Fantasy, Fairy Tales
ratings_count: 408834
series: Ella Enchanted
awards: awardedAt: 883641600000
name: Newbery Medal, awardedAt: 915177600000
name: Mythopoeic Fantasy Award
category: Children's Literature, awardedAt: 915177600000
name: Grand Canyon Reader Award
category: Teen Book, awardedAt: 946713600000
name: Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award
category: Grade 6-9, awardedAt: 915177600000
name: Vermont Golden Dome Book Award, awardedAt: 946713600000
name: Iowa Teen Award, awardedAt: 946713600000
name: California Young Readers Medal
category: Middle School/Junior High, awardedAt: 946713600000
name: Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award
publisher: Listening Library