"My career as a swindler and a charlatan"

Oooh, I like clever books like Fortune's Folly by Deva Fagan.  Fortunata's father is a shoemaker, but ever since his wife died, he's been making the ugliest shoes imaginable and selling very few.  Fortunata tries to support them by learning the tricks of telling fortunes; by looking for just the right clues (a scar, a type of fabric) she's able to suggest things that are likely to come true.  She is soon required to predict the future for the shy, stuttering Prince Leonato, who's searching for a princess to become his wife.  She comes up with an idea that's fairly far-fetched, and then learns that the fortune must come true, or her father will be put to death.  Readers will notice subtle references to multiple fairy tales (such as Rapunzel and Cinderella), and even though the ending isn't difficult to predict, the pathway to the end takes some unexpected turns.  Part adventure and part romance...this is a fun one!

Do you know your fairy tales?

If you like series, here's the start of another: The Fairy-Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley. Sabrina and Daphne are orphans (a common situation in children's books), and they're sent to live with their Granny Relda, whom they never even knew was alive. They learn that they're descended from the Brothers Grimm - yes, the famous storytellers - and the town Granny lives in is populated by fairy tale characters. When Granny gets kidnapped by a giant, the girls try to rescue her, of course, meeting such characters as the slimy Mayor Charming and the questionable Jack of beanstalk fame. Lots of action and clever characterization, but if you aren't familiar with fairy tales, legends, and folk tales, you won't appreciate a lot of the author's cleverness.

An enchanting quest

I was fascinated by the Chinese folk tales interwoven throughout Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin! Minli lives a poor, hard life in the shadow of Fruitless Mountain. She feels bad for her parents and hopes to change her family's fortune by getting advice from the Old Man of the Moon, who lives on Never-Ending Mountain. She gets help from a goldfish, who sets her off in the right direction, and Dragon, who desparately wants to know why he can't fly. The plot and the folk tales go together seamlessly, and occasional full-page illustrations, influenced by the rich blues, greens, and reds of traditional Chinese art, are stunning. And when Minli learns the importance of family, friends, and what's truly needed for happiness, the reader will breathe a sigh of content. Beautiful.

Do you believe in fairy tales?

For a new twist on some classic fairy tales, you may well enjoy The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman. Elizabeth just got a part-time job as a page at the New York Circulating Material Repository. Instead of loaning out books, they loan historical objects, such as chocolate sets, wigs, and globes. But best of all is the Grimm Collection - magical items from various Grimm fairy tales, from winged sandals to Snow White's mirror. When Elizabeth learns that some of the items have disappeared, she and her fellow pages set out on a dangerous quest to find the thief. The writing is clever and charming, and includes bits of adventure, mystique, and a even a touch of romance. Perfect summer read!

Caught in the middle

In Kenny & the Dragon by Tony DiTerlizzi, Kenny the rabbit is stuck in a bad situation.  His only true friend is George the badger, the friendly and elderly owner of the town's bookshop. Kenny is at first scared, but then delighted to make another new friend: Grahame the dragon, who enjoys reading, theater, and a good dessert.  Unfortunately, the townspeople are terrified to learn that a dragon is nearby.  The king sends a royal command that the dragon is to be slain by the retired knight St. George...none other than George the badger!  It's up to Kenny and his friends and family to come up with a plan.  Although some of the words in the story won't be familiar to younger readers, this is still a delightful nod to Kenneth Grahame, author of the tale The Reluctant Dragon, which inspired this book.

Not your typical fairy tale

Toads and Diamonds by Heather Tomlinson is a fascinating story based on a Charles Perrault fairy tale. Set in pre-colonial India, stepsisters Diribani and Tana individually encounter the goddess Naghali-ji. Afterwards, gems and flowers tumble from Diribani's lips when she speaks, but Tana speaks toads, frogs, and snakes. Each of these abilities is a gift, and when the girls are separated, they are determined to discover the purpose behind the goddess's blessings. Although it seems as though Diribani is the luckier of the two, she's not as happy as one might expect. Alternating chapters focus on one stepsister or the other; the sights, sounds, and smells of the different cultural settings and customs that the girls encounter are vividly described. Read along, and in your imagination you can join the journeys, too.