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The recent question about fractured fairy tales reminded me of a few really great reads: Once Upon a Cool Motorcycle Dude by Kevin O'Malley is a really fun book that could easily be used in a unit on fractured fairy tales, creative writing, team writing, or just for fun. In this story, a girl and boy are assigned to co-write a short story, but they just can't quite agree and the results are a riot. (I'm copying the following review from Booklist: From Booklist Gr. 3-5. A girl and a boy create a fairy tale in this lively picture book. The girl starts first, with a story about a princess and her eight ponies, while the boy interjects comments: "Please . . . don't call [the pony] Buttercup." When the boy has had enough, he steps in with a sword-wielding, motorcycle-riding hero who battles a giant, while the princess is assigned the boring job of making thread. Fed up with these developments, the girl delivers the final plot twist, turning her princess into a warrior who sends the giant scurrying back to his cave. The fun in this picture book comes in the contrasting styles of the illustrations, which include contributions from Carol Heyer and Scott Goto. The girl's story features bright colors, flowers, and long golden locks, while the boy's story is done in the dark, taut-muscled style of comic books. Throughout, O'Malley depicts the girl and the boy^B reacting to the twists of the plot. A funny take on the age-old battle of the sexes, with an ending suited for the new millennium. Todd Morning Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved ) Rumpelstiltskin's Daughter by Diane Stanley (I'm just copying the following review info from Amazon.com: Amazon.com The children's classic "Rumpelstiltskin" undergoes an attitude update in Rumpelstiltskin's Daughter by Diane Stanley. Yes, the king imprisons the miller's daughter Meredith and threatens death if she doesn't spin mountains of gold, but this time it's a kind and cute, not a troll-like and evil Rumpelstiltskin who rescues Meredith from the king's wrath. Rumpelstilskin's heartfelt request for Meredith's first child as payment for the spun gold is accompanied by promises that he will read to the child and even coach Little League! Meredith cannot resist such promises, and the two escape from the palace, marry the next day, and settle on a farm far from the king. The story picks up some 16 years later. Meredith and Rumpelstiltskin have a "sunny and clever" daughter named Hope who delights in traveling to town to sell the golden coins spun by her father. On one such trip the greedy king crosses Hope's path and, after spying the gold coins, sets her to spinning gold in a cold palace cell. Hope cooks up a plan that results in prosperity for the people of the kingdom and her appointment as prime minister. Diane Stanley's irresistable prose and detailed illustrations make Rumpelstiltskin's Daughter a golden yarn that's sure to be spun over and over. (Age 5 and older) --This text refers to the Hardcover edition. ) If you or your students enjoy stories that pull from the fairy tale tradition, but with a twist (or three), check out the following chapter books. What makes these fun to me is catching the references to all of the fairy tales I read as a child. I think they would be enjoyable even without familiarity with the old stories (Cinderella, kissing a frog to find a prince, Hansel and Gretel, Rumpelstiltskin. . . . ), but if you have the background (or introduce those stories to the kids first) then turn them loose on these, it's like a treasure hunt and meeting up with long-lost old friends. The Sisters Grimm: The Fairy Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley and Peter Ferguson The Dealing with Dragons series by Patricia Wrede The Frog Princess (Book 1), Dragon's Breath (Book 2) and Once Upon a Curse (Book 3) by E.D. Baker Once Upon a Marigold by Jean Ferris Diary of a Fairy Godmother by Esme Raji Codell The Princess Tales series by Gail Carson Levine Ronda Y. Foust School Media Specialist in Training, UTK rstansb2@utk.edu Oak Ridge, TN http://thebookdragon.blogspot.com/ -------------------------------------------------------------------- Please note: All LM_NET postings are protected by copyright law. You can prevent most e-mail filters from deleting LM_NET postings by adding LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU to your e-mail address book. To change your LM_NET status, e-mail to: listserv@listserv.syr.edu In the message write EITHER: 1) SIGNOFF LM_NET 2) SET LM_NET NOMAIL 3) SET LM_NET MAIL 4) SET LM_NET DIGEST * Allow for confirmation. * LM_NET Help & Information: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/ * LM_NET Archive: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/archive/ * EL-Announce with LM_NET Select: http://elann.biglist.com/sub/ * LM_NET Supporters: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/ven.html --------------------------------------------------------------------