Ella+Enchanted



Levine, G.C. (1997). Ella Enchanted. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers.

Plot Description:

 Ella had the misfortune of having a fairy present at her birth. This was unfortunate because the misguided fairy believed she was being kind when she granted Ella the gift of obedience. From then on every time someone commanded Ella to do something, she had to comply. Ella’s mother and own fairy godmother, Mandy, ordered Ella to keep her gift a secret from anyone for fear that they might exploit it. Ella's mother suddenly dies, leaving Ella with her father, whom she does not have a good relationship with, and her fairy godmother. It is at her mother’s funeral that Ella makes the acquaintance of Prince Charmont, who asks her to call him Char.

 Ella’s father feels that her mother had let Ella get away with too much and should be more proper, therefore, he sends her off to finishing school. She is sent along with friend of the family, Dame Olga’s two daughters, Hattie and Olive. Once they’re alone together Hattie, the eldest, realizes that Ella must obey everything she commands of her and begins to use this to torture Ella. Tired of finishing school and Hattie’s control over her, Ella runs away to attend the wedding of two giants, where she hopes she will find Lucinda, the fairy who gave her the gift of obedience. Along the way Ella encounters elves, ogres, and Prince Char.

 Once Ella arrives at the wedding, she sees Lucinda, but is unable to make her take back her gift. There she is reunited with her father and informed that through a bad deal he has lost all of their money. In an effort to save them financially he marries Hattie’s mother, Dame Olga. Once Dame Olga realizes they are penniless, she forces Ella to be a servant in her house. Throughout her time serving her stepmother and stepsisters Ella keeps up a written correspondence with Char, not letting him in on her current situation. As the friendship becomes more serious Ella fears that being too close to Char puts him in jeopardy of someone ordering her to harm him. She decides to break off their friendship, which crushes Char. During this time Mandy helps Lucinda to see the error of her misguided gifts and makes her promise never to do big magic again.

 Still wanting to see Char, with the help of Mandy and Lucinda, Ella disguises herself and attends his homecoming ball. Char becomes more and more interested her each night she attends the ball, which catches the eye of Hattie. On the third night in a jealous rage Hattie attempts to rip the mask off of Ella, which forces her to flee, leaving her glass slipper behind. Char follows Ella back to the Dame Olga’s manor and orders Ella to marry him, in her effort to save him Ella struggles to say no, thereby breaking her obedience spell, which means she can no longer do him any harm and she is free to marry him after all.

Personal Thoughts: This is a wonderful fantasy novel. It is full of fairy godmothers, princes, ogres, elves, and giants. The author weaves her story along with bits and pieces of the Cinderella story. Ella is a wonderful female role model, she is smart, witty, friendly, and strong willed. It was hard to put this book down. The author does an excellent job of keeping the reader engaged throughout the entire tale.

Genre: Fantasy

Reading Level: Ages 9 - 12

Awards:  1998 Newbery Honor Book  ALA Best Book for Young Adults YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers  ALA Booklist Editors' Choice  ALA Notable Children's Book  Arizona Young Readers' Award <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;"> California Young Reader Medal <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;"> Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award (Vermont) <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;"> Iowa Teen Award <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;"> IRA/CBC Young Adults' Choice <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;"> Indiana Young Hoosier Award <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;"> Maine Student Book Award <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;"> Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Medal (MD) <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;"> New York Times Paperback Bestseller List <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;"> Publishers Weekly Best Book <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;"> Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award (Illinois) <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;"> SLJ Best Book

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Series Information: <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;"> The author released the book, Fairest, inspired by Snow White, which is set in the same land as Ella Enchanted.

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Film Information: <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Ella Enchanted was made into a movie in 2004, starring Anne Hathaway.

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Reviews: <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">//Booklist// (1997, April 15). <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">//Booklist// (1998, November 15). <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">//The Horn Book Magazine// (1997, May/June). <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">//Publishers Weekly// (1997, March 31). <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">//School Library Journal// (1997, April).

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Character List: <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Ella: Ella was granted the gift of obedience at her birth, she must do whatever anyone commands. She is clumsy and not very proper. She becomes friends with Char and eventually becomes his princess.

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Mandy: Mandy is the cook for Ella’s family, and Ella later finds out her fairy godmother as well.

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Prince Charmont (Char): Char is the prince of Kyrria, he likes Ella’s sense of humor and lack of propriety

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Hattie: Hattie is the daughter of Dame Olga, she eventually becomes Ella’s stepsister. She discovers Ella’s gift of obedience and uses it to torture and exploit Ella.

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Lucinda: Lucinda is the misguided fairy who bestows the gift of obedience on Ella at her birth. Lucinda eventually learns that this gift is more like a curse and swears off ever performing big magic again.

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Annotation: <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Granted the gift of obedience at birth, Ella must do everything anyone commands. But, once happiness comes along will she be able to control her own life and live happily ever after?