Ella Enchanted

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine uses the Cinderella story to tell Ella’s struggle to free herself from a “blessing” given to her at birth. Ella’s “blessing” is obedience to follow any order given to her. Life was good for Ella and her mother for years. When Ella was almost fifteen she and her mother became sick; Ella recovered, her mother did not. This is when Ella’s “blessing” really became a curse. Ella’s father, a trader, had financial difficulties and remarries to solve them. One of Ella’s new stepsisters discovers Ella’s curse and uses the knowledge to make life miserable. The bright spot in Ella’s life is her friendship with Prince Char, the heir to the throne. Ella journey to happiness leads her to a finishing school, elves, ogres, giants, and working as a scullery maid. Ultimately, Ella is able to break the spell to protect her friend, Char.

Ella is an expanded Cinderella fairy tale. The twist (plot) to this story, Ella breaking the curse, kept me captivated throughout the book. The themes of perseverance and rewarded kindness are contained within this story. This story contains the cruel stepmother, the good princess, and an earnest hero. The plot is simple and the conclusion follows the climax immediately. These elements of traditional fantasy are basic to this new tale of Cinderella. This book was honored with state awards in Alabama, Arizona, California, and Iowa and was an American Library Association Notable Children’s Book in 1997.

I would recommend this book for students in grades 4 – 8.

Keywords: enchanted, fairy, obedience, sacrifice, determination, imagination, fantasy