Last week, I highlighted our favorite picture book versions of fairy tales. This week I want to focus on what I truly love (more so than the originals)–fairy tale retellings!

Robin McKinley’s Beauty is the first fairy tale retelling I ever read. I loved how it fleshed out details, made the characters easier to like and empathize with, how it made sense. Since then, I’ve always been drawn to fairy tale retellings: Mercedes Lackeys’ Elemental Masters series which marry reimagined  fairy tales with elemental magic in Edwardian England; Gail Carson Levine’s Ella Enchanted which finally finally gave a more plausible reason for Cinderella’s predicament (besides an unnaturally meek personality!); yes, even the movie Ever After, hopelessly utopian and impractical ideals and all (not to mention that wince-inducing line about Danielle being taught by a master swordsman—who died when she was…. eight?); Jim Hines’ The Stepsister Scheme featuring a trio of kick-ass princesses.

What are your favorite fairy tale retellings? I’m always on the lookout for more!

Can’t get enough of fairy tales? Check out SurLaLune for annotated fairy tales; Andrew Lang’s various color-named  fairy books at Project Gutenberg; plus some e-zines: Cabinet des Fees, Enchanted Conversation and New Fairy Tales.

Any other great online fairy tale resources I missed?