Ella Enchanted (1997)

I thought this was a really delightful retelling of Cinderella, bringing it a little more out of the realm of fairy tales as we know them, closer to a story about a girl who (magic spells aside) could be a real girl you know, fumbles and flaws and all. ( )

idk how i like about it other that is was good ( )

This is a clever take on the classic Cinderella story that will have readers wondering where the next plot part they remember comes in. The prince and Ella fall in love before the ball. I would recommend this to any student. ( )

Ella was cursed at birth with the “gift” of obedience. She must obey any order given to her or risk the sick dizziness that follows. When her mother dies and her father remarries, her new stepmother and stepsisters force her to do all the housework! Luckily, she has made friends with the prince and is able to write to him about her life...except for her curse, which proves to make things much more difficult in the end.

This is a clever take on the classic Cinderella story that will have readers wondering where the next plot part they remember comes in. The prince and Ella fall in love before the ball, which makes the story a touch more "realistic" than the "love at first sight" version we hear so often. ( )

Summary: Ella Enchanted is kind of a play off on Cinderella. She has an evil godmother that cursed her with the "gift of obedience". She has to do everything when she is told. She has two step-sisters and one takes advantage of Ella very quickly once she noticed her inablility to disobey. The prince falls in love with Ella, but Ella cannot marry him because she knows that the curse will put him in great danger. She convinces him that she has run away with another man. The prince orders Ella to marry him. Ella refuses, thus breaking the curse. She then takes the prince's hand in marriage because she wants to not because he ordered her to.

Personal Reaction: I really enjoyed this book, I really like books that are far fetched and impossible. It really feeds my imagination!
I enjoyed all of the characters and all of their aspects.

Classroom Extension: Ella Enchanted could be used to teach the "Be careful what you wish for" saying. Sometimes you think it would be easier to just have something that makes you obey all the time. It would help you to stay out of trouble and to always do what you're told. However, it can also be a curse, forcing you to follow through with things that maybe are not the right thing. ( )