Today is National “Tell a Fairy Tale Day,” my new favorite holiday. For as long as I can remember, fairy tales have always held a special place in my heart. As a child, I attempted to grow my hair long like Rapunzel’s, was fearful of apples (things didn’t go well for Snow White when she chomped down on one), and never took off my (little) red hooded jacket. Nowadays, I like to imagine that Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, leaped off of the pages of a fairy tale book. (How else can you explain her perfect hair and bewitching smile?)
To celebrate this fun holiday, here are some enchanting reads for all ages.
Cinderelephant by Emma Dodd (Ages 4-8)
Cinderelephant by Emma Dodd is a sweet and funny take on the iconic fairy tale. Prince Trunky is ready to look for a girlfriend, but he’s worried he’ll squash all the girls in the kingdom, including Cinderelephant’s mean step-sisters, the Warty sisters. When Cinderelephant’s Furry Godmouse transforms her into a beautiful two-stepping debutante the night of the ball, Prince Trunky knows he has finally found his princess. This delightful twist on the Cinderella story is complete with quirky illustrations and witty asides, making it the perfect introduction to the magic of fairy tales for young readers.
Whatever After series by Sarah Mlynowski (Ages 8-12)
In this fresh, funny middle grade series, bestselling YA author Sarah Mlynowski writes for a younger audience for the first time. In each book, Abby and her younger brother Jonah visit the magic mirror in their basement at night, and the mirror transports them inside a different fairy tale. Abby and Jonah have been transported inside the stories of Snow White, Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, and in the most recent installment, Whatever After #4: Dream On, Abby and Jonah explore the world of Sleeping Beauty.
Grimmtastic Girls seriesby Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams (Ages 8-12)
In Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams’ 
new series, fun twists on familiar fairy tales will delight young readers looking for adventurous stories about their favorite fairy tale heroes. In Cinderella Stays Late, the first installment due out this April, Cinderella starts her first week at Grimm Academy on the wrong foot. Cinda’s totally evil stepsisters are out to make her life miserable: the Steps tease Cinda, give her terrible advice about life at the academy, and even make her look bad in front of her new friends, Red, Snow, and Rapunzel. But when Cinda overhears the Steps plotting a horrible trick that could ruin Prince Awesome’s ball, Cinda, her new friends, and a pair of magical glass slippers have to stop them—before the last stroke of midnight.
Gorgeous by Paul Rudnick (Ages 14+)
Playwright, screenwriter, and humorist Paul Rudnick delivers a deliciously fun and fabulously fashionable modern fairytale in his debut young adult novel, Gorgeous. When eighteen-year-old Becky Randle’s mother dies, she’s whisked from her trailer park home to New York. There she meets the mysterious Tom Kelly, the world’s top designer, who presents Becky with an impossible offer: he’ll design three dresses to transform the very average Becky into the most beautiful woman who has ever lived. Written with Paul Rudnick’s trademark combination of snark and heart, Gorgeous takes readers past the catwalks, the red carpets, and even the halls of Buckingham Palace, to ask that eternally bewildering question—just who exactly is that in in the mirror?
OOM readers, what are your favorite fairy tales?
