Growing up, children are taught to love the classic fairy tales, whether from a book by the Grimm Brothers or Hans Christian Anderson or in films like Snow White and the Seven Dwarves or Sleeping Beauty. To celebrate the new film adaptation of Cinderella releasing today, we are thrilled to have New York Times bestselling author Sarah Mlynowski join us to answer a few questions about Cinderella, her take on fairy tales, and more.
How did you come up with the idea for the WHATEVER AFTER series?
I had the idea for Whatever After way back when I was a kid. I loved fractured fairy tales even as a six-year-old. I rewrote The Princess and the Pea as The Princess and the M&M. I was not a fan of vegetables. And while I loved fairy tales, I was also not a fan of the save-the-damsel in-distress endings. I decided Whatever After was my chance to inject them with humor and girl power.
In the WHATEVER AFTER series, siblings Abby and Jonah mess up famous fairy tales. How do they mess up the Cinderella story in Book 2: IF THE SHOE FITS?
Oh boy. They BREAK poor Cinderella’s foot. By accident—but it’s still totally broken, and it won’t fit into the glass slipper. Which means she can’t prove to the prince that the slipper is hers. Which means she can’t marry the prince. Oops.
If, like Cinderella, you had a fairy godmother for one night, what would you ask for?
I would ask for world peace and a cure for cancer. Also a chocolate fountain in my house.
What is your favorite fairy tale, and why?
Cinderella. And no, I’m not just saying that. It’s very exciting! It has an actual ticking clock! And I’ve always wanted to go to a ball. How do I get an invitation to one of those exactly?
About the author:
Sarah Mlynowskiis the author of the New York Times bestselling Whatever After series for middle grade readers as well as Bras & Broomsticks, Frogs & French Kisses, Spells & Sleeping Bags, Parties & Potions, Gimme a Call and Ten Things We Did (And Probably Shouldn’t Have) for young adult readers. Originally from Montreal, Sarah now lives in the kingdom of Manhattan with her very own prince charming and their fairy-tale loving daughters. Visit Sarah online at www.sarahm.com and on Twitter @SarahMlynowski.
Author Photo © Heather Waraska.
