Sleeping Beauty's Daughters

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From School Library Journal Gr 4-7–This intricately plotted, appealing continuation of the classic tale combines magic, realism, and some modern attitudes. Queen Rosamond and her husband have lived with the terror of a curse put upon her as an infant and on her future firstborn child. The original curse foretold the queen's death at the age of 16, but Emmeline, her father's godmother, lessened it. Instead, Rosamond slept for a century after pricking her finger. The same curse is now on Princess Aurora, so her parents have sheltered their daughters from the outside world. Twelve-year-old Aurora is obedient and proper, whereas her younger sister, Luna, is far more curious and independent. The girls have no knowledge of the curse until Luna cuts her finger on a piece of glass. When the queen sees this she faints, and it is then that the girls must be told the truth. Though all sharp objects have been removed from the palace, a quill pen finds its way there in the bag of the girls' new tutor, and Aurora pricks her finger. Almost immediately sleepiness overwhelms her, and Luna devotes herself to keeping Aurora awake. Now they must survive horrendous obstacles as they search for Emmeline in the hope that she can undo or alter the curse. The girls are aided on their harrowing adventures by Symon, a young courageous fisherman, and eventually by their uncle, who has become a lutin, another creature with magical powers. Zahler's fans and those who enjoyed Gail Carson Levine's Ella Enchanted (HarperCollins, 1997) or Robin McKinley's Beauty (HarperCollins, 1978) will love this story.–Renee Steinberg, formerly at Fieldstone Middle School, Montvale, NJα(c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. Read more From Booklist Although Sleeping Beauty has awakened from her 100-year sleep and is happily married with two lovely daughters, she is still under the spell of the evil fairy Manon. The second part of Manon’s curse is that 12-year-old daughter Aurora will also prick her finger, thus falling into a sleep herself. More terrifying, however, is that she will awaken knowing no one—her family, friends, and servants all long dead. When Aurora and younger sister Luna learn of the curse, they run away in search of the good fairy Emmeline in hopes that she can reverse it. Their journey is fraught with peril—and just the slightest hint of romance—as Symon the fisherman steers them from one adventure to another in his rickety bateau. Zahler has written a fractured fairy tale, an extension of the traditional Perrault version. Fortunately, she retains the lush descriptions, the somewhat archaic language, and the hanging chapters that make all fairy tales such enjoyable read-alouds. Readers will identify with Luna’s spunkiness, Aurora’s fight to stay awake and alive, and the subtle (and not-so-subtle) lessons learned through each of the sisters’ trials. Grades 4-7. --Frances Bradburn Read more Review “A refreshing fairy tale that breaks the passive-heroine mold.” (Kirkus Reviews) Read more From the Back Cover Princesses Aurora and Luna have grown up in a palace on a high cliff by the sea, carefully protected by their parents, the king and queen. No one visits, the girls can't stray beyond the castle walls, and, curiously, all sharp objects are forbidden.But accidents will happen—particularly when an old curse still has power. Soon, in spite of all precautions, Aurora is struggling not to slip into an enchanted sleep.Frantic, the princesses accept the help of a young fisherman named Symon and embark on a daring ocean voyage to find their godmother—a fairy who may be able to break the spell. From fearsome beasts to raging storms to a vengeful enchantress, many dangers befall them, yet they must not give up . . .For if Aurora sleeps, she will not wake for one hundred years. Read more About the Author Diane Zahler is the author of middle-grade fairy tale retellings The Thirteenth Princess, A True Princess, Princess of the Wild Swans, and Sleeping Beauty's Daughters, as well as the fantasies Baker's Magic and The Marvelwood Magicians. Her books have been praised for their "delicious descriptions" (Kirkus Reviews) and their "gratifying depth" (Publishers Weekly). Diane lives with her husband in New York's Harlem Valley, in an old farmhouse held together by magic spells and duct tape. Visit her at dianezahler.com. Read more