Beach Reads: Scranton Library's 'Chris Picks' List Of 'Retellings'

MADISON, CT — With many beach days still ahead, here are five ideas for a beach read from Scranton Memorial Library staff member Christopher Jennings Penders.

Called Chris Picks, just click on a title to place on hold at the library.

• Orson Scott Card is a favorite writer. Enchantment is a retelling of Sleeping Beauty and is perhaps my favorite book on this list. Taking place in old Russia, Card brings in the old Russian folk tale of Baba Yaga. The way Card introduces Baba Yaga fits perfectly into the context of Enchantment. It’s almost like Baba Yaga was created with Enchantment in mind. Read both stories and you’ll understand.
• Ash by Melinda Lo is a retelling of Cinderella and in the right hands, retellings can be amazing, just as Ash was. I LOVED the twist that the author made to give this enduring fairy tale a modern take. One of the huge advantages of working in a public library is the constant flow of books coming in and out. I get to see so much reading material, much more than I would if I didn’t work in the book industry. I often joke that I get paid to read. That isn’t far from the truth, either. I couldn’t be happier working where I work because I’m such a voracious reader. All the traits of the Cinderella tale are here: The stepsisters. The stepmother. And of course, Cinderella herself. THIS tale, though, veers off into uncharted territory. I love the concept as I said earlier. I certainly don’t want to give away the twist if you aren’t aware or haven’t read Ash. Don’t let the fact that this book is written for a teen audience, or that it is not a traditional fairy tale, stop you from reading it. Another trait I enjoyed about this book is the stylistically, it is written in such a way that it almost appears to have been written during the time the original Cinderella was written. This retelling maintains enough of the same language and atmosphere as the original, while including many modern touches to make Ash something you shouldn’t pass up simply because you don’t read a particular genre or style.

• Gregory Maguire might be the most well-known re-teller on this list thanks to his book Wicked. If you have gathered anything from these last few months of reading my book columns, I hope it is this:That I usually stay away from big popular books. Anyone can go into their library and find those. I’d rather point out books that get lost in the stacks. With that in mind, my favorite book by Maguire is another Cinderella story called Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister
• While not exactly a retelling The Stolen Child by Keith Donohue retains some elements of The Pied Piper story with a stolen child being the subject of Donohue’s book. Be warned however, this is a dark tale. It did wind up being one of my favorite books I read the year it was released.
• Ridley Pearson’s The Pied Piper is first a crime novel featuring Lou Boldt and Daphne Mathews. As with The Stolen Child, The Pied Piper deals with kidnappings. The character in the book called Pied Piper got his name because he leaves a penny flute in the crib of the children he absconds with.