Interested in fractured fairy tales and science fiction stories served with healthy bits of whimsy and adventure? The young adult book and middle grade graphic novel below will satisfy readers who enjoy their entertainment with a touch of the bizarre.
Cinderella Ninja Warrior
The Cinderella story gets an action makeover in this unique book that lets readers make key decisions for its heroine – who is decidedly not a damsel in distress.
For years, Cinderella has been kept a slave by her wicked stepmother who magically forces the normally strong-willed girl to remain submissive lest a prearranged spell cause her to burst into flames. To cope, Cinderella secretly learns acrobatic and magical skills, aided by a “ninja” training manual found by her unusually intelligent cat Max. Unfortunately these skills don’t help her escape her stepmother – until a royal invitation and a handsome servant named Ty enter her life.
Will Cinderella escape the clutches of her stepmother and stepsisters? Will she secretly meet up with Ty? Or will she try to sneak off and attend a royal ball/fighting tournament? That’s up to the reader as the book pauses at multiple points to let readers choose different paths for Cinderella and follow her on various alternate routes to her happily ever after – creating a book that owes as much to the Choose Your Own Adventure books of the 1980s as it does to the school of fractured fairy tales.
Author Maureen McGowan offers a fun spin on the familiar Cinderella story in this book, which includes a believable explanation of why Cinderella can’t stand up to her evil stepmother (reimagined here as a sadistic witch). McGowan’s reinterpretation of the “fairy godmother” is also humorous and comes as a genuine surprise.
That said, while Cinderella is no longer a “damsel in distress,” McGowan does not flesh out her personality much, turning her into a stock “strong heroine” (which oddly enough is becoming something of a cliché in itself due to all the strong girl characters being promoted in children’s books today). She's still a fun character to follow -- and sympathetic enough to root for -- but readers shouldn’t expect a fully realized character.
Still, for readers in the mood for fast-paced adventure and breezy entertainment, Cinderella: Ninja Warrior will provide plenty of amusement.
Zita the Space Girl
When a strange meteoroid falls in Zita and Joseph’s field, Zita finds a mysterious gadget inside that opens a space gate to an alien wonderland many light years away. Sounds cool, right? Not when a bunch of weird tentacles reaches through the gate and pulls Joseph through!
Now Zita must follow Joseph through the gate and venture into a land full of smooth-talking inventors, arrogant war robots, and super-strong golems. Will any of these strange folk help Zita find Joseph? Zita better find some friends quickly – because it turns out that a giant asteroid is about to collide with this alien world and obliterate everything in less than three days!
Fans of Jim Henson’s Labyrinth will enjoy this quirky science fiction fairy tale loaded with bizarre characters who could give the Muppets a run for their money in sheer strangeness. Artist/author Ben Hatke clearly has a strong background in fantasy literature and it shows in this graphic novel that often comes across as a science fiction version of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. It's a fun adventure story that's suitable for all ages.
Find more great books with strong girl heroes at Kids Graphic Novels with Girl Heroes and Review of Rapunzel’s Revenge.
Sources:
Hatke, Ben. Zita the Space Girl. New York: First Second/Roaring Brook Press, 2010. ISBN: 978-1-59643-446-2
McGowan, Maureen. Cinderella: Ninja Warrior. San Diego: Silver Dolphin Books, 2011. ISBN: 978-1607102557
Michael Jung - Michael Jung is a professional writer, children’s literature specialist, and online book dealer whose articles, reviews, interviews, ...
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