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This post was first featured on A Backwards Story on April 29, 2014 during the fourth Fairy Tale Fortnight.
This
year for the event's 5th Anniversary, older posts will be pulled out
from the archives and given a brand-new coat of paint as "In Case You
Missed It" features!
Almost a year and a half since it was in theaters, people are STILL obsessed with Disney's Frozen. In fact, if you go to the theater right now to watch Disney's live-action Cinderella (Which I'm talking about today!), you'll see a short film beforehand, Frozen Fever, where everyone is celebrating Anna's birthday. So I'm going to whip out my Ton Ten Tuesdays Post about The Snow Queen, one of my favorite fairy tales, because there are some great retellings out there!
Top Ten Books If You Like Disney's Frozen!
Okay, the REAL question was, "Top Ten Books If You Like X tv show/movie/comic/play etc. (basically any sort of other entertainment)"
So of COURSE I'm making this fairy tale themed!!!
Frozen is still the movie on everyone's lips even as we head into Spring...
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| (...Yes, Olaf, Summer, too!) |
Today, I present you with some great books for all ages if you're a fan of Frozen, which is loosely based on Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen, one of my favorite fairy tales!
In no particular order...
1) THE SNOW QUEEN by Hans Christian Andersen
(I recommend the picture book with illustrations by PJ Lynch!
ISBN 9781842709016)
Because EVERYONE should read the real, original Hans Christian Andersen tale at least once. Especially, since, y'know, it's actually nothing like Frozen. Nothing! *ahem*
I adore P.J. Lynch's whimsical illustrations. Whenever I see a book with illustrations from Lynch, it makes me so happy. They're lush and gorgeous. Here are some examples of the artwork in THE SNOW QUEEN!
2) BREADCRUMBS by Anne Ursu
BREADCRUMBS has been up for so many major awards. It's an enchanting middle-grade novel with all the whimsy of the original tale. At the same time, there are dark issues lurking at the edges that add some grit and bring new meaning to Hazel and her motivations. This is a version of the tale that should be in every teacher's classroom, one every kid should read!
Check out my review of BREADCRUMBS and my interview with illustrator Erin McGuire!
3) OPHELIA AND THE MARVELOUS BOY by Karen Foxlee
I haven't had the chance to read my copy of this yet, but I've been dying to since I first heard about it last year. Like BREADCRUMBS, this is a modern-day, contemporary middle-grade retelling of the tale. And it's for fans of Roald Dahl. And the main character is a girl who loves science--we need more girls like her! This sounds like such a unique, fresh twist on the tale!
4) COLD SPELL by Jackson Pearce
Another novel I've been coveting and haven't had time to read. I've had this one since Christmas, and been trying to read it for just as long! I adored all of the other books in Jackson Pearce's YA series (They're all pretty much stand-alones with connecting themes), but I've been especially for this one because The Snow Queen is one of my favorite tales. Fun fact? Jackson had been going to call this book FROZEN until Disney claimed the title!
Check out my reviews of SISTERS RED, SWEETLY, and FATHOMLESS!
5) FROST by Wendy Delsol
Yet another YA series I'm behind on...and I own all three books! *sigh* I think it's so cool that Wendy Delsol twists classic tales into an original world, blending elements to make a new story with each new book. The second book rides the themes of The Snow Queen, and that makes it even more desirable to me than it already was!
6) THE SNOW QUEEN'S SHADOW by Jim C. Hines
There aren't enough fairy tale novels out there for adults, so they're always clumped in with middle-grade and YA (not that there's anything wrong with that AT ALL) and it's widely believed that the genre is for kids. We all know better. Fairy tales transcend all ages. Jim C. Hines has a great quartet of fairy tales in the adult sci-fi/fantasy section at your local bookstore. These princess know how to kick butt and take down evil. The series grabbed me from the very first book, and the fact that it goes out on a bang with the addition of one of my favorite tales!
Check out my review of THE STEPSISTER SCHEME and enjoy this interview with author Jim C. Hines!
7) THE ICE QUEEN by Alice Hoffman
I've been meaning to read Alice Hoffman for a very, very long time. I've even gotten THE ICE QUEEN out from the library before, and I own a couple of her books that i've found at library book sales, etc. Alice Hoffman is MY favorite author Jodi Picoult's favorite author. If she's good enough for Jodi to love, I'm sure I'll love her, too. I just need time! The fact that THE ICE QUEEN is threaded together with elements of The Snow Queen just makes me kick myself that I haven't had the opportunity yet!
8) WINTER'S CHILD by Cameron Dokey
Simon Pulse has an entire Once Upon a Time line of books, retelling well-known and obscure tales alike. Many of the books were written by Cameron Dokey. With WINTER'S CHILD, she retells the tale of The Snow Queen. It isn't as faithful an interpretation as other books in the series, but it introduces new elements that will keep readers engaged without getting bored!
9) THE SNOW QUEEN by Mercedes Lackey
I'll be honest: It's been a couple of years since I've read this one. As in, back in 2008 before I even had a blog, lol. I don't remember it enough to comment. I know the 500 Kingdoms books can be very hit or miss for me. The best one was definitely the first one, THE FAIRY GODMOTHER. The other books have their ups and downs. They're still compelling enough that I'll buy and read each one when it comes out, but there's also a sort of formula to most of them, especially the last couple. It's great to see an adult sci-fi/fantasy author put out a long line of fairy tale novels. I'm always glad when Lackey puts out a new one, and eager to see where the journey takes us this time around. If you want fluffy, straight-forward happily ever after romances (proving that fairy tales aren't just for kids!), this is definitely a series worth sampling.
10) THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE by C.S. Lewis
Okay, this isn't quite the traditional tale that all of the other books are, but I couldn't resist. Every kid grows up reading (and hopefully loving!) The Chronicles of Narnia. I know it was one of my favorite series growing up. The White Witch always reminded me of The Snow Queen. They're both sadistic, evil queens. They freeze the world and brainwash boys for their own pleasure. Any kid who loves fairy tales should definitely delve into the world of Narnia!
Can you believe how many versions of The Snow Queen there are?
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