Help - COme recommend me reworked fairy tales for Book Group.

[DuchessOfAvon]

I have pulled Children's Lit as my genre for Book Group this year, and rather than plump for one particular book, I thought it would be interesting to look at reworked fairy tales - partly inspired by the thread on "King and King".

SO I am after recommendations for any of your favourites. I thought I would get hold of a few aimed at younger kids which could be flicked through and shared around:
The THree Litle Wolves and The Big Bad Pig
The Stinky Cheeseman

and then one (or two at most) longer books aimed at older teens - a RObin Kinley like SPindles End.

WHat do you think?

Terry pratchett's The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents is based on the Pied Piper of Hamlyn. I wouldn't say it's a favourite of mine though.

It's a quick, fun romp.

If you've got time to cover a Pratchett I'd say Witches Abroad is the best option (Cinderella / Frog Prince). There's a good Neil Gaiman Snow White short story too- forgotten the name but probably available online.

Are you looking for lit aimed at adults, reworking fairytales, or books that are suitable for children?

You want actual children ones or things like Mirror Mirror and Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister which is reworkings of the Snow white/cinderella stories in an adult form.

I've always loved your name.

:) Thank you!

The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter for a grown up reworking, the Orchard books series of Seriously Silly Stories for reworked classics (like The Fried Piper of Hamstring, Eco-wolf and the Three Pigs), and there's a picture book version of Cinderella where she turns down the prince to marry Buttons and set up a business with him - can't remember the name or find the book and it's going to bug me all day now!

I do love the book of politically correct bedtime stories. Where the wolf and rrh set up an Eco farming collective etc. Is brill!

omnio, it sounds like Ella's Big Chance by Shirley Hughes?

Yes! I read it first as part of a university module on "fantasy" and it's still on my shelves.

And there's another beatifully illustrated picture book called Little Red, which is Little Red Riding Hood with a boy protagonist.

BBG: yes, that's it! Thanks.

what is the bloody chamber? I like the title!

I read the Bloody Chamber as part of my degree and remember being quite shocked by it

The mother in TBC is one of my favourite heroes!

THe genre is specifically Children's Lit so I think I need to stick with books aimed at kids rather than the wonderful Angela Carter.

I have seen those Seriously Silly Ones and I might bung a few in the mix but I was thinking about why fairy tales would need to be reworked - the originals can be pretty scary and dark. There is a gamut from the original Grimm ones (ugly sisters cutting off their toes to fit the slipper) through to the sanitised Disney versions - with the comdey fringe too.

I thought there might be some mileage in talking about how these classic stories get played on - both for tounger and older audiences - and why. Sadly I can't do a major study otherwise finishing with the ANgela Cater would be genius!

I am struggling with the older age group - my kids are under 5.

What tales is Reckless playing with?

yy Little Red was on my list too. DD1 didn't get it though!

AM liking the sound of Ella's Big CHance too.

How about pick one story, and then find a books for each age covering it all the way to adult?

Might a discussion of Shrek 2 fit it, then?

Flame - I did wonder whether that would be feasable which is one of the reasons that I posted here. I thought that maybe one tale would emerge - Little Red Rifding Hood is looking like a strong contender at the mo.

I'm sure your book group will love 3 Little Wolves and Big Bad Pig.

If you decide to go with variants on any single story then there will probably be a Revolting Rhymes version of it.
The Practical Princess and Other Liberating Fairy Stories by Jay Williams is a classic 70s (?) feminist reworking of drippy heroines - if you can get hold of it. Ditto The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch