Ella Enchanted

Title: Ella Enchanted
Author: Gail Carson Levine
Publisher: HarperTrophy, 1997
Reading Level: 3rd and up
Pages: 240
Genre: Fantasy









Summary:

When Ella was born, Lucinda cursed her to always be obedient. This meant that no matter what was said, she had to do it. Her mother tells her to tell no one of the curse. When she dies Ella meets Prince Charmont (Char) at the funeral and they becom great friends. However, her father sends her off to finishing school with Dame Olga's daughters. Mandy is her fairy godmother and she gives her a magical book before she leaves. She gets stories, letters, and even entries from Char's journal. Dame Olga's daughers realize she does whatever she is told so they take advatage of it and even order her to stay away from her only friend at school. Instead of dealing with that she runs away. She hears of a wedding that Lucinda might be at so she heads towards it. However, Orgres catch her and are going to eat her up. She uses her knowledge of the hypnotic language to stall them and Prince Char saves her. Ella's father decideds to marry Dame Olga and Ella sees Char at the wedding, He givers her some glass slippers and afterwards he has to leave for a year, but they write eachother. Ella becomes a slave in her home, but she falls in love with Char in his letters. He asks her to marry him, but she avoids the question because she knows it would be dangerous for her to marry him. She makes him believe that she eloped with somebody. Char comes home heartbroken and there is a ball thrown for him. Ella secretely goes as Lela, and on the third night, Hattie rips of her mask. Ella runs home and her and Mandy prepare to flee. However, the Prince comes and orders her to marry him. She fights within herself and finally refuses him. She breaks the curse and they were married and lived happily ever after.

My Reaction:

I thought it was a great book. I had seen the movie frist, so it was fun to see what else had happened within the story that was left out of the movie.

Potential Problems:

The step sisters are very crul to Ella, and Ella lives a hard life. Also, the orgres about to eat her might cause a problem with a young child.

Recommendations:

I think this is a great book for everybody. There is the action with the romance so it can relate to every type of person, and everybody can have fun with it.