Princess Readalikes: Cinderella’s Hopefulness
The characters in these titles show their own strength and hopefulness, just like Cinderella. Cinderella’s stand out trait has to be her hopefulness. She has a fairly terrible childhood, as she becomes an orphan and a servant to her own stepmother and stepsisters, but through it all, continues to hope for something better. The characters in these titles show their own strength and hopefulness, just like Cinderella.
Come With Me by Holly M. McGhee
“When the news reports are flooded with tales of hatred and fear, a girl asks her papa what she can do to make the world a better place. “Come with me,” he says. Hand-in-hand, they walk to the subway, tipping their hats to those they meet. The next day, the girl asks her mama what she can do–her mama says, “Come with me,” and together they set out for the grocery, because one person doesn’t represent an entire race or the people of a land. After dinner that night, the little girl asks if she can do something of her own–walk the dog . . . and her parents let her go. “Come with me,” the girl tells the boy across the hall. Walking together, one step at a time, the girl and the boy begin to see that as small and insignificant as their part may seem, it matters to the world. ” (Taken from Goodreads)
Her Right Foot by Dave Eggers
“If you had to name a statue, any statue, odds are good you’d mention the Statue of Liberty. Have you seen her? She’s in New York. She’s holding a torch. And she’s in mid-stride, moving forward. But why? In this fascinating, fun take on nonfiction, Dave Eggers and Shawn Harris investigate a seemingly small trait of America’s most emblematic statue. What they find is about more than history, more than art. What they find in the Statue of Liberty’s right foot is the powerful message of acceptance that is essential to an entire country’s creation.” (Taken from Goodreads)
Ballerina Dreams: From Orphan to Dancer by Michaela DePrince
“At the age of three, Michaela DePrince found a photo of a ballerina that changed her life. She was living in an orphanage in Sierra Leone at the time, but was soon adopted by a family and brought to America. Michaela never forgot the photo of the dancer she once saw, and quickly decided to make her dream of becoming a ballerina come true. She has been dancing ever since and is now a principal dancer in New York City and has been featured in the ballet documentary First Position, as well as Dancing with the Stars, Good Morning America, and Oprah magazine. Young readers will love learning about this inspiring ballerina in this uplifting and informative leveled reader.” (Taken from Goodreads)
The Science of Breakable Things by Tae Keller
“How do you grow a miracle?
For the record, this is not the question Mr. Neely is looking for when he says everyone in class must answer an important question using the scientific method. But Natalie’s botanist mother is suffering from depression, so this is The Question that’s important to Natalie. When Mr. Neely suggests that she enter an egg drop competition, Natalie has hope.
Eggs are breakable. Hope is not.
Natalie has a secret plan for the prize money. She’s going to fly her mother to see the Cobalt Blue Orchids–flowers that survive against impossible odds. The magical flowers are sure to inspire her mother to love life again. Because when parents are breakable, it’s up to kids to save them, right?” (Taken from Goodreads)
Six Impossible Things by Fiona Wood
“Fourteen-year-old nerd-boy Dan Cereill is not quite coping with a reversal of family fortune, moving house, new school hell, a mother with a failing wedding cake business, a just-out gay dad, and an impossible crush on the girl next door.
His life is a mess, but for now he’s narrowed it down to just six impossible things…” (Taken from Goodreads)
Disney Princesses are always a popular subject in our library! Kids are clamoring for more and new titles featuring the princesses that they know and love. I don’t think the Disney princesses themselves need any more promotion, but I do think there are some amazing titles available that feature characters with similar traits as the Disney princesses. So, over the course of the next 13 weeks, I’ll be highlighting a princess and a few titles from picture books to young adult titles that have a similar theme or characters that share the same traits as the feature princess.
