Levine, Gail Carson. Fairest

Levine, Gail Carson. Fairest. HarperCollins, [978-0-06-076408-4 // 0-06-073408-6]
Once again we enter the fantasy world of Ella Enchanted. In the kingdom of Ayortha the things valued most are singing and beauty. Aza (far from beautiful) travels to the castle and by a twist of fate, becomes the favorite of the Queen and thus her lady in waiting. The King is injured and goes into a coma. Aza and a prince fall in love and she soon realized that the queen is evil. The characters get involved with a magical mirror and finally end up happily ever after. This is a great fantasy VERY loosely built around Snow While. It would be especially good for girls struggling with issue of beauty and body image. This 326 page book would be a strong addition to middle school collections.