10 Great Fairy Tale Adaptations

       

 Hello Book Nerds!

One of my favorite sub-genres of fantasy over the years has been Fairy Tale Adaptations.  I've read about dozens and dozens of Cinderellas, Beasts, Snow Whites, princes, princesses, and frogs.  This is a list of a few of the best ones.  They are not in any particular order and I've made sure to not give away any major spoilers.  Enjoy!

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Beastly
By Alex Flinn
Out of 5 Stars: 4.5
          A modern version of "Beauty and the Beast", we read this book through the eyes of the "Beast".  Kyle Kingsbury is a popular, rich, and very handsome high school boy.  On the outside, he seemed perfect.  However, when a strange looking new girl joins their school it takes only a few cruel pranks on Kyle's part to reveal his ugly heart to the readers.  Unluckily for him, that new girl just happened to be a witch.  One curse later, and he's now as ugly on the outside as he is on the inside.  He is transformed into a animal-like beast.  Despite visiting doctor after doctor, he can find no way to reverse the curse.  His only hope is to find a girl to fall in love with him and prove it by kissing him.  But who could love him now?  Who would care enough to kiss him when he doesn't even have lips?
Since the book is set in modern day we get a unique view of the life changes and prejudices that Kyle encounters in his new form, and they will get you thinking about the unreasonable biases our culture takes for granted now days.  Though the book lacks talking furniture we get a wonderful cast of characters that includes Will, an intellectual and humorous blind tutor, among others.
          There was a movie made in 2011 based off the book.  It wasn't horrible.  However they made several big changes.  For instance, Kyle's "beast form" consists of a bald head and gruesome scars instead of the animal-like form in the book.  Also, the ending was changed dramatically.  I was very disappointed.  However, they made up for it slightly by putting the "alternate ending" aka the RIGHT ending into the bonus features of the DVD.  I have no idea why they changed it if they'd filmed the ending from the book already anyway.  It's WAY better!

Entwined
By Heather Dixon
Out of 5 Stars: 4.5
          This book is based off of the fairy tale of "The Twelve Dancing Princesses", one of my favorite stories.  Azalea is the eldest of twelve princess sisters.  When their mother dies in childbirth she promises to protect her sisters.  The next day the Prime Minister informs the girls that according to tradition they will be forced into a year of grieving and isolation.  The sisters soon begin to chafe at the unreasonable restrictions, especially the one on dancing, which had always been their favorite past time.  Instead they spend their time raising their new baby sister, mourning their mother, and missing their father (who has shut himself away).  Months later, Azalea discovers a network of magical secret passages within the castle.  She leads her sisters down a passage with a staircase and they find a forest of gold and silver trees and a pavilion filled with enchanted dancers.  A mysterious figure appears and reveals himself as the owner of the pavilion.  He introduces himself as the Keeper and explains he was once part of the legendary High King's court.  But he rebelled and was trapped within the castle as punishment. He allows the princesses to dance to their hearts content in the pavilion every night.  However, Azalea soon becomes suspicious that he might be hiding a treasure trove of dark and dangerous secrets...
          Entwined is a wonderful portrayal of family, romance, and magic.  The protagonist is very believable and makes many mistakes as she desperately tries to keep her family safe.  As an eldest sibling myself, I can sympathize with her difficulties.  I would highly recommend this book!

The Goose Girl
By Shannon Hale
Out of 5 Stars: 3.75
          Here we have a fairy tale that's a little less widely known.  "The Goose Girl" is often thought to be a one of the more gruesome fairy tales, but this book has made it into a interesting story of strange magics and pleasant characters.  As a child, Princess Ani bonds with her aunt who teaches her about three magical gifts.  The first is animal-speak, which she teaches to the young princess.  Ani especially enjoys speaking to birds and learning their various languages.  The second cannot be taught and is people-speaking.  Someone with this gift is able to convince and manipulate people into agreeing with them or into doing their bidding.  In the hands of a benevolent ruler like Ani's mother, this can be a good thing.  However, it is far too easy to abuse.  The last gift is nature-speaking which includes speaking to and controlling the elements.  This gift is extremely rare.  As Ani grows up her aunt dies, her mother tells her to stop her animal-speaking, and it becomes evident that Ani is not a natural leader like her mother.  When there is a death in the family, Ani's world is turned upside down.  Despite being the eldest child, she is informed that her younger brother will be inheriting the throne and she's being shipped off to be the bride of a prince in a far away land.  As she travels with her lady-in-waiting and a group of guards she begins to feel uneasy.  The lady-in-waiting, a girl named Selia, has the gift of people-speak and soon turns Ani's guards against her.  Barely escaping with her life, she makes her way to the kingdom where she was supposed to rule by a prince's side and instead finds a job as a goose herder.  Forced to hide her identity but feeling somehow freer than she did at home, she befriends her fellow workers as well as a palace guard that visits her field.  Soon Ani must find a way to stop the false princess from starting a bloody war with her home country with the help of her new-found friends and a new power within herself.
          After this book there are three other books about various characters, thought they are based less on fairy tales than this one.  I've had several of my friends read this series and fall in love with it too.  Shannon Hale is one of my favorite authors and she always manages to create memorable characters and interesting plot twists.

Violet Eyes
By Debbie Viguie
Out of 5 Stars: 3.5
          "The Princess and the Pea" is a fairy tale that is usually cruelly neglected, but it finally gets some much needed attention in this adaptation.  When a storm brings an ill Prince Richard to her family's farm, Violet falls in love at first sight.  However, when he returns to his castle, his parents inform him that his bride will be chosen through a contest between eligible princesses.  In order to marry the man she loves, Violet will have to compete against princesses in a set of seemingly frivolous tasks meant to asses things like her needlework and delicacy.  However, there may be more to these tests than what meets the eye.  On top of that a secret about Violet's true identity only complicates matters as she makes friends and enemies among the other contestants.
          Clever plot twists turn this seemingly simple fairy tale into one filled with intelligent characters and humor.


Beauty
By Robin McKinley
Out of 5 Stars: 4.5
          This is another version of "Beauty and the Beast" that follows more closely to the original fairy tale than Beastly or the Disney version (I'm a complete Disney Nerd, so don't think I'm hating on them!).  The story begins with a girl named Honour, not Belle.  Her childhood nickname is Beauty, which is ironic since she is considered the plain one one in the family.  Bookish and a tom-boy she spends most of her free time reading and riding her enormous horse while her two sisters become lovelier and more socially adept as the years go on.  When their merchant father loses several of his ships at sea, including one captained by one of Beauty's sister's fiance, they are forced to move to the countryside.  Over the next few years they are forced to learn many new skills in order to survive.  Beauty takes up many of the manly duties of the cottage and soon finds peace in her new home.  However, the family's luck takes another hard turn when their father returns one snowy night from a long trip very frightened and with saddle bags stuffed with gold and precious gifts.  He claims to have gotten lost and found a castle in the woods where his every need was attended to by invisible servants.  As he was leaving the next day he'd stopped to pick a rose from the garden, which was the only gift Beauty had asked for when he left on his journey.  Enraged by his action, a terrifying beast, whose face he couldn't bare to look at for long, accosted him.  The Beast was furious that the man had stolen from him after being shown such hospitality.  He only agreed to let the man leave on the condition that in a month either he must bring back one of his daughters to live with him forever, or the man must return himself and die.  To his credit, after the father told his family this story he declared that he had no intention of letting one of his beloved daughters go back to that place.  However, Beauty insists on saving her father, claiming that she will be missed the least of her siblings.  She goes to live with the Beast at his castle where she finds many interesting enchantments and unexpected magics.
          Beauty's spunky personality is refreshing and the reader will feel even more connected to her because of the extensive back story that proceeds her arrival at the Beast's castle.  Overall, a delightful read!

The Swan Kingdom 
By Zoe Marriott
Out of 5 Stars: 3.5
          The story of "The Wild Swans" is a little known fairy tale by Hans Christian Anderson and Zoe Marriott gives it new life in this tale.  Alexandra is heartbroken when her healing abilities are not enough to save her mother when she's attacked by an unnatural beast.  The kingdom's grief is interrupted however by the arrival of a beautiful but suspicious woman who instantly charms the king into marrying her.  When Alexandra and her three brothers attempt to investigate the strange magic surrounding this woman everything goes wrong.  Her brothers disappear and she is banished to a neighboring kingdom.  As the once barren land suddenly seems to come back to life at her arrival, Alexandra makes the acquaintance of a young prince.  But her heart draws her back to her own kingdom in order to save her brothers, her father, and her people from the evil queen.  She must be unflinchingly brave and patient as she performs the long, painful, and self-sacrificing spell in order to bring peace to her home and save her family.  
          Since I bought this book they have come out with a new cover.  So if you can't find it with this one, don't worry, it's still the same book.

The Fairy's Return and Other Princess Tales
By Gail Carson Levine
Out of 5 Stars: 3.5
This is a book comprised of six short fairy tale retellings filled with humor and quirky characters.  Included are adaptations of "Cinderella"/"The Princess and the Glass Hill", "The Princess and the Frog"/"Puddocky"/"Rapunzel", "Toads and Diamonds", "The Princess and the Pea", "Sleeping Beauty", and "The Golden Goose".  My favorites are the stories of "The Fairy's Mistake" and "The Princess Test".  All of the stories take the original fairy tales and give them a very prominent twist.  Fairy gifts turn out to cause more harm than good, a girl eats nothing but parsley but somehow has the most beautiful smile in the world, and Cinderella is a boy.
          The reading level is a lot lower in this collection of tales than many of the others on my list.  It is a perfect read for anyone, but is marketed towards elementary and Jr. High readers, not that that means much.  Reading level is almost exclusively based on vocabulary and not by content.  (Sorry, it's a bit of a pet peeve of mine.)

Ella Enchanted
By Gail Carson Levine
Out of 5 Stars: 5
          Ella Enchanted has elements of the "Cinderella" fairy tale, but the majority of the story focuses on a misguided "gift" given to Ella at birth by a fairy.  The gift/curse is a spell of obedience.  Ella cannot disobey a direct order given to her by anyone, no matter what it is.  Her free-spirited nature causes her to be extremely quirky and to find little ways of rebellion whenever possible.  Despite keeping the curse a secret for the majority of her life, when Ella's mother dies and her father remarries she finds herself in danger of discovery.  It isn't long until her evil stepsister discovers her secret and uses it to control Ella.  Fed up, Ella runs away from the finishing school she'd been attending and takes a dangerous trek filled with ogres in order to try and find the fairy that put the spell on her.  Her humor and ability with languages gains her a friendship with Prince Char.  But even he can't save her from the orders of others.
          This was one of my ALL-TIME favorite books growing up.  I often rented the book on cassette from my school library, and listened to it over and over again.  It was chosen as a Newbery Honor winner in 1998 (it should have won in my opinion).  Extremely funny and filled with great characters and interesting creatures (including ogres, elves, fairies, gnomes, and giants) it definitely deserves the 5 stars!
          Don't even speak to me about the movie!!!!  They may as well have been different stories all together!  It was only loosely based off the book and should not reflect on the original work at all!  On its own the movie is sort of cute, I suppose...  But the book is fifty thousand times more intricate and enjoyable.  Normally I am able to appreciate both the book and the movie adaptation as separate works.  Not this time though.  The movie is simply too different and warps the spirit of the book.  There is simply no comparing them.  (#sorrynotsorry Anne Hathaway fans)

Fairest
By Gail Carson Levine
Out of 5 Stars: 3.5
          As you can see, Gail Carson Levine is another of my favorite authors.  This particular book is an adaptation of "Snow White".  It is in the same world as Ella Enchanted, though it takes place in a neighboring country.  Aza is the adopted daughter of an innkeeper in the land of Ayortha.  Ayortha is a country that values beauty and music.  Aza has the musical ability, but her appearance is so unusual that most people consider her ugly.  As she grows up she develops the unique talents of throwing her voice and imitating other people's voices.  When the extremely beautiful, young, queen-to-be hears her one day she instantly seizes the opportunity to use these talents for her own ends.  The queen, who has come from another country to marry the king, reveals that she does not have a natural singing voice and fears rejection by her new subjects.  She blackmails Aza with the threat of imprisonment and the closing of her family's inn if she does not help her.  Aza is forces to sing for the queen by throwing her voice.  When the king is injured, the queen's plots become harder for Aza to bear, even as she grows close to the king's son.  What will happen if she is discovered?  And what is the terrible secret that surrounds the queen and a certain mirror in her possession?
       
Wildwood Dancing
By Juliet Marillier
Out of 5 Stars: 5
          Wildwood Dancing is a combination of "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" and "The Princess and the Frog" but also contains hints of "A Midsummer Night's Dream", Pride and Prejudice, and even vampires.  The story is told from Jena's point of view, the second eldest of five sisters who's ages range from 5 to 17 years old.  It takes place in the 1500s in Transylvania, a land rumored to be full of fairies and other dubious creatures.  Their family lives in a renovated old castle near a lake that's rumored to be sinister and magical in nature.  Jena is the practical, mathematically talented sister who happens to have a pet frog that only she can hear speak. When the girls' father leaves for the winter to recover his health the girls are left to run the household on their own.  They manage quite well until their cousin Caesar deems them unfit to rule themselves and becomes increasingly controlling.  But the girls also have a secret.  Every full moon they cross a magical divide and journey across the lake to dance in the Other Kingdom with various magical creatures.  It is a beautiful world full of magic and danger.  However, humans mistrust and hate the creatures of the Other Kingdom, and often with good reason.  When her older sister, Tati, falls in love with a seemingly sinister man from the Other Kingdom, Jena fears for her family.  She tries desperately to keep her home from falling into Caeser's hands, to keep Tati from being lost to them forever, and to keep the Other Kingdom from being discovered and destroyed by humans.  Will her logical brain get in the way of her heart and ruin them all?
          The book is incredibly rich and intricate (just like the front cover) and I've read it over and over again.  There is a sequel that deals with one of Jena's sisters that is another one of my favorites.  It's called Cybele's Secret.

5 Honorable Mentions

Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George
          Only the OCD-ish desire to keep my list to 10 books could have forced me to leave this one out!  It is another version of "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" and though it is not as long as Entwined or Wildwood Dancing it makes up for it in a charming love story and excellent writing from two characters' points of view.  A unique aspect of this book can be found in the fact that in this version, the princesses are being forced to dance their shoes to pieces at night.  Can a young soldier with a talent for knitting save them from a terrible curse?


Midnight Peals by Debbie Viguie
          This is a version of "The Little Mermaid" that I read a long time ago.  Pearl was rescued from the sea as a baby by a fisherman and raised by him and his wife.  However as she grows older her life becomes quite complicated.  The villagers shun her for her strange appearance and her friendship with Prince James must be kept a secret.  I don't remember the entire plot, but I remember that I read it more than once and enjoyed it greatly.


Belle by Cameron Dokey
          A retelling of "Beauty and the Beast", there are several unique twists to this book.  For one, Belle has a talent for carving.  One of the reasons she agrees to go and live with the Beast in the first place is to catch a glimpse of the legendary Heartwood Tree.  If carved by the right hands, the tree is supposed to reveal the face of one's true love.  Another change is the fact that in order to break the curse, someone has to be able to look into the face of the Beast for a set number of seconds.  A feat which no one has ever been able to achieve.

The Diamond Secret by Suzanne Weyn
          Now, this might not be considered strictly a fairy tale since it is based off the legend of Anastasia Romanov.  Yet it was too good for me not to include it!  Nadya is a mischievous kitchen girl working in a Russian tavern.  When two men show up at the inn and claim that her long-lost grandmother has sent them to find her, she gladly leaves her life of drudgery behind.  She cannot remember her grandmother, or for that matter any part of her past.  But she eagerly sets off on a journey filled with laughter, love, and betrayal.


Ophelia by Lisa Klein
          This is another book that is not exactly based off of a traditional fairy tale.  Here we get a retelling of Shakespeare's "Hamlet" from the point of view of Ophelia.  I was highly skeptical of this book, considering the often unflattering portrait of Ophelia that we get in the play.  I was pleasantly surprised at the depth of character that the author gave her as well as the complicated plot that she wove behind the original story.  The ending was extremely satisfying and I'd recommend it to anyone who has read the play and pitied poor Ophelia.

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          Have you read any of these books?  Will you now?  Do you have any more fairy tale adaptations that you love?  Leave me comments and let me know!
  
                               Sincerely, 

             The Crazy Book Lady

Amazing and/or Unappreciated Characters

     Hello Book Nerds!
     I thought I'd make my first real post a revised version of a post I made on another blog that was SUPER popular.  If you want to see the original, which includes some non-literary characters too, here is the link: http://darleehart.blogspot.com/2012/12/amazing-andor-underappreciated.html  I did that one a long time ago so don't hold any errors against me and there are some spoilers (carefully labeled), but feel free to check it out.  Since this list is longer than many of the others (and I may come back and add to it later if/when I think of more) there will be smaller descriptions and more pictures this time.  Make sure to make note of any spoiler warnings!  (Note: I own none of the pictures or books or characters)  :)

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  Haymitch Abernathy    

          (From The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins)

When I tell people who haven't read these books that my favorite character is a grumpy drunk well...I get some weird looks.  But who couldn't love the grouchy, sassy, bitter, sarcastic, clever past winner of the Hunger Games.  Sure life has turned him hard, but under all the sass and the hangovers, he's genuinely brilliant and cares deeply for Peeta and Katniss (though he most often shows in with a tough love kind of strategy).  

   Severus Snape  

(From the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling)

Yes, we all hated him for years.  He's a biased, irritating, sneaky, sometimes cruel jerk.  But he has got to have one of the most interesting back stories of any literary character.  

!!!SPOILERS!!!

As a kid, his friendship with Lily was sweet and they were good for each other.  I don't give as many excuses for him as some people though as he grows up.  I know he was bullied.  I know his home life was horrible.  But he made a lot of horrible decisions and I'm sure he did his fair share of terrible crimes as a Death Eater.  Lily was right to leave such a dangerous friendship.  Coveting another man's wife is never an okay thing, and he bullied the Gryfindors something awful.  Yet it cannot be denied that he saved Harry many times and risked his life playing the double...triple...whatever kind of agent he was.  His back story was one of the best plot twists of all time.  

  Minerva McGonagall  

(From the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling)

Professor McGonagall is exactly the kind of teacher that I would have gotten along really well with.  On the outside she's strict, no-nonsense, and practical.  On the inside she's a warm hearted, motherly woman.  Even when she criticizes the students, she is extremely snarky.  She was in love with a muggle man a long time ago but he died.  The students at Hogwarts became her substitute children and she'd do anything to keep them safe.  She stood up to Dolores and was a member of the Order of the Phoenix.  Though Dumbledore exasperated her at times, she admired him greatly and she helped to balance out his eccentricities.  And who can forget her mischievous side, that came to light during Umbridge's reign of terror, when she walked right past Peeves as he was loosening a chandelier and whispered "It unscrews the other way." out of the corner of her mouth!

  Hermione Jean Granger  

(From the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling)

Hermione became the hero of many a bookworm when the Harry Potter series was first published.  She inspired and validated many of us bossy little know-it-alls who had a hard time making friends.  She proved that if you spend your time in the library instead of the field, you can still turn out to be a bad ass.

  Fred and George Weasely  

(From the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling)

So inseparable that you can't say one name without the other, these two pranksters stole our hearts from the word "Go"!  They were not only funny, they were brilliant.  Admit it!  We'd all kill for a trip into the real Weasley's Wizard Wheezes!  Despite being practical jokers, they never strayed to the dark side.  Scenes with the twins were always something to look forward to.  "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

  Peeves  
(From the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling)
Peeves the poltergeist is the embodiment of disorder and mischief.  He spends his days causing chaos and terrorizing students and teachers alike (though he seems to particularly enjoy driving Filch mad since the caretaker is the one who has to clean up the majority of Peeves' messes).  As the books go on however, Peeves displays a loyalty to Hogwarts that is rather helpful.  He can be a great nuisance, but he's a part of what makes Hogwarts, Hogwarts.
!!!SPOILERS!!!
When Professor Umbridge tries to take over the school he goes on a rampage of destruction at the request of the Weasley twins to infuriate her.  In the battle of Hogwarts he actually joins the fight by dropping Snargaluff pods at the Death Eaters.  After the battle is all over he can be heard singing his own victory song which includes the line "old Voldy's gone moldy".  Who can hate him after that?  

  Remus Lupin  

(From the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling)

And the best Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher Award goes toooooo...!  Lupin is one of my favorite characters.  He's incredibly humble and patient.  He is an amazing professor and knows exactly how to keep the students interested in what they're learning.  Despite being the "reasonable" one in his group of friends, he definitely has a prankster side to him. And...

!!!SPOILERS!!!

...let's face it, he's a MUCH better werewolf than Jacob Black!

  Ginny Weasley  

(From the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling)

Growing up as the only girl in such a big family couldn't have been easy.  At times she was lonely and insecure.  But she grew up to be a loyal, funny, smart, sassy young woman.  In my opinion, we don't get enough of her in the books.  She doesn't get nearly enough credit.

  Harry Potter  

(From the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling)

Despite being the main character, Harry never seems to get enough credit.  Hardly anyone ever says that they're favorite Harry Potter character is Harry Potter.  When they think of him, they only think of how brave he was.  I think that J.K. Rowling gave us an incredibly relatable character for the protagonist.  He's not extra talented.  He struggles with his homework.  He procrastinates.  He has crushes that don't work out.  He struggles to understand girls.  He has to struggle to grow up just like any of us.

  Jane Eyre  

(From Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte)

Jane is considered one of the most inspirational female characters in literature.  She knew when to walk away and when to stick things out.  Her independence and self-respect is a great model for young girls.  

  Reepicheep  

(From The Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S. Lewis)

Despite his size, this little mouse has more bravery and heart than those five times his size.  His leadership skills are evident in the loyalty of his people.  His relationship with Eustace is one of the best in the series.

  Edmund  
(From The Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S. Lewis)
Edmund makes mistakes like every young boy.  He is greedy, jealous, and has a major sweet tooth.  Yet we can relate to him because we've all been this way at some point in our lives.
!!!SPOILERS!!!
Edmund inspires us by proving that a traitor can be saved and redeemed.  Through him we feel the comfort of forgiveness.

  Puddleglum  

(From The Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S. Lewis)

Puddleglum is a Marshwiggle from the Northern Marshes of Narnia.  Marshwiggles are extremely pessimistic and the rest of them tell Puddleglum that he is too happy and doesn't take life seriously enough.  It's hard to imagine, since Puddleglum is constantly called a "wet-blanket" by the other main characters.  He has a gloomy voice and is always predicting bad luck.  Yet despite all of this, he is as brave as a lion.  He is a wonderful moral compass for Jill and Eustace.  And anyway, his negative rants are creative and funny!

  Aslan  
(From The Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S. Lewis)
Aslan is a representation of Jesus.  When I'm having a really bad day or am scared I always feel calm and loved when I picture a deep lion's voice saying, "Courage, dear heart."

  Atticus Finch  

(From To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee)

A good man who stood up for what he knew was right despite great opposition and hate directed at him.  Even with his high stress job, he was an amazing single father to his two children and made sure to set an example for them.  He is constantly on Best Character lists and many generations have learned honor and morality from him.

  Saphira  

(From the Inheritance series by Christopher Paolini)

Wise and snarky, Eragon's dragon is a force to be reckoned with.  One of the last of her kind, she shares a telepathic bond with her rider that binds them together.  We get to see her grow from an egg into an adult.  She learns and makes mistakes (though not as many as Eragon).  When we get a few rare chapters from her point of view we get to see the world in completely unique way.

  Mr. and Mrs. Bennet  

(From Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen)

Mr. and Mrs. Bennett are the parents of the five Bennett girls.  Mrs. Bennett is one of the most annoying and obnoxious characters ever.  Her biggest goal in life is to get all of her daughters married well.  She has no sense of decorum and is extremely loud.  She is giggly and never knows when to be quiet.  Unfortunately, two of her daughters take after her in many ways (Kitty and Lydia) which leads to all sorts of trouble.  Mr. Bennett is a great character.  He is witty and sarcastic (often at his wife's expense).  He has many faults and openly talks of his brainless and silly wife and daughters.  However he really does want to be a good father.  (I'm sorry, but I love that picture of them on the right!)

  Mr. George Knightley  

(From Emma by Jane Austen)

Mr. Knightley is the sanest person in a book full of crazy characters.  He has a wonderful talent for reading people and being patient with difficult neighbors.  His arguments with Emma are some of the highlights of the book.  A kind and compassionate landlord, he has a high moral character and is often disappointed in Emma's blunders and he's not afraid to tell her.  Despite his maturity, he has his own playful side as well.

  Colonel Brandon  
(From Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen)

Colonel Brandon is the quiet hero that no one ever seems to give enough credit to.  He's not young and dramatic, but he is the true gentleman and philanthropist.  He's self sacrificing and loyal.  I wish more girls preferred heroes like him instead of ones like Edward Cullen and Jacob Black.

  Merry and Pippin  

(From The Lord of the Rings series by J.R.R. Tolkien)

A medieval version of Fred and George in several ways, Merriadoc Brandybuck and Peragrin Took act as the innocence and humor in the midst of many dark circumstances.  Merry is considered to be one of the smartest and most perceptive of the hobbits.  Pippin was quite young for a hobbit and showed it in his happy, but sometimes thoughtless manner.

  Faramir  
(From The Lord of the Rings series by J.R.R. Tolkien)
Can anyone say "daddy issues"?  I mean seriously!  Poor Faramir!  I have to give him lots of credit for his loyalty and love for his brother, Boromir.  I don't know if I could do the same if my father constantly put me down for not being as good as my sibling.
!!!SPOILERS!!!
He's one of the few people who can resist the temptation of the Ring.  Now THAT is impressive.  He of all people would have been tempted by what the Ring offered.  His father's favor.  Glory for Gondor.  Finally stepping out of his brother's shadow.  But he still had the strength and honor to turn it down.  He's a real hero and an inspiring leader.

  Bilbo  
(From The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings series by J.R.R. Tolkien)

This sweet little hobbit has charmed generations over the years, and nothing has changed.

  Clark Davis  

(From the Love Comes Softly series by Janette Oke)

I wish there were more people like Clark in the world.  In the books, he is the head of the Davis family.  He is a spiritual leader to the whole community.  His faith, courage, and selflessness influenced dozens of people.  He is a wonderful father/grandfather.  Even when faced with tragedy he finds a way to use his experience to help others.  It really warms the heart.  

  Mendanbar  

(From The Enchanted Forest series by Particia C. Wrede)

Mendanbar is the young King of the Enchanted Forest.  He is an intelligent young man who does not particularly enjoy being king or "being 'Your Majestied' every third word".  He's rather more practical than the royals from the rest of the kingdoms.  Like Cimorene, he finds them silly and ridiculous.  Being King of the Enchanted Forest gives him a unique and fascinating power.  He can see/sense magic and manipulate it.  In the forest this usually involves moving the threads of magic that invisibly criss-cross the forest.  He down-to-earth humor is refreshing. 

  Faithful  

(From The Song of the Lioness series by Tamora Pierce)

Though he may look like just a cat with purple eyes, Faithful has a lot of hidden abilities.  When he wants to, his meows can sound like words and he often gives advice even if no one wants it.  He uses his magical powers to do things such as put people to sleep, protect himself from magical attacks, sense danger, etc.  He has a rather sarcastic and sometimes black sense of humor.  He also appears as Pounce in another of  Tamora Pierce's Tortall series.

  Numair Salmalin  

(From The Immortals series and other Tortall series by Tamora Pierce)

Numair (he was called Aram Draper in his youth) is the most powerful mage in Tortall and one of the only black-robed mages in the world.  He's one of the only experts of Wild Magic and becomes Daine's teacher.  He is has a great sense of humor and an assortment of talents you'd expect more from a Gypsy.  He juggles, lights fires, jokes, mends tack, rides terribly, protects refugees from the rain, and can turn into a black eagle.  For being so powerful and important, he's really quite sweet.

  Onua  
(From The Immortals series by Tamora Pierce)
When it comes to horses, she's one of the best out there.  She takes care of the horses for the Queens Riders and doesn't mind ordering the trainees around.  She's the one who first takes Daine in and realizes her potential.  She banters will all of the laid back nobles that run Tortall and is completely comfortable with who she is.

  Kel  

(From The Protector of the Small series by Tamora Pierce)

Keladry of Mindelan is the protagonist of "The Protector of the Small" series.  She is the first girl to attempt to complete training as a knight since Alanna the Lioness.  She lived for six years in the Yamani Isles (which are very like the Japanese Isles) where they are taught to hide their emotions.  She is very good at keeping her face blank (her enemies even call her the "Yamani Lump") and she knows when to keep her mouth shut.  This training comes in handy as she is looked down on and treated differently every where she turns because she is a girl.  She soon gains respect though.  She starts a war on the custom of hazing the younger pages.  She takes in stray animals and humans when they need help.  She has a sense of humor, though she doesn't show it much until she gets to know a person really well.  She can be rather motherly at times.  She makes sure Neal (who is 5 years older than her) eats his vegetables, checks the boys' uniforms before they have to serve at a banquet, and teaches the younger pages tips for staff work.  Along with Neal, she is one of my favorite literary characters.

  Neal  

(From The Protector of the Small series by Tamora Pierce)

Nealan of Queenscove started out in the university where he was trained as a healer.  He is extremely sarcastic and rather moody, unlike Kel.  In many ways he's her opposite.  She says sometimes that he has no sense of when to keep his mouth shut.  That trait often is what gets him in trouble.  He's one of my favorite characters of all time.  Loyal, a major smart-aleck, deceptively talented, dramatic, and fiery.  What's not to like?

  Tobe  

(From Lady Knight in The Protector of the Small series by Tamora Pierce)

Tobias (aka Tobe) Boon is a nine-year old indentured servant that Kel saves from his abusive master.  Neal complains that she can't stop herself from picking up strays.  Tobe is an amusing character.  At first he thinks Kel is drunk, crazy, high, or all three.  He soon realizes that Kel is serious about taking care of him though.  He devotes himself to looking after her in return for taking him in.  After a while he becomes a lot more comfortable with speaking his mind and will sometimes tell her when she takes to many risks.  He follows her around like a puppy sometimes, afraid that she'll disappear on him.  He has a wild magic gift with horses, a stubborn streak to rival Kel's, and can be rather blunt.

  Peachblossom  

(From The Protector of the Small series by Tamora Pierce)

Peachblossom is the sassiest horse you'll ever meet.  A giant gelding, he's extremely picky about who handles him.  He seems to have it out for Neal in particular and will bite him whenever possible.  Given above average intelligence by the presence of a Wild Mage, he has no problem getting his own feelings on any subject known.  He is described as being the embodiment of Kel's emotions that she hides under her Yamani training.

  Sorrel  

(From Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke)

Sorrel is a Forest Brownie and a close friend to Firedrake the silver dragon.  She has a quick temper and is never happy without someone to quarrel with.  She is always complaining about one thing or another.  As a Brownie, she cares a great deal about food.  Can't fault her for that...  Much of her attention each day goes toward foraging for and eating mushrooms.  She is suspicious and sarcastic.  When irritated she uses a lot of strange fungi names as swear words.  Underneath all of the bristles though she is really loyal and a great friend. 

  Dickon Sowerby  
(From The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett)
Dickon Sowerby is a simple moor boy that lives near Misselthwaite Manor in Yorkshire, England.  His is the younger brother of Martha.  He's grown up on the moor and has an almost magical gift with the animals that live there.  Dickon embodies the simple life where man lives in harmony with nature.

  Marilla Cuthbert  
(From the Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery)
Marilla Cuthbert is a spinster living with her brother on a farm (Green Gables) in Avonlea, Canada.  She and her brother Matthew adopted a young redheaded girl named Anne Shirley.  The girl's imagination and stubbornness soon grew on Marilla, even if she wouldn't admit it.  Though Marilla has never raised a child before she is determined to do it right.  She is very strict and conservative in her parenting methods.  Anne gets into so many scrapes that Marilla sometimes doesn't know what to do with her.  Despite this however, the two of them develop a close bond that is truly touching.  I played Marilla in a play version of "Anne of Green Gables" last year.  I have to admit that it was my favorite part that I ever played!  She has so many different layers.  On the surface she's stern and strict and old fashioned.  Underneath all of that, she has her own sense of humor and a warmth for those she loves.  Underneath that is a sadness for things that might have been, and a weariness that only Anne seems to lift.

  Matthew Cuthbert
(From the Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery)
Matthew Cutbert is Marilla's bachelor, elder brother.  He's worked on the family farm (Green Gables) all of his life.  He is the opposite of his sister in many ways.  He's extremely shy (especially around women) and a bit of a loner. Unlike Marilla, he takes to Anne right away.  Being a quiet man himself, he doesn't mind the girl's chatter one bit.  Anne loves him dearly and shows it openly.  He often says how proud he is of his little girl.  He's very sweet and loves to surprise Anne with gifts that Marilla might say were unnecessary or that would spoil her (including a dress with "puffed sleeves").  Matthew is one of those literary characters that one can't simply help but love.

  Little Arliss  
(From Old Yeller and Savage Sam by Fred Gipson)
Little Arliss embodies the spirit of the world's pesky younger siblings.  He's always getting into mischief and driving his family up the wall.  Annoying but completely adorable at the same time.

  Templeton  
(From Charlotte's Web by E.B. White)
Templeton is a sneaky, self-serving little rat that is constantly thinking of food.  He's definitely selfish, but he can also be easily bribed.  He's the most worldly of the barn animals.  His cynical comments annoy the people around him, but he's comfortable with his own mocking style.

  Dustfinger  
(From Inkheart by Cornelia Funke)
(I was personally disappointed with Inkheart's two sequels, so I'm ignoring them for the moment.)  Dustfinger is a many-layered character.  He wavers between cowardice, courage, irritation, gentleness, shyness, selfishness, and loyalty.  He has a weakness for Maggie because of the family he lost.  His companion is a horned martin by the name of Gwin.  On top of all this, he has a magical connection with fire that is truly fascinating.  He can hear it speak to him and works with it like an animal tamer.

  Leo Valdez  
(From the Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan)
This kid hides his sorrows from the past with a seemingly large ego, sarcasm, and jokes.  He has mechanical and fire talents.  It's really hard not to like him.  I mean, come on!  He names a giant metal dragon "Happy" in Greek (aka Festus) for pity's sake!

  Mr. Kadam 
(From The Tiger's Curse series by Colleen Houck)
Mr. Kadam is very much the wise old fairy godfather.  He has a taste for nice boats and fancy cars.  It seems like there is nothing he can't do and no myth or story he doesn't know.  I'd love to listen to him tell stories for hours like Kelsey gets to.  He's a lovely father figure to the younger characters.

  Jo March  
(From Little Women, Little Men, and Jo's Boys by Louisa May Alcott)
Jo has always felt like a kindred spirit to me.  I too have a younger sister I adore as well as a love of books, writing, acting, and teaching.  Her dedication to her family is lovely.
!!!SPOILERS!!!
Unlike many others, I approve of Jo turning Laurie down.  I think she made a very mature decision.  I also think her relationship with Mr. Bahr is entirely sweet and adorable.

  Beth March  
(From Little Women by Louisa May Alcott)
Beth has one of the purest souls I've ever seen.  Everyone loved her.  She loved music, animals, and dolls.  She was especially fond of Jo and looked after her when she needed it.  She happily lived a simple life surrounded by the home and family that she loved.  There are too few characters like her.

  Peeta  
(From The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins)
Humble, charismatic, and extremely self-sacrificing.  He was the true hero of the series.
!!!SPOILERS!!!
He was a modern prince charming who paid a heavy price for his kindness and heart.  

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     This post ended up being a lot longer than I'd expected.  But I'm sure I'll add more characters later.  Let me know what you think and I'll post again soon!  

          Sincerely,

                  The Crazy Book Lady