Troll's Eye View

April 1, 2009
Gr 5-8-In their third collection for younger readers, Datlow and Windling have solicited original pieces from 15 well-known authors; the focus this time is on the bad guys of the fairy-tale world. Some tell a traditional tale from the villain's point of view, such as Nina Kiriki Hoffman's "Rags and Riches," a version of "The Goose Girl." Others demonstrate that change in perspective puts a whole different slant on fairy tales, as in Garth Nix's Rapunzel-based "An Unwelcome Guest" and Jane Yolen's "Troll," a revisionist look at "Three Billy Goats Gruff." Several poems are included as well; Neil Gaiman's "Observing the Formalities" is priceless and wouldn't be out of place in the "New Yorker". Some stories are more successful than others, but almost all are both highly readable and thought-provoking. Many are funny, several are quite scary or creepy, and the final story, Kelly Link's "The Cinderella Game," is subtly yet powerfully chilling. A solid choice, particularly where sophisticated fractured fairy tales are popular."Eva Mitnick, Los Angeles Public Library"

Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2009
Grades 5-8 In this follow-up to Datlow and Windlings A Wolf at the Door (2000) and Swan Sister (2003), the duo again amass an anthology of fairy-tale retellings, only this time they keep focus upon the backstories of well-known villains. As always with such endeavors, its a mixed bag of funny, quirky, and downright creepy entries. A standout on the humorous side is Peter S. Beagles Up the Down Beanstalk: A Wife Remembers, in which Mrs. Giant tells all to a newspaper reporter about that infamous rascal Jack, who scrambled up the beanstalk and ended up killing Mr. Giant. On the sinister side, Kelly Link finishes off the book with an absolutely bone-chilling offering called The Cinderella Game, in which Peter babysits his new stepsister. The experience ends in blood, horror, and with the sense that there is no happily ever after left for anyone. Although some stories, like Neil Gaimans Observing the Formalities, require a good deal of familiarity with the original yarns, the collection is largely accessible and very enjoyable.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)