It is not surprising that retellings of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” and other fairy tale stories are still being written today. The Brothers Grimm, themselves, revised some of their tales several times during their literary careers. And, the Walt Disney Snow White film, based on the Grimm’s story, added a few details of its own -- songs and naming the dwarfs being the two most obvious.
Following are a few of the more notable Snow White stories that have been written in the past few years. They can be enjoyed by younger readers or anyone who enjoys stories in a fairy tale setting.
Fairest by Gail Carson Levine
Harper Trophy, 2006
Grades 4-8
Aza believes that she is certainly not “the fairest of them all” in the kingdom of Ayortha. In fact, she is a "plain Jane" who believes that she is actually ugly. What she does have, though, is a generous soul and a beautiful singing voice. She also has the talent of “illusing” -- the ability to imitate anybody’s voice and throw it. When the power-hungry Queen Ivi learns of this talent, she pressures Aza to misuse it, thus testing the young girl’s ideas of love, friendship, honesty and loyalty.
Newbery Honor author Gail Carson Levine (Ella Enchanted), incorporates many of the Snow White themes, including a mysterious mirror, into her story. There are no dwarfs, but several gnomes, ogres, and other eccentric characters.
Snow: A Retelling of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” by Tracy Lynn
Simon Pulse, 2003
Grades 9-12
Jessica is a lonely girl living on an estate in Elizabethan Wales. She is motherless and her father ignores her. When he marries a Duchess, matters only become worse as it becomes evident that her new stepmother, envious of the girl’s beauty, means to do her harm. Jessica flees to London where she comes under the protection of five petty thieves who call themselves the Lonely Ones. When the “repentant” stepmother eventually finds her, Snow (as she renames herself) must decide whether to trust her.
Ms Lynn’s story is an enjoyable, but quirky tale, with many twists and turns. The Lonely Ones are definitely human, but have unusual animal-like characteristics which become essential to the plot.
Mira, Mirror by Mette Ivie Harrison (Viking, 2004, Grades 7-12) & The Mirror’s Tale by P. W. Catanese (Simon and Schuster, 2006, Grades 4-7)
These two books both have the same twist on the Snow White story, answering, each in its own way, the eternal question: What became of the magic mirror? One story is centered around sisterly love, the other brotherly love.
In Mira, Mirror, the queen from Snow White has transformed a young witch, Mira, into a mirror. The mirror has a voice and memory and longs to return to its previous human form. A young peasant woman, Ivana, discovers the mirror and Mira hopes to use her in an attempt to escape her bondage. This sets off a chain of events that threatens to destroy three women. Harrison’s tale, with its definite feminist slant, will appeal mostly to girls.
The Mirror’s Tale is centered around twins and best friends, Bert and Will, who are the sons of a wealthy baron. The boys continually get into mischief, and the baron sends one to a separate part of the kingdom called The Crags. While there, the boy discovers the magic mirror of Snow White fame and is transformed into a powerful, wicked being. Soon the twins' close kinship is replaced by a battle between good and evil. The book will appeal mostly to boys.
Black as Night: A Fairy Tale Retold by Regina Doman
Bethlehem Books, 2004
Grades 9-12
Doman’s book brings the Snow White tale to the south Bronx of present day New York City and is part of a trilogy centered around two sisters, Rose and Blanche Brier. In this story, nineteen year-old Blanche has a friendship turn sour and soon finds herself the victim of a stalker while, at the same time, being framed for a crime she didn't commit. Coming to her aid are seven bearded Franciscan friars who work among the inner-city poor. The story has subtle religious (particularly Catholic) undertones.
The other books in the trilogy are The Shadow of the Bear (based on “Snow White and Rose Red”) and Waking Rose (based on “Sleeping Beauty“).
Related Articles: Adult Versions of Snow White, Early Versions of Snow White, The Story Behind Snow White
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