Happy Princess Week, Riveted readers! I love having this as an excuse to write about Cinderella (not that I really need much of an excuse to ramble on about how wonderful Cinderella is). I watched Disney’s Cinderella countless times as a child. It was so easy to get swept up in the enchantment—when life is at its toughest, a magical benefactor shows up and bibbidi-bobbidi-boo, you’re in a gorgeous gown on the way to a ball!
I wish that was how life worked in the real world. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wished a fairy godmother would come and save me from having to continue adulting. But as some of my favorite Cinderella re-tellings show, life before and after the ball isn’t always so easy! Don’t believe me? Here are five imaginative takes on the Cinderella tale, including Margaret Peterson Haddix’s Just Ella, one of our featured reads this week (Available until March 8!). Check them out for yourself and let me know your thoughts in the comments!