Did you know that Gail Carson Levine’s inspiration for the Newbery Honor book Ella Enchanted was part love for the Cinderella story and part annoyance—“She’s so disgustingly good! And why does she take orders from her horrible stepmother and stepsisters?” (Levine). Well, we might not all be able to create award-winning alternatives to our favorite books, but we sure can find some amazing options for taking our own favorite stories in new directions.

Butler Youth Services Scholar Andreya Costello took inspiration from Julia Smith’s reader’s advisory book map from Booklist Online centering Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston. Starting the map with Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine, a beloved book from her childhood, Costello attempted to connect it with more recent and diverse works written for a teen audience to take the story in new directions. Readers can follow the paths connecting each book by genre, theme, mood and more.

Link to the full project with path rationales.

About the Scholarship

The Butler Youth Services Scholarship for Underrepresented Groups in the Field of Library and Information Science is awarded each year to a student seeking to earn an MLIS with a focus in children’s services for public or school libraries with the goal of increasing diversity in the profession. Preference will be given to graduates of a Dominican University undergraduate program who are from a background underrepresented in the field of library science. This competitive award considers merit, academic excellence, leadership qualities, and the desire and disposition to work with young people as part of the applicant selection process. The project above was created in association with the scholarship award. More information on the award and application process can be found HERE.

*Gail Carson Levine. “Gail Said: Ella Enchanted.” Gail Carson Levine, https://www.gailcarsonlevine.com/ella.html. September 12, 2023.