Prompt 6 - Booktalks

Have you ever thought that perhaps Sleeping Beauty didn’t want to wake up?   Or that perhaps she might not enjoy being a princess?  If the traditional version of the story doesn’t quite resonate, but you love the romance and suspense of fairy tales, then this book is for you! 

Robin McKinley’s Spindle’s End is a rich retelling of the famous fairy tale, Sleeping Beauty.  This author is well-known for her fairy tale adaptations, with rich, fantastical worlds and well-developed characters. 

In this reimagining of Sleeping Beauty, the infant princess is cursed at birth, but a young, untalented fairy named Katroina unexpectedly steps in and deflects the worst of the curse.  Katroina raises the princess as her own daughter, calling her Rosie, who grows into a mischievous tomboy with a penchant for the rather un-princesslike profession of blacksmithing.  Despite their idyllic village life, the curse, which is narrated as a living, breathing entity, is constantly searching for Princess Briar Rose, which creates a feeling of suspense throughout the novel.  When the curse finally catches up to them, Rosie enlists the help of her best friend, Peony, to defeat the curse once and for all.  Together with a menagerie of animals, a smattering of fairies, and enough misdirects to make your head spin, they eventually defeat the curse, and all live happily, though a bit unconventionally, ever after. 

With strong themes of friendship, destiny, and the value of family, this book combines an incredibly detailed world with deeply formed relationships and strong cast of female characters.  The language is beautifully composed, with a lyrical style that lends itself seamlessly to a land of magic, fairies, talking animals, and curses.  The story moves along at a relaxed pace, with moments of action and a climax that is as deliberate as it is poetic.  

While this novel is often recommended for teens, it is certainly appealing to an adult audience – in fact, I tend to read it at least once a year.  Pick up a copy of this book at your local library; you won’t be disappointed. 

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I agree with Baker’s statement that, when creating booktalks, librarians should “choose only books you have loved and have actually read” to a point.  Enthusiasm for a book that you have actually read translates easily into a successful booktalk; however, it isn’t necessary for a booktalk to go well.  If it’s not possible to present books that you have personally read and enjoyed, it is still completely possible to get another person excited about a book.  This, in fact, is one of the central ideas behind reader’s advisory in general; you don’t have to have read the book yourself to suggest it for someone else.  I do this every day.  I can talk about any number of books that are on the shelves without having read them.  Granted, I find it far easier if I’ve read the book myself, but it is certainly possible if you’re paying attention to customers, reviews, and cues that are easily found on the book itself.  However, if you limit yourself to only books that you have personally read and enjoyed, there are a very small number of books available to you, which likely are similar to one another, and this doesn’t offer many options.