Remember that part in Sleeping Beauty, where the evil fairy puts a sleeping curse on the princess via paper cut, and the kingdom is threatened to become completely devoid of all books as her parents try to make sure she’ll never get a paper cut again.
No?
Well, it’s going to be your new favorite storyline in Reading Beauty by Deborah Underwood and Meg Hunt. This follow-up to the acclaimed Interstellar Cinderella is set in the same universe, with the same spunky, girl-power style hero our kids loved in the first book.
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Related: 10 graphic novels loaded with girl power
Other than the delightful modern twist on an aging classic story — come on, do our girls really need to be rescued by a prince’s kiss these days? — we’re also obsessed with the art in these books. Princess Lex’s family has a very Black Panther-esque vibe going on, and the fearless Lex is a really fun role model for kids today.
The story is told in rhyming stanzas, making it easy for early readers to follow along…because they can anticipate what word might be coming at the end of the line. And the illustrations are packed full of images that are great vocabulary builders for pre-readers. Can you find the dog? Can you find the book? Can you find the evil alien fairy?
If you’re looking for a great way to get your young readers — ages 5-10 — hooked on reading on their own, this book might be the way to do it.
You can pre-order Reading Beauty by Deborah Underwood and Meg Hunt now from our affiliate Amazon, or find it in your local bookstore or library starting September 24, 2019. While you’re waiting, go ahead and check out Interstellar Cinderella.
