Gail Carson Levine

Gail Carson Levine

Website: http://www.harpercollinschildrens.com/harperchildrens/kids/gamesandcontests/features/fairest/

Books Written: Ella Enchanted, Dave at Night, The Fairy's Mistake, The Princess Test, Princess Sonora and the Long Sleep, The Wish, The Two Princess of Bamarre, Cinderellis and the Glass Hill, The Fairy's Return, For Biddle's Sake, Betsy Who Cried Wolf, Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg, Fairest, Writing Magic: Creating Stories That Fly, Fairy Haven and the Quest for the Wand, Ever
Notable Awards:
For Ella Enchanted (there are a lot so I listed some of the more "well-known"): Newberry Honor Book, California Young Reader Medal, ALA Notable Children's book, ALA Best Book for Young Adults, ALA Booklist Editors' Choice, Publisher's Weekly Best Book
Dave at Night: School Library Journal Best Book, ALA Notable Children's Book, ALA Best Book for Young Adults, Publisher's Weekly Best Book, Book Sense Pick
For Fairest: School Library Journal Best Book, New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age, Publishers Weekly Best Book
For Writing Magic: Notable Children's Book in the Language Arts
For The Two Princesses of Bamarre: VOYA Best Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror, New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age, Beehive Award
Books Adapted into Films: Ella Enchanted, starring Anne Hathaway
Her Niche: She is a fairytale re-teller. She takes the basic fairytales and spins them into something even more lovable and fun to read. Every time I've picked up one of her books, I've entered into a land of fun and adventure. Levine does a great job taking the reader into a faraway land, and paving the way for a fun, lighthearted journey.
Why I like her (a lot) and why I think you should too: Almost every book I've read by Levine, I've loved. I always know that if I'm looking for a good an enjoyable, quick read, she's the one I turn to. Even if you don't like retold fairytales, her stories morph more into tales about princesses and true love. Her books may be girly, but they are lots of fun.
Which of her books I've read: Ella Enchanted, The Fairy's Mistake, The Princess Test, Princess Sonora and the Long Sleep, The Two Princess of Bamarre, Cinderellis and the Glass Hill, The Fairy's Return, For Biddle's Sake, Fairest, Ever. On a scale of 1 to 5 (5 being "This book was sent by the gods for us mere mortals to read" and 1 being "This book wouldn't even make good toilet paper") here's how they rate:
Ella Enchanted: 4
The Fairy's Mistake: 4
The Princess Test: 4
Princess Sonora and the Long Sleep: 4
The Two Princess of Bamarre: 4.5
Cinderellis and the Glass Hill: 4
The Fairy's Return: 4
For Biddle's Sake: 4
Fairest: 4.5
Ever: 2.5