Fairy Tales aren’t only for young children. Childhood bedtime stories such as Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, and Cinderella inspire young adult writers to create some of the best in teen fantasy fiction. Listed below are some of the best teen fantasy books based on fairy tales.
Popular Teen Fantasy Books Based on Fairy Tales: Ella Enchanted by Gain Carson Levine.
Perhaps the one of the most popular Brother’s Grimm fairy tale inspired young adult novel was Newbery winner, Ella Enchanted, by Gain Carson Levine. This witty and page-turning young adult novel based on the classic Brothers Grimm fairy tale Cinderella, is humorous, romantic, and poignant. Made into a popular feature film starring actress Ann Hathaway in 2004, this popular novel proved that fairy tales aren’t just for kids.
Popular Teen Fantasy Books Based on Fairy Tales: Princess Bride by William Golding
Long before there was Ella Enchanted, there was William Golding’s The Princess Bride. This humorous novel, also made into a now cult classic film, is full of the wit of Ella Enchanted along with swash buckling adventure and excitement, not to mention romance (you can’t beat True Love). This now classic novel shows that young adults (and adults for that matter) love a good fairy tale as much as a younger reader.
Popular Teen Fantasy Books Based on Fairy Tales: Beastly by Alex Finn
Taking place in modern day New York, is Beastly, by Alex Finn. This clever, contemporary retelling of the classic Beauty and the Beast story is guaranteed to delight young adult readers. Published in 2008, this work is a great pick for reluctant readers and will appeal to both male and female young adult readers.
List of Best Teen Fantasy Books from Fairy Tales
Many more talented and well-respected young adult writers have created works inspired from classic fairy tales. Below is a list of teen books based on fairytales listed by title, author, and year of publication.
- Princess at the Midnight Ball, by Jessica Day George, 2010
- Spindle’s End, by Robin McKinley, 2010
- Princess of Glass, by Jessica Day George, 2010
- Kiss in Time, by Alex Finn, 2010
- Violet Eyes, by Debbie Viguie, 2010
- A World Above, by Cameron Dockey, 2010
- A Book of a Thousand Days, by Shannon Hale, 2007
- Fairest, by Gain Carson Levine, 2006
- Snow: A Retelling of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, by Tracy Lynn, 2006
- Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast, by Robin McKinley, 2005
- The Goose Girl, by Shannon Hale, 2005
- Mirror, Mirror, by Gregory Maquire, 2004
- Snow, Tracey Lynn, 2003
- Briar Rose, by Jane Yolen, 2002
- Just Ella, Margaret Peterson Haddix, 1999
- Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, by Gregory Maguire,1999
- Rose Daughter, Robin McKinley, 1997
- Stardust, Neil Gaiman, 1997
More Teen Fantasy Books from Fairy Tales Coming
Listed above aren’t the only teen fantasy books inspired from childhood fairy tale favorites. With avid teen fantasy readers, other works based on some of our favorite childhood stories are sure to make their way onto the market in the new future.
For readers who like Percy Jackson and the Olympians and are looking for more fun teen fiction inspired from Greek mythology, see Teen Books Based on Greek Myths for Percy Jackson Fans.
