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CASD 1717 – Fall 2024

New Fairy Tales

On this page, you’ll find some examples of ‘new’ fairy tales and some approaches to retelling fairy tales for more contemporary audiences.

Picture Books

Watch: A read-aloud and a storytelling

Middle Grade

We’ll be reading Coraline, but here are two examples for this age.

The Land of Stories Series, Chris Colfer

Optional: Read an Excerpt (outside link)

The Sisters Grimm: Fairy Tale Detectives, Michael Buckley

What do you think of these stories for today’s children? Can you think of any other books that you’ve encountered that could be considered ‘modern’ fairy tales?

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Go on to Young Adult stories

Comments

22 responses to “New Fairy Tales”

  1. anthea longville Avatar
    anthea longville

    I think that these stories for children today is a blend of classic fairytales and modern sensibilities. It’s ideal for children who like a mix of fantasy, adventure and a touch of humor. Some other books that you encounter that could be considered modern fairytales are The Lunar Chronicles by Melissa Meyer, The Descendants Series by Melissa De La Cruz and The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani.

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  2. anthea longville Avatar
    anthea longville

    I think that these stories for children today is a blend of classic fairytales and modern sensibilities and ideal for children who like a mix of fantasy, adventure and a touch of humor. Some other books that you encounter that could be considered modern fairytales are The Lunar Chronicles by Melissa Meyer, The Descendants Series by Melissa De La Cruz and The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani.

    Reply
  3. Victoria Lucenti Avatar
    Victoria Lucenti

    I enjoyed watching these videos that provided me with more insight of these stories for today’s children. Although not all of these stories were created for today’s children, such as the Grimm Sister stories that were created first in the early 2000’s, these stories, as well as the others shown amongst the various videos presented such modern themes that would still be substantial in today’s society and world. There are still very common themes of fairy tales, happy endings, relations/connections to characters, and other themes of suspense and darkness. These themes would still be able to very likely relate and connect to the readers of today’s children and society, such as the readers own experiences, interests, and cultures within present day. Some books that I’ve encountered that could be considered ‘modern’ fairy tales would probably be “Girls Made of Snow and Glass” by Melissa Bashardoust which is heavily inspired by “Snow White”.

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  4. Nitzan Naim Avatar
    Nitzan Naim

    As Anthea said, I think these modern fairy tales integrate classic elements of fairy tales into more modern stories. One book I think can be considered a modern fairy tale is Narnia. It has many of these classic fairy tale elements, such as talking animals, magic, and time works differently there. I absolutely loved Narnia as a child, especially because of its fairy tale quality; there are no limits to what can happen in Narnia!

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    1. Anifat Abumislimova Avatar
      Anifat Abumislimova

      I think these stories are great for today’s children because they teach important lessons and also have fun. I agree with you that Narnia really does feel like a modern fairy tale. The talking animals, magic, and the way time works differently make it so exciting. Like you, I loved Narnia in my childhood, and now as a mother, I still enjoy watching the movie Narnia with my children. The movie Narnia mixes classic fairy tale ideas with a new, magical world, and that makes it fun for kids today.

      Reply
  5. Ariana Loyfman Avatar
    Ariana Loyfman

    I think regardless of the time period of a fairytale, children of any time period can find a way to relate to it one way or another. Even though there will be aspects that differ and children of the modern day will not understand, there will be child-like aspects that they can find joy in as well. Also, modern fairytales have a lot of factors that are more understandable for adults but children can still find relatability in it.

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  6. Alexa Mendez Avatar
    Alexa Mendez

    I think that these stories can be considered a mix of both classic fairytales that we know and modern stories because they have similarities such as humor, fantasy and they show a sense of adventure that grabs the readers attention.

    Reply
  7. Mahnoor Avatar
    Mahnoor

    I think that these are very engaging and interesting stories for children. Like most classic fairytales we know of, these also have a lesson and tend to lean into the world of magic and mystery. I think they provide kids with an interesting story to follow while keeping simple elements we see in children’s books present. A modern fairytale that I have encountered is Shrek, which has elements of magic, love, and lessons. 

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  8. Sofia Buttaro Avatar
    Sofia Buttaro

    These tales imaginatively reinterpret traditional fairy tale components for contemporary youth, incorporating humor, adventure, and messages of self-determination. While The Land of Stories and The Sisters Grimm present lush, imaginative worlds in which fairy tale characters come to life, appealing to young readers’ sense of wonder, The Paper Bag Princess challenges conventional gender roles. This pattern is continued in contemporary fairy tales, such as Chris Colfer’s “A Tale of Magic,” and Neil Gaiman’s “Coraline,” which feature realistic characters, modern twists, and themes of bravery and resiliency set in strange settings. In addition to being entertaining, these tales promote critical analysis of conventional narratives.

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  9. Tory Sen Avatar
    Tory Sen

    It’s my opinion that these stories are good for modern kids because they teach important lessons while also being fun. Narnia, a modern fairy tale, is a great choice for today’s teens and young adults because it combines traditional ideas with a new, magical world. Its magical abilities, talking animals, and potential for development over time will fascinate young people of all ages. Even though modern fairy tales are distinct from those of the past, they continue to have elements that adults can identify with, making them an excellent choice for children.

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  10. Camille Connor Avatar
    Camille Connor

    I think the fairy tales that out today in this world is very different than what I heard or read as a child. Now and days the fairy tales are more about the words and not pictures. When a child is being told a fairy tale they will need to use they imagination while they are listening to the story.

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  11. Selina Chen Avatar
    Selina Chen

    I believe that these stories for children today can be a great way for children to stay engaged. These modern stories are not too far off than old tales because they still include elements of adventure, humor and fantasy. I think Shrek can be considered a modern fairy tale as it includes elements a bit different than fairy tales that are a bit older.

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  12. Brittany Giler Avatar
    Brittany Giler

    I think these stories are good for children because it makes them use their imaginations and have important moral lessons within the story. A story that can be considered a modern fairytale is “Ella enchanted” it has many similarities to the story of Cinderella with a more modern twist to the elements of the story.

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  13. Naurah Romulus Avatar
    Naurah Romulus

    These stories are great for today’s kids because they take traditional fairy tale ideas and give fun twists. In The Paper Bag Princess, the main character is strong and saves herself, which is different from the usual “princess needing rescue” story. It’s empowering for young readers. A modern fairytale that I adored is “Enchanted.” I loved the way they pay homage to Disney movies and make fun of them at the same time, and it being set in New York City made it more personal for me.

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  14. Kateryna Senkovych Avatar
    Kateryna Senkovych

    I think that these modern fairytales are a bit different from the ones that I read as a child, but I think they are fitting for this time. Children during this time can make connections to these fairytales and enjoy them. Some modern fairytales that I loved watching are “Narnia”, “Ella Enchanted”, and “Enchanted.”

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  15. Michelle Cortes Rodriguez Avatar
    Michelle Cortes Rodriguez

    These stories for today’s children provide a variety of genres wrapped into one, including elements of mysteries, adventure, and humor. Most of the time when anybody thinks of fairytales, it is about a damsel-in-distress in the form of a princess. Some children might have even associated fairytales as being for girls, but now, it opens up the possibility for a bigger audience among young readers. I would say that the movies Descendants and Enchanted would fall under the category of modern fairytales.

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  16. Amy Khait Avatar
    Amy Khait

    I think that these stories provide a variety of fairytales for children with a modern twist to it, which can make it more relatable to the time period. Even though, I believe that a lot of fairytales can be relatable still, no matter the time period. These stories teach important lessons but also is fun at the same time. One of my favorite modern fairytales I can think of is Narnia. I used to love the talking animals and the aspect of time was very fascinating to me.

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  17. VANESSA Avatar
    VANESSA

    I believe these stories are good for modern kids not only do these stories have catching plots but they also teach us a lesson. Something children and adults may relate to in their won way.

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  18. Kaylee Pontone Avatar
    Kaylee Pontone

    The book I can think of that’s a modern fairytale retelling was actually Chris Colfer’s A Land of Stories! I remember I loved the first one but don’t remember reading the rest of the series.

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  19. Amna Syeda Avatar
    Amna Syeda

    These stories remain valuable for today’s children, offering imaginative worlds and meaningful lessons. Modern fairy tales, like Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians, mix adventure with contemporary issues, making them both engaging and relatable for young readers.

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  20. Emma Avatar
    Emma

    It is a mix of classic fairytales and modern stories as well because, similarly to what Amy said, no matter what the story is trying to tell, children are still able to pick out different themes and characters that may resonate with how they feel or perceive the story.

    Reply
  21. Jaylyn Calles Avatar
    Jaylyn Calles

    What do you think of these stories for today’s children? Can you think of any other books that you’ve encountered that could be considered ‘modern’ fairy tales?
    I think of these stories for todays children a mixture of many different themes and ways to tell stories. A story i can think of thatll be considered a modern fairy tale is Cinder by Marissa Meyer its a classic story that is inspired by cinderella.

    Reply

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