"Little Bad Wolf and Red Riding Hood" by Timothy Tocher

 Normally I like fun re-tellings of fairy tales. Sure, there are a lot of bad ones out there, but there also quite a few that are great. I'm still not sure how I feel about Timothy Tocher's Little Bad Wolf and Red Riding Hood. I did enjoy reading it, but as I found myself laughing as I read, I wondered if the jokes would really appeal to kids or if this story would be better enjoyed by adults.

Little Bad Wolf's father has been missing for a week. He's beginning to worry. How are he and his mother going to get food without his father? Soon he meets a girl in a red cloak and he devises a plan to get food from Little Red Riding Hood. What he doesn't know, is that his father has already devised a similar plan. 

I did like that this book had absolutely no violence (no, I'm not someone who gets upset with violence in kids books, but I do remember that the scene where the hunter would cut Grandma and Little Red out of the Grandmother freaked me out as a kid. So this change was a plus for me). I was also amused that instead of eating Grandma, the Big Bad Wolf had just taken advantage of the fact that Grandma had just gone to Florida. However, I couldn't help but think of times when I have shared other funny re-tellings of Fairy Tales. It always seems like the majority of kids are bored or a little confused by the changes whereas adults usually get a kick out of it. Because of this, I have a hard time believing that kids will be overly fond of this read. But since I enjoyed it, it might be worth it just for a fun read for the adults.

Happy Reading!
-Melly

"Young Marian's Adventures In Sherwood Forest" By Stephen Mooser

I am not overly familiar with the story of Robin Hood.  I watched the Disney version once as a child and that's about it.  So I can't tell you how Young Marian's Adventures In Sherwood Forest by Stephen Mooser stands up if you are a Robin Hood fan.  I can say that I  did like that the focus of the book is on Maid Marian and that though Robin was present for the majority of the novel, he was not in any way the focus.  It was enjoyable to see Marian take charge and save the day, especially considering this book is set during a time when women often don't get that opportunity.  I didn't feel that this was the best written book, at times it was a little dry and drug out a little, but I could still see the appeal.  It is certainly a book that I would recommend to young girls.

All of the expected characters are featured; Marian, Robin, the Sheriff of Nottingham.  Also as expected, the Sheriff is up to no good  and it is up to Marian to put a stop to it.  Something I have found to be true of most adaptations of popular stories- as a reader, I usually know what to expect out of the story.  Because of this, I had a pretty good idea how the story was going to end (and what the twist would be).  But even so, I did enjoy this book and encourage young girls to give it a try.

Happy Reading!
-Melly