Beauty and the Beast, the Only One Who Didn't Run Away (Twice Upon a Time Series #3)

by Wendy Mass

Overview

She's never thought she was much of a beauty. He's worried he comes across as a beast. There are two sides to every fairy tale. . . .

When you're stuck with the name Beauty, people expect a lot from you, like beauty and grace and a sense of style. But what if you have a perfect older sister who really should have had your name instead of you?And when you're a prince, you're supposed to be athletic and commanding and brave and tall. But what if all you like to do is play the bagpipes (badly), study the stars, and try to figure out how to make worms live forever? When Beauty's life turns upside down and she's forced to head out into the world, she has to figure out just who she wants to be. And when Prince Riley suddenly grows fur, and nails as sharp as sticks, he has to learn that even a beast's appearance can be deceiving.Journey back to the days when fairy tales were true with this fun and fresh spin on a timeless tale!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780545443142
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	06/01/2012
Series:	Twice Upon a Time Series , #3
Sold by:	Scholastic, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Pages:	288
Lexile:	760L (what's this?)
File size:	1 MB
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Wendy Mass is the author of award-winning books for young readers, including 11 Birthdays, Finally, 13 Gifts, The Last Present, and the Twice Upon a Time series; as well as A Mango-Shaped Space, Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life, Heaven Looks a Lot Like the Mall, Leap Day, Every Soul a Star, Space Taxi, and The Candymakers. She lives with her family in New Jersey.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for 11 Birthdays:*"A fresh twist on the familiar themes of middle-grade family and school dynamics." — Booklist, starred review*"Girls will relate to Amanda's insecurities, and the confidence and insight she gains will resonate." — Publishers Weekly, starred reviewPraise for Finally:"Finally is a treat — a delicious story about fitting in, falling down, and growing up. Wendy Mass has done it again!" — Rebecca Stead, Newbery Medal winner of When You Reach Me"Finally will have readers laughing, nodding in agreement, and sighing in sympathy." — TeensReadToo.comPraise for 13 Gifts:*"Mass keeps the plot jumping like a fireworks display; there's one surprise spark after another, all coming together at the end for a breathtaking finale." — School Library Journal, starred review"Philosophical and wryly humorous, this magical tale will satisfy both fans and new readers alike." — Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

Gr 4–7—This installment in the series tells of Beauty, a plain girl whose life drastically changes after a fire destroys her father's business, and Riley, a prince who would rather gaze at the stars than dance at lavish balls. When a mischievous witch turns Riley into a hideous beast and renders his family completely invisible, he must find a girl to love him before his time runs out. Told in alternating viewpoints, this is an appealing fairy-tale spin-off. The characters and dialogue emphasize the importance of family strength in times of adversity. Both Beauty's and Riley's families face serious problems, but they handle their issues with integrity, humor, and courage. At times, however, the dialogue doesn't sound authentic and seems pieced together with little or no transition. Pacing is also a concern. The stories meander through lots of events before the two finally meet, but they all seem random and do little to enhance the plot. It isn't until about 70 pages from the end that the traditional story begins, leaving some to wonder what took so long. Still, Mass and fairy-tale retellings are popular with tweens, and librarians looking for light, nonviolent retellings will find that Beauty fits the bill nicely.—Leigh Collazo, Ed Willkie Middle School, Fort Worth, TX

School Library Journal

A reasonably charming middle-grade version of "Beauty and the Beast" has little bite. Told in alternating chapters by Beauty and the Beast, who is really a prince named Riley, this takes place in a sort of medieval world (travel by carriage and horseback, inns with straw beds) but has a sharp contemporary tone. Beauty has an older sister who is beautiful and accomplished and pretty nice, and Riley has an older brother whose perfection is somewhat marred by the fact that it is his comments to the witch they encounter that gets Riley turned into the Beast. The story takes a very long time to get started, as Beauty needs to go on a quest of her own before she can rescue the Beast with a kiss. While that quest provides a glowing pink talisman that helps save Riley/the Beast, the connections between the first half and the second half of the story don't always adhere. But Beauty and the Beast share an interest in science, a lack of interest in fuss and folderol, and more than one very sweet kiss. It's all so clean and lighthearted and safe that readers accustomed to any edge at all might find their teeth aching; on the other hand, it is part of a series that has found its audience. Absolutely no villains--even the witch who cast the spell gets to turn herself into a cat to accompany her feline companion--and a bunch of supportive parents, siblings and buddies make for a squeaky-clean read. (Fantasy. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews