Ella Enchanted

I had the great (mis?) fortune to attend graduation (actually, two of them) this past week (not my own, though mine was taking place at the same time). In anticipation for the event, thankfully, I remembered the #1 Hard and Fast Rule of Literature: There is no occasion, no matter how tedious, that cannot be made entertaining by Ella Enchanted. As a result, I actually looked forward to both ceremonies and didn’t have to listen to a single boring talk!

Ella immediately became my favorite book after the first read (10/1998) and remains in my top five to this day. The heroine is smart, strong-willed, witty, and adventurous, and the hero is madly in love with her for it. It is the quintessential girl-power Newbery. I am still disappointed about what they did with the movie, but let’s not talk about that.
 

I still remember this passage (wherein Ella is telling Char about her experience at finishing school) making me giggle out loud the first time I read it:

I seated myself on a large rock. "Observe." I plucked an imaginary napkin out of the air, shook it twice, and placed it on my lap.

 "Very ladylike," Char said politely.

"I shake the napkin twice. That's important."

"Why?"

"Mice."

Now on the rare occasion that I shake a napkin, I always think of Ella and mice. And, of course, I little-girl swoon when I read her and Char’s clever and (ultimately) romantic letter correspondence. Though I’ve never talked to a male who has read it, I am quite certain that Ella Enchanted is a book that appeals to all ages and genders. It entertains, breaks down barriers (I made friends at the graduation just by having it my hand), and gives a girl hope.