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Newfangled Fairy Tales #2
Newfangled Fairy Tales, Book #2
This collection of ten contemporary fairy tales--the second in the critically acclaimed series--puts a delightful new spin on classic stories and themes. Michelle Koszlowski desparately wantes to be a princess until her wish comes true and she discovers what a pain royal life can be. The Little Tailor brags to everyone about his bravery until a giant comes along and teaches him a lesson. Rapunzel is held captive in a high-rise apartment by an urban witch who owns a pizza parlor. A postmodern wolf refuses to eat the bratty Little Red Riding Hood and her sickly grandmother. Hansel is so obsessed with candy that he steals Gretel's piggy bank and runs off to the Old Witch's Candy Factory.
112 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
About the author
Bruce Lansky
196 books51 followersI was born on June 1, 1941. My first home was an apartment in Manhattan's Upper West Side, a neighborhood that overlooked the George Washington Bridge. Soon after kindergarten, my family moved to Scarsdale, which seemed to be “in the country.” In high school, I broke my ankle when I went out for the lacrosse team, so I wrote a sports column for the school newspaper. I don't think I showed any particular talent for writing then.
I went to St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland. I actually learned to read Greek (I didn't understand it, though). I transferred from St. John's to New York University, so I could study political science and economics. I graduated with a major in philosophy and a minor in English. My first job was a market researcher for a beer company in New Jersey. Over the next five years, I switched jobs several times: advertising copywriter, advertising account executive, and marketing manager at a candy company.
I married Vicki and we had a baby, Douglas. I wanted him to have a home surrounded by grass and trees and ball fields, so I accepted a job in Minnesota, and Doug got a baby sister, Dana. What rescued me from poverty was that my wife and some other mothers wrote a cookbook. We published it ourselves, and it was a huge hit. That's how I figured out that I wanted to be a publisher when I grew up. We built Meadowbrook Press, and I became an author of baby name books and humor books for adults.
Ten years ago, I wanted to put together a children's book of all the poems they loved best. To find these poems, I tested poems in elementary schools. As I was testing poems on children, I decided to write a few to see what the response would be. At first it wasn't that good, but as my writing improved, I added my poems to new books. To get them just right, I'd rewrite them over and over. I've now edited six poetry anthologies and filled three books with my own poems. Because I spent a lot of time reading and testing poems in classrooms, schools started inviting me to perform. I've now performed at hundreds of schools. My goal to put on the most entertaining, most educational, and most motivating assembly a school has ever had. My web site, http://www.gigglepoetry.com, helps kids discover the fun of reading and writing poetry.
Language arts are a very important part of what you learn in school. You can read great books that take you to far-away lands. You can write your own stories and make yourself the hero of exciting adventures. Even if it seems hard sometimes, don't give up. Keep practicing your reading and writing skills, and soon it will become easier. There are so many wonderful worlds to explore in books and poetry. Get your very own passport by learning to read and write the very best that you can.
I went to St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland. I actually learned to read Greek (I didn't understand it, though). I transferred from St. John's to New York University, so I could study political science and economics. I graduated with a major in philosophy and a minor in English. My first job was a market researcher for a beer company in New Jersey. Over the next five years, I switched jobs several times: advertising copywriter, advertising account executive, and marketing manager at a candy company.
I married Vicki and we had a baby, Douglas. I wanted him to have a home surrounded by grass and trees and ball fields, so I accepted a job in Minnesota, and Doug got a baby sister, Dana. What rescued me from poverty was that my wife and some other mothers wrote a cookbook. We published it ourselves, and it was a huge hit. That's how I figured out that I wanted to be a publisher when I grew up. We built Meadowbrook Press, and I became an author of baby name books and humor books for adults.
Ten years ago, I wanted to put together a children's book of all the poems they loved best. To find these poems, I tested poems in elementary schools. As I was testing poems on children, I decided to write a few to see what the response would be. At first it wasn't that good, but as my writing improved, I added my poems to new books. To get them just right, I'd rewrite them over and over. I've now edited six poetry anthologies and filled three books with my own poems. Because I spent a lot of time reading and testing poems in classrooms, schools started inviting me to perform. I've now performed at hundreds of schools. My goal to put on the most entertaining, most educational, and most motivating assembly a school has ever had. My web site, http://www.gigglepoetry.com, helps kids discover the fun of reading and writing poetry.
Language arts are a very important part of what you learn in school. You can read great books that take you to far-away lands. You can write your own stories and make yourself the hero of exciting adventures. Even if it seems hard sometimes, don't give up. Keep practicing your reading and writing skills, and soon it will become easier. There are so many wonderful worlds to explore in books and poetry. Get your very own passport by learning to read and write the very best that you can.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 20, 2026
These seems like it is going to be a fun middle grade set of retellings.
8/13/26: Rumpelstiltskin, Private Eye by Jason Sanford: what a fun retelling where Rump is asked to help the Miller's daughter escape and finds a conspiracy. Very fun. 4/5
8/13/26: The Girl Who Wanted to Be a Princess by Bruce Lansky: super good story about teaching a tween about home and responsibility. I liked this one even better. 4.25/5
8/14/26: The Little Tailor by Timothy Tocher - an interesting story about teaching someone not to brag. I liked it well enough. 3.5/5
8/16/26: A Thoroughly Modern Rapunzel (or How I Outsmarted the Witch) by Jude Mandell - I did not like this one, from the obvious "New York" talk (which was terrible) to the pun about the male's name, I just wasn't a fan of this one. 2.5/5
8/17/26: The Fairy Godfather by Liya Lev Oertel - This was one of the better ones I've read from this collection. However, the ending was a little lack luster. 3.5/5
8/18/26:The Clever Princess Who Slept on a Pea by Debra Tracy - This one is the best story in the collection so far. I love what the princess is able to do because she gets what she wants without embarrassing anyone else. Loved it. 4.5/5
8/19/26: The Gold Ring by Rita Schlachter - This one was really good. Two in a row that I really liked. Sort of a retelling of Cinderella with a twist. 4.5/5
8/20/26: Red Riding Hood and the Scrawny Little Wolf by Mary Quattlebaum - Red Riding Hood is just so annoying in this one! But that was kind of the point. Kinda funny, the whole thing. I liked it. 4/5
8/20/26: Hansel and Gretel by Timothy Tocher - This one, not so much. While it was a fun take on the Old Witch, I didn't much like either Hansel or Gretel. I guess that is a switch too. But this one just didn't do it for me. 3/5
8/20/26: Katie and the Dragon by Risa Hutson - This was a good one too. I liked Princess Katie and the dragon. Very fun little story. 4.5/5
Overall, a 3.9/5 so rounded up to a 4 for GR. I think this is a fun little book and I think middle schoolers would really like it.
8/13/26: Rumpelstiltskin, Private Eye by Jason Sanford: what a fun retelling where Rump is asked to help the Miller's daughter escape and finds a conspiracy. Very fun. 4/5
8/13/26: The Girl Who Wanted to Be a Princess by Bruce Lansky: super good story about teaching a tween about home and responsibility. I liked this one even better. 4.25/5
8/14/26: The Little Tailor by Timothy Tocher - an interesting story about teaching someone not to brag. I liked it well enough. 3.5/5
8/16/26: A Thoroughly Modern Rapunzel (or How I Outsmarted the Witch) by Jude Mandell - I did not like this one, from the obvious "New York" talk (which was terrible) to the pun about the male's name, I just wasn't a fan of this one. 2.5/5
8/17/26: The Fairy Godfather by Liya Lev Oertel - This was one of the better ones I've read from this collection. However, the ending was a little lack luster. 3.5/5
8/18/26:The Clever Princess Who Slept on a Pea by Debra Tracy - This one is the best story in the collection so far. I love what the princess is able to do because she gets what she wants without embarrassing anyone else. Loved it. 4.5/5
8/19/26: The Gold Ring by Rita Schlachter - This one was really good. Two in a row that I really liked. Sort of a retelling of Cinderella with a twist. 4.5/5
8/20/26: Red Riding Hood and the Scrawny Little Wolf by Mary Quattlebaum - Red Riding Hood is just so annoying in this one! But that was kind of the point. Kinda funny, the whole thing. I liked it. 4/5
8/20/26: Hansel and Gretel by Timothy Tocher - This one, not so much. While it was a fun take on the Old Witch, I didn't much like either Hansel or Gretel. I guess that is a switch too. But this one just didn't do it for me. 3/5
8/20/26: Katie and the Dragon by Risa Hutson - This was a good one too. I liked Princess Katie and the dragon. Very fun little story. 4.5/5
Overall, a 3.9/5 so rounded up to a 4 for GR. I think this is a fun little book and I think middle schoolers would really like it.
August 23, 2017
I absolutely love mixed up fairytales and these were all awesome. The Rapunzel one really had me laughing as did the Little Red Riding Hood one. Fun stories for pretty much all ages (unless you are a snooty person who thinks fairytales are only for children).
December 17, 2017
One of those simplistic children's stories ... although I'd add some sense into the ending for my kids, where they'll need to appreciate the value of where they are at any time... even if it were a castle where they'd be pampered and expected to demonstrate certain mannerisms.
September 17, 2017
3.5 I found ti childish but very entertaining and original. I liked some stories more than others and the modern twist was cool.
Want to Read
May 17, 2025Cutting is for Rumpelstiltskin, Private Eye
By Jason Sanford
By Jason Sanford
August 12, 2015
I really liked the last one, the princess and the pea, and the Rumpelstiltskin one. Those were really good. The others had an interesting twist that I liked, but those two were my favorites out of them all. Now I should probably find the first book and see how that one is!
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!!!
The first story is about Rumpelstiltskin, a Privet Eye. The Miller comes to him and tells him that his daughter was kidnapped by the gold thirsty king. Rumple (Rumpelstiltskin's awfully long) goes to the castle to find stuff out. Happy, now a guard, tells him that the miller's daughter spins straw into gold, and that Rumple can't get into the castle. No visitors. So Rumple sneaks into the castle through the sewers, and gets into the room that the miller's daughter's in. It's a trick, and after he escapes, he comes up with a plan to tell the king the truth and punish the traitors in the kingdom.
The second's is my least favorite, the girl who wants to be a princess. She gets what she wants and hates it. That's all I have to say about that chapter.
The third is 'The Little Tailor'. Good story for people who brag to read. Also not one of my favorites.
The fourth is a 'Modern Rapunzel'. Instead of a plant, it's pizza that's under a curse that the mother falls in love with, and the witch is a pizza place owner. It goes on like the real story for a little bit, and then when the witch finds out about the guy who's going to rescue her, she makes Rapunzel bald for good. I didn't like that part.
The next one is about a fairy godFATHER. Also not one of my favorites, but it was okay, I guess. It was the first dude who got to be a fairy godfather.
The sixth was great!!! The princess and the pea! I won't spoil anything, but it was really well done! Princess Mia was so clever!
The seventh is a Cinderella story, only about a boy instead of a girl. It was a good idea, but it wasn't my favorite Cinderella story.
The next one is about Red Riding Hood and the Scrawny Wolf. I always knew that wolves weren't all bad! I really liked this one, too.
The ninth is Hansel and Gretel. In this one, only Hansel is naughty, and the witch is pretty cool, although I'm not so sure about the candies she sells.
And finally, my favorite, Katie and the Dragon. Katie doesn't want to marry whatever prince defeats the dragon, who she really wants to marry is the court jester. She goes and talks to the dragon, and uses her head to try and figure out a way to make it so that the fight doesn't go like it was set up to be.
I won't give away anymore. You'll enjoy this if you don't mind fairytales.
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!!!
The first story is about Rumpelstiltskin, a Privet Eye. The Miller comes to him and tells him that his daughter was kidnapped by the gold thirsty king. Rumple (Rumpelstiltskin's awfully long) goes to the castle to find stuff out. Happy, now a guard, tells him that the miller's daughter spins straw into gold, and that Rumple can't get into the castle. No visitors. So Rumple sneaks into the castle through the sewers, and gets into the room that the miller's daughter's in. It's a trick, and after he escapes, he comes up with a plan to tell the king the truth and punish the traitors in the kingdom.
The second's is my least favorite, the girl who wants to be a princess. She gets what she wants and hates it. That's all I have to say about that chapter.
The third is 'The Little Tailor'. Good story for people who brag to read. Also not one of my favorites.
The fourth is a 'Modern Rapunzel'. Instead of a plant, it's pizza that's under a curse that the mother falls in love with, and the witch is a pizza place owner. It goes on like the real story for a little bit, and then when the witch finds out about the guy who's going to rescue her, she makes Rapunzel bald for good. I didn't like that part.
The next one is about a fairy godFATHER. Also not one of my favorites, but it was okay, I guess. It was the first dude who got to be a fairy godfather.
The sixth was great!!! The princess and the pea! I won't spoil anything, but it was really well done! Princess Mia was so clever!
The seventh is a Cinderella story, only about a boy instead of a girl. It was a good idea, but it wasn't my favorite Cinderella story.
The next one is about Red Riding Hood and the Scrawny Wolf. I always knew that wolves weren't all bad! I really liked this one, too.
The ninth is Hansel and Gretel. In this one, only Hansel is naughty, and the witch is pretty cool, although I'm not so sure about the candies she sells.
And finally, my favorite, Katie and the Dragon. Katie doesn't want to marry whatever prince defeats the dragon, who she really wants to marry is the court jester. She goes and talks to the dragon, and uses her head to try and figure out a way to make it so that the fight doesn't go like it was set up to be.
I won't give away anymore. You'll enjoy this if you don't mind fairytales.
April 28, 2014
The first in the series was the best book. This one was okay but not great
September 2, 2015
I thought this book have same story with #ouat when the previous author before henry made a story. A villains win.
December 27, 2018
A new look at some old familiar fairy tales. Some set in modern times.
Easy to read, some better than others, but overall a fun read
Easy to read, some better than others, but overall a fun read
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews