Ella Enchanted
by Gail Carson Levine
Middle grade · age 8+ · 760L (~4th grade) · 232 pages · 1998
Why we'd hand it over
A fairy-tale retelling that swaps beauty for actual character growth—Ella fights her curse by refusing victimhood, and the romance serves her agency instead of crowning it.
What parents said
Matilda (Kate Winslet's narration is incredible)
It has the sweet story feel, and the curse gives it enough twists to keep it moving.