Classic Spin-Offs

Most of us have heard the old adage, “there are two sides to every story.” The saying encourages us to consider multiple perspectives. As readers, viewing the stories we love through different lenses can open up entirely new worlds! It can be fun to ask ourselves: is there another side to this story?

For example, many are familiar with the short-lived, whirlwind romance of Shakespeare’s famous duo, Romeo and Juliet. The aftermath of their fateful love rocked the city of Verona and left their families heartbroken and bereaved. However, none are quite as familiar as Juliet’s Nurse, who can share an almost first-hand account of the pair’s impetuous love and untimely demise. In this Lois Leveen title we meet Angelica, Juliet’s nurse of fourteen years, who shares her account of what transpired between the young couple. Given her love and devotion to Juliet, readers will question how much of her story is embellished and how much of it is fact.

The Queen of Hearts is one of the most memorable characters from Alice in Wonderland. She is an angry, vengeful tyrant who is all too quick to yell, “Off with their heads!” But was she always so spiteful? Is it possible that, before she became the Queen of Hearts, she was once a teenage girl who loved to bake and dreamt of falling in love? Find out in the Teen novel Heartless by Marissa Meyer.  

In the children’s classic Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Goldilocks plays the role of mischievous and disobedient child. Despite her mother’s warnings about straying too far from home, Goldilocks continues to wander the woods. It’s not until one day, when she decides to enter the home of three bears, that her curiosity gets the best of her. After eating their food, breaking their chairs, and making herself a little too at home, it’s no wonder the bears chased her away upon their return! And while it’s clear that the rest of his family dislikes Goldilocks, Baby Bear – also young and curious – can’t help but see a little bit of himself in her. Is she really all that bad? Read Believe Me, Goldilocks Rocks! by Nancy Loewen to hear his take!

If you think you might enjoy a fresh point of view, check out some of the following twists and spin-offs on classics we love!

ADULT

• Malice by Heather Walker – Sleeping Beauty
• Dracula My Love by Syrie James - Dracula
• Rhett Butler’s People by Donald McCraig - Gone With the Wind
• Lost Boy by Christina Henry - Peter Pan
• Horseman: A Tale of Sleepy Hollow by Christina Henry – The Headless Horseman
• Longbourn by Jo Baker - Pride and Prejudice
• Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin – Pride and Prejudice

TEEN

• Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron - Cinderella
• A Fiery Friendship by Lisa Fiedler - The Wizard of Oz
• The Twisted Tales Series by Various Authors - Aladdin, Peter Pan, Hercules, Mulan, and more
• Of Curses & Kisses by Sandhya Menon  – Beauty and the Beast
• Legendborn by Tracy Deonn – King Arthur
• So Many Beginnings by Bethany C. Morrow – Little Women
• Clockwork Curandera by David Bowles - Frankenstein

CHILDREN’S

• The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka – The Three Little Pigs
• After the Fall: How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again by Dan Santat – Humpty Dumpty
• Endlessly Ever After by Laurel Snyder - Variety of fairytales
• A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz - Variety of Grimm's stories
• Another Side of the Story by Nancy Loewen, Trisha Speed Shaskan, Jessica Gunderson - Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, Beauty and the Beast, The Princess and the Frog
• The Other Side of the Story by Nancy Loewen, Eric Braun, Trisha Speed Shaskan - Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, The Little Mermaid, Goldilocks, and Little Red Riding Hood
• The Real Boy by Anne Ursu - Pinocchio