CHARMED, I'M SURE

Rosie White Charming is an ordinary eighth-grader in New York City—who happens to be the beloved daughter of Prince Charming and Snow White Charming.

The white girl’s parents have thoroughly embraced modern life, building a very successful web-based business, Charming Lifestyles, that includes advice and their own product line. At least until now, Rosie has remained very much her own person, wearing sneakers and thrift store clothing and having fun with her friends. But she is dateless for the upcoming school dance and reluctantly asks her mom for help. A huge makeover, involving hairstyle, clothing, makeup, and the gift of a mirrored compact changes not only her appearance, but how she is seen by her peers and how she sees herself. Like the magic mirror in her parents’ story, the compact’s mirror speaks to her, goading her into behaviors that are against her own nature and reminding her of the wicked queen. Somehow she manages to take control, regain her true self, learn an important life lesson, and go to the dance with a really nice boy, also white. (Rosie’s New York City is not a particularly diverse one.) There are many moments of laugh-out-loud fun in Littman’s mishmash of fairy tale and quirky reality, including appearances by Rosie’s “height disadvantaged ‘uncles.’ ” Rosie is loving and compassionate, and she narrates her tale with wit, humor, and just the right amount of middle school angst.

Inventive and, yes, charming.