Wouldn’t it be nice if all stories started with Once Upon a Time? When I was a little girl, I remember my Mom reading me plenty of stories that started with those four simple words. Now that my own daughter is learning to read and write, it makes me smile each time she sits down to write her own little story, always starting off with Once Upon a Time.
Many of the books that I read now are not the kind of magical Once Upon a Time stories that I remember. Last year, when Carl hosted the first Once Upon a Time Challenge, I had just found his blog, but did not join in. To be honest, I just didn’t think there were really any books in the fable, fantasy, folklore or mythology genre that would appeal to me.
Then, in August, after coming home from China with my youngest daughter, I read the final Harry Potter book. This was a series that I absolutely loved and even though none of the books started with Once Upon a Time, they all had a magic about them that I realized I would soon be missing. So I started purchasing books, here and there, in anticipation of Carl’s second Once Upon a Time Challenge.
And here we are, spring of 2008 and the official kick-off of Once Upon a Time II! I’m participating in the Quest the First, where I pick five books that fit within the challenge criteria. I threw in one additional book for good measure. Here’s the official list:
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
The Stolen Childby Keith Donohue
Once Upon a Marigold by Jean Ferris
A Wrinkle in Timeby Madeleine L’Engle
The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly
Are you going to join in too? Just stop by Carl’s blog to find out more.
