Rapunzel’s Revenge

Hale, S., & Hale, D. (2008). Rapunzel’s Revenge. New York: Bloomsbury.

Plot Description: Rapunzel has always wondered what was on the other side of the wall and one day finally finds out. She comes face to face with the desolate conditions that the people working for Mother Gothel live in. She also meets her real mother and learns that Mother Gothel kidnapped her when she was younger. Due to her misbehavior she is imprisoned in a tree for four years until she is able to escape using her unusually long hair. She meets Jack and they embark on adventure after adventure on their quest back to the villa. Along the way they meet many outlaws and Rapunzel finds numerous uses for her hair in order to save them. Once back at the villa, Jack creates a distraction with his magic bean, and Rapunzel is able to rescue her mother. They then are able to find the source of Mother Gothel's magic and destroy it. They restore the land and free all the people from Mother Gothel's control.

Genre: Fantasy, Adventure

Age Group: This would be appropriate for grades 5-9.

Series Information/Similar Books: Calamity Jack, The Books of Bayern, and The Goose Girl all by Shannon Hale and The Devil you Know by Nathan Hale.

Personal Thought: This would be a great selection for a reluctant reader due to the visual nature of the material.

Subject/Themes: Fairy Tales, Wild West

Awards: ALA 2009 Notable Children’s Book, YALSA 2009 Great Graphic Novel for Teens, Eisner Award Nominee, Cybil Award Winner

Character Description: Rapunzel is a young girl that lives in a lush villa with Mother Gothel. After disobeying Mother she was imprisoned in a tree for four years. While there, due to the magical powers of the tree, she is able to grow out her hair to extreme lengths. Jack gives her the nickname Punzie.

Jack is a boy Rapunzel meets after she has escaped from the tree. He is an outlaw and always carries a lucky bean and his goose with him. He and Rapunzel travel together in order to save her mother and find Mother Gothel.

Annotation: If you are looking for an action packed adventure look no further. Rapunzel uses her hair to tussle with a wild boar, corral a group of blood thirsty coyotes, and slay a monstrous snake all on her journey to save her mother from the evil Mother Gothel.