Genre 6: Realistic Fiction and Fantasy: Post 3

Biographical Data:

Hale, Shannon and Dean Hale.  (2008).  Rapunzel’s Revenge. Ill. by Nathan Hale. New York: Bloomsbury.  ISBN 9781599902883

Brief Plot Summary:

Meet Rapunzel: a long hair, braid-lassoing outlaw who escaped from Mother Gothel's hollow tree tower - a punishment for disobeying Gothel.  This fairy-tail version takes place in the Wild West where Rapunzel grows up in the lap of luxury in Gothel's lush villa.  But when Rapunzel climbs over the wall surrounding the villa, she sees mine workers mining a wasteland.  While there she encounters her birth mother and discovers that Gothel took her from her parents as punishment for her father stealing rapunzel leaves from Gothel's garden.  Gothel banishes Rapunzel to the tree tower and visits once a year for four years to see if Rapunzel was repentant and ready to take her birthright.  Once her hair was long enough, Rapunzel uses it to escape the tree tower.  With the help of Jack, a friend she meets at a saloon, Rapunzel faces kidnappers, breaks out of jail, gets advice from Witchy Jasper, and battles ferocious beasts and a monstrous snake, and finally she has her revenge on Mother Gothel. 

Critical Analysis:

Punzie is not waiting to be rescued - she a teenager of action.  She's determined, strong-willed, and fights for justice.  And the reader will cheer her on as she and Jack, her faithful side-kick who reminds readers of Jack and the Beanstock, face fantastical beasts that fit right at home with Mother Gothel's magical growth powers, Rapunzel's long locks, and the swashbuckling Wild West.  The Hales did a wonderful job of creating colorful dialogue that fits the setting; one of the first things Rapunzel says is, "Well, I'll be swigger-jiggered and hung out to dry."  Illustrator Nathan Hale does a superb job of providing details, expressive characters, and colorful settings that contribute meaning to the work overall.  Together the characters and plot revolve around one theme:  good does triumph over evil.

Awards:

• An ALA 2009 Notable Children's Book
• A YALSA 2009 Great Graphic Novel for Teens
• An Eisner Award nominee (the Oscars of comics)
• A Kid's Indie Next for fall '08 (formerly known as Booksense Picks)
• 2011 Young Readers Choice Award (presented by the Pacific Northwest Library Association)
• A Junior Library Guild Premiere Selection
• Nominee for the Texas Lone Star reading list
• A Best Book of the year from kidsread.com and teenreads.com
• A Cybil Award winner
• Nominated for the 2010 Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults
• On the 2009-2010 Maine Student Book Award Reading List
• An ALA 2009 Popular Paperback
• Part of the 2010 ALA Amelia Bloomer Project Bibliography
• A Texas Maverick Graphic Novel
• A Young Hoosiers Book Award Nominee

Reviews:

The popular author of Princess Academy teams with her husband and illustrator Hale (no relation) for a muscular retelling of the famously long-haired heroine's story, set in a fairy-tale version of the Wild West. ...Rapunzel uses her brick-red braids first to escape, then like Indiana Jones with his whip, to knock out the villains whom she and her new sidekick, Jack (of Beanstalk fame), encounter as they navigate hostile territory to free Rapunzel's mom from peril. Illustrator Hale's detailed, candy-colored artwork demands close viewing, as it carries the action—Rapunzel's many scrapes are nearly wordless. With its can-do heroine, witty dialogue and romantic ending, this graphic novel has something for nearly everybody. Ages 10–up.  -- Publisher’s Weekly(Sept. 2008)

This graphic novel retelling of the fairy-tale classic, set in a swashbuckling Wild West, puts action first and features some serious girl power in its spunky and strong heroine. ...Hale’s art matches the story well, yielding expressive characters and lending a wonderful sense of place to the fantasy landscape. Rich with humor and excitement, this is an alternate version of a classic that will become a fast favorite of young readers.   -- Booklist (Sept. 2008)

Connections: 

• Reader’s Theater Script prrovided by the authors at their website:  http://www.squeetus.com/stage/rap_script-rt.html
• Can be paired with the sequel Calamity Jack which is explains Jack's background (from Jack and the Beanstock).
• Compare and contrast this version to other versions of Rapunzel