Bella at Midnight


Bella at Midnight by Diane Stanley.
This book has gotten several starred reviews and deservedly so!  An easy way to describe this book is a retelling of Cinderella, but that doesn’t really do it justice.  The original story is so well-hidden in a detailed book that it is hard to recognize it except for certain elements.  It is the story of Bella, a knight’s daughter whose father is so distraught over her mother’s death at Bella’s birth that he sends her away to be raised by peasants.  While living with the loving but poor family, Bella meets a young prince who is growing up in a nearby castle and they become fast friends.  But Bella doesn’t know that she is anything more than a peasant girl.  When Bella is a teen, she is suddenly summoned back to her father’s home because he has remarried.  She is so ill-suited to be in a knight’s house that they have her sleep in the kitchen.  The story continues to build into an adventure where Bella has to save the prince. 
This is a marvelous retelling that completely remakes the story into something modern and spectacular.  Bella is a worthy heroine for girls to relate to.  I also enjoyed that the story shows the points of view of other characters like Bella’s stepmother and stepsisters.  Point this out to girls who enjoy fantasy, romance, or princess books. 

3 thoughts on “Bella at Midnight

  1. Dear Diane,
    I enjoyed your book Bella at Midnight.I found it was very interesting. I finished it in two days.I
    think you should write a sequel.
    Anisa

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  2. Dear Diane,
    My daughter just finished reading “Bella at Midnight” and loved it. We read 3 chapeters every night before bed. Bother her and I were wondering if the story continues? It ended as if to imply continuing. Thanks for writing great childrens books.
    sincerely,
    jennifer

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  3. Dear Diane,
    I absolutely loved “Bella at Midnight”! It was such a fabulous book! Please write a sequel to it because I loved it so much!!!
    Sincerely,
    Alex

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