Beauty A Retelling of the Story of Beauty & the Beast by Robin McKinley is a young adult modern fantasy book. I believe this book met the criteria for the genre very well. First, the magical world is consistent throughout the book. Beauty’s presence seemed to cause things to happen, like doors opening, candles lighting, and rooms appearing. Later in the book, we discover the Beast is actually making these things happen.

Second, it suspends disbelief. The story begins in the real world where we hear the people in Blue Hill warn Beauty’s family to stay out of the forest. She hears bits and pieces about it being enchanted. When the father returned from the castle and shared his story it seemed unbelievable because we were hearing the third person perspective. When we slid into the story and experienced the castle from Beauty’s perspective, it seemed very believable.

Third, the detail in the story paints a beautiful picture for the imagination. The author gives us sensory information, not just about what see with our eyes, but also what we smell, hear, taste, touch, and feel. She describes Beauty’s experience of the smell of lavender on the sheets, the wind whisking over her, and being swept into a long, white nightgown of the softest silk with ivory-colored roses on it.

Fourth, the themes of the book are character building. The family values virtues, like Grace, Hope, Honor, and Mercy. This is shown by the names they chose for their daughters. The family is loving towards each other. The father is honest in his business dealings and is respected in the community and by his employees. Because the families value was not based on their wealth, it was easier to move on with their lives after they lost their wealth. They chose to accept their situation and not become angry. They quickly adjusted to their new life of hard work and few resources without complaining.

The story is aimed at young adults ages 8-12. I would not give this book to someone that young. It contains a lot of big words and could be difficult for someone younger than 12 years of age. Beauty is well read, uses big words, and often refers to books a young person could not relate to.

I can think of several classroom activities for exploring this book. The students could study how to grow roses. They could be given rose seeds, pots, potting soil, and a place near a window in the classroom for the seeds to grow. The students would be responsible for the watering of their plants. They could draw pictures of the Castle, Beast, Beauty, gardens, horses, flowers, and trees. They could create maps of the castle with all the buildings, rooms, gardens, and fields. Or they could create nicknames for themselves using words that describe good character, like honesty, trustworthy, faithful, etc. After a period of time, they could write an essay about how they have developed traits like their nicknames.

Because this story is well loved, there are many books written about it and movies produced about it. It fits the characteristic of a good book –  good is portrayed as good, and good wins in the end. It is also a healing book. Every character in the book is healed as they accept their new life and become better people. Beauty changes the most as she becomes beautiful and no longer feels her nickname mocks her. Overall, the book is a great teaching tool for developing character.