How the Library (Not the Prince) Saved Rapunzel

K-Gr 2—Rather than in a faraway kingdom, this Rapunzel lives in a modern English city on the 16th floor of an apartment building with a broken elevator. She sits day after day staring out the window with "nowhere to go" and "nothing to prove." Multiple people come to her "tower" and offer food, letters, and flowers and plead, "Rapunzel, Rapunzel, please let down your hair," but she doesn't move. It finally takes the entire community climbing the stairs to bring her back to life. The letter that she wouldn't initially accept is a job offer at the library. She takes it and her life changes, allowing her to share the power of books with others. It may be hard for children to relate to Rapunzel, since she doesn't speak or react until well into the book. Her strength isn't shown until the end of the story and offers a positive message about the life-changing power of books, reading, and librarians. The rhyming text flows smoothly across the pages, but readers may stumble on some of the Briticisms, such as lift, hooter, and spanner. The colorful illustrations offer a diverse mix of characters, but the book misses the mark.—Andy Plemmons, David C. Barrow Elementary, Athens, GA