The Cinderella Story is found all over the world. Enjoy these retellings from multiple cultures other than the traditional tale Americans are used to hearing.
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Despite a cruel stepmother’s schemes, Jouanah, a young Hmong girl, finds true love and happiness with the aid of her dead mother’s spirit and a pair of special sandals.
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What’s more precious than rubies, more lasting than gold? Raisel knows. She learned it from her grandfather, a poor scholar who taught her. When he dies, Raisel finds work in the home of a rabbi. His jealous cook makes Raisel toil from sunup to sundown. And as the Jewish holiday of Purim approaches, Raisel works even harder. The rabbi’s son presides over the Purim dinner, and Raisel listens closely when he responds to riddles posed by his guests. Is it possible that this young man can answer Raisel’s riddle?
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In this Eastern European Jewish variant of the Cinderella story, the youngest daughter of a rabbi is sent away from home in disgrace, but thanks to the help of the prophet Elijah, marries the son of a renowned scholar and is reunited with her family.
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Rhodopis is a Greek girl who is sold into slavery by bandits and taken to Egypt. Along the way she becomes friends with the storyteller Aesop and a host of playful animals. Her master gives her a pair of beautiful rose-red slippers, making three other servants jealous. But when Horus, the falcon, sweeps in to steal her slipper, Rhodopis has little idea that this act will lead her to the King of Egypt.
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When Amina’s father decides to leave the village to work in the city, Amina’s quiet life is turned upside down. Amina now faces difficult choices- how to both obey her father and still follow her dream!
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On the island of Cuba lived two sisters named Adelaida and Marisol. Although identical twins in appearance, their personalities were as different as night and day. Adelaida was noble and loved to help others. She understood that the situation at home was not easy. On the other hand, Marisol believed that the world revolved around her. Will the sisters’ actions affect their fate?
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Poor Chinye braves the perils of the dark forest as she fetches and carries for her cruel stepmother and lazy stepsister, but unbeknownst to her, strange powers are watching over her, in a lively Cinderella tale from the Igbo people of Nigeria.
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The next Cinderella edition to come will focus on the Disney version of Cinderella!
Thought Provoking Reads 