Ash Boy: A CinderFella Story; Lucy Coats, illustrated by Mark Beech

This twist on the classic tale of Cinderella is a delightfully fun read from Barrington Stoke.

Life has been very grim for Cinder Ashok since his mother died and his father chose to marry Mrs. Karim. He spends his days doing endless chores and has to put up with the constant bullying from his two new step-brothers, Rock and Boulder. Desperate for a chance to escape his current life and with the help of his fairy godfather, he enters the Grand Quintain Contest with the winner to receive a favour from Princess Betony. But does CinderFella have what it takes to go from zero to hero…

Ash Boy takes the original Cinderella story and flips it on its head by switching the characters genders. A down-trodden and overworked Cinders is replaced by Ash, step-sisters become step-brothers, there is a Princess with bright blue hair and a fairy godfather. The pumpkin is replaced by a rocking horse and the glass slipper, a golden glove of course! This all makes for a very amusing and entertaining read that whilst mimicking the plot of the original story, all feels original and fresh and will appeal to both boys and girls.

Barrington Stoke have a wonderful reputation for producing dyslexia friendly books and this title is printed in dyslexia friendly font and on cream paper ensuring the book can be accessed by every child. Illustrations by Mark Beech bring the story to life and they have a very Quentin Blake-esque feel to them - they are rather splendid.

Perfect for reluctant or struggling readers.

Recommended for 7+.