Since it debuted last month, Descendants: The Rise of Red has been all my patrons can talk about. They loved the original Descendants movies, and are so excited to see the adventures at Auradon Prep continue with a new generation. This film introduces Red, the daughter of the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland, and Chole, the daughter of Cinderella. These two princesses are complete opposites. But when a pocket watch accidentally takes them back in time, they need to learn to work together to save their parents and the future. If your patrons love this film franchise as much as mine do, check out these amazing read-a-likes that will make them shout “Bibbidi Bobbidi!”.
Great books for Red’s Biggest Fans:
- Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll: In this timeless tale, a young girl falls down a rabbit hole, and nothing is ever the same. The Queen of Hearts is one of the main characters of The Rise of Red. If your patrons love her, introduce them to the story she came from!
- The Marvellers by Dhonielle Clayton: Ella Durand is the first Conjuror to get to attend the Arcanum Training Institute. Ella quickly realizes it can be hard to be the first. When her family is accused of helping a dangerous convict escape from prison, Ella decides to clear her name. Red and Ella both face challenges being the first at their school. Patrons who related to Red will relate to Ella, too.
- Operation Do-Over by Gordon Korman: In seventh grade, Mason and Ty had a huge fight over a girl. Everything bad in Mason’s life comes from that one fight. So, when Mason wakes up back in seventh grade, he decides to do whatever it takes to save his relationship with Ty. Just like Red, Mason hopes that changing the past can change his future. Fans of The Rise of Red’s time-travel elements will love this book.
- Through a Clouded Mirror by Miya T. Beck: Yuki Snow is not happy: her dad has died, she had to move to a new town, and her best friend has a crush on her worst enemy. So, when she receives a magic mirror that lets her travel back to imperial Japan to meet Sei Shōnagon, author of The Pillow Book, she goes on the adventure of a lifetime. In this book, Yuki’s dad was a professor who specialized in Alice in Wonderland. This story is filled with references to Alice. Also, just like the Descendants movies, it does a great job combining fantasy elements with school-story drama.
Great books for Chole’s Biggest Fans:
- Cruzita and the Mariacheros by Ashley Granillo: After the death of her Tío Chuy, Cruzita’s family’s bakery is in trouble. Her plan to save the day is to become a pop star. However, her family’s plan is for her to work in the bakery over summer break. When her abuela signs her up for mariachi classes, Cruzita isn’t thrilled. Can embracing her heritage help her save her family? Like Chole, Cruzita really cares about her family, even though they annoy her. Both Chole and Cruzita would do anything for their families.
- The Lost Fairy Tales by Anna James: Tilly Page is a Bookwander: she can travel between the real world and the world of fiction. When fairy tale characters start disappearing, Tilly knows it’s up to her and the other bookwanders to solve the case. Like Chloe, Tilly is hard working and determined. Fans who love the way Chloe helps others will love this book.
- The Storybook of Legends by Shannon Hale: Ever After High is where the future fairy tale characters go to get trained on how to live out their stories. Apple White is so excited to sign the Storybook of Legends and officially become the new Snow White. But when Raven Queen, the future Evil Queen, refuses to sign the book, Ever After High quickly divides into two camps. Can Apple find a way to bring everyone together? Much like Chloe, Apple is smart, caring, and a natural leader who loves to follow the rules. Fans who relate to Chloe will like Apple, too.
- That Thing About Bollywood by Supriya Kelkar: Sonali often hides her own emotions from her family. She tries to always remain impassive, no matter what’s going on. One day she wakes up, and her life is suddenly a Bollywood movie. On the one hand, Sonali loves Bollywood movies, so this is pretty fun. On the other hand, any time she feels strong emotions, no matter how hard she tries to hide them, she bursts into song and dance. Fans who loved the songs in The Rise of Red will love this sweet story.
Battle of the Books… Descendants Style
To promote this display, I created a sign with two sides: #TeamRed and #TeamChloe. Patrons had a lot of fun deciding what team they wanted to join! If you want to use this list in a Descendants program, you can have tweens chose their teams, do crafts, and eat themed snacks. Pamela Groseclose wrote an excellent guide to creating relevant programs for tweens.
Have you had patrons asking for Descendants books at your library? What did you recommend?
Ann Baillie (she/her/hers) is the Youth Services Assistant Manager at the Alsip-Merrionette Park Public Library in Alsip, Illinois. She is the past-manager of the Illinois Library Association’s Youth Services Forum. Her main interests are the connection between Readers’ Advisory and technology, and how libraries can use technology to better reach patrons.
This post addresses ALSC Core Competency IV: Collection Knowledge and Management.