GAIMAN, Neil. The Sleeper and the ­Spindle. 1 CD. 1 hr. Harper Audio, 2015. $13.99. ISBN 9780062435132. digital download.

Gr 8 Up –On the eve of her wedding, a beautiful queen learns from three dwarf friends that peril has befallen a kingdom in the east. A young princess lies asleep in the castle’s tower while a sleeping fog placed by an evil enchantress is rapidly seeping west. Having experienced this sleeping curse herself, the queen quickly exchanges her wedding gown for chain mail and a sword and follows the dwarfs into underground tunnels, past cobweb-covered villages, and through a thorny forest. As the sun sets, Good has conquered Evil and the queen has learned her own lesson: a girl always has choices. And with that knowledge, she takes the lead and continues her journey—heading east. This clever reinvention of a classic fairy tale and the double-take twist on the traditional princess-in-peril story line is sure to put a mischievous grin on listeners’ faces. The exceptionally talented full-cast ensemble, which includes Julian Rhind-Tutt, Lara Pulver, and Niamh Walsh, paired with eerie music and sound effects like clopping hooves and crackling fire, breathes life into an already stellar tale. VERDICT A magical, mysterious must-have for young tweens and anyone who’s young at heart. [“This highly recommended visually stunning twist on two classic fairytales will be well-received by fans of graphic novels and fantasy stories”: SLJ 8/15 starred review of the Harper book.]–Cheryl Preisendorfer, Twinsburg City Schools, OH