Sanderson has written and illustrated 12 books, all fairy tales.
Children's author Ruth Sanderson, of Monson, is seen with some of her books at the Mountain View Elementary School in East Longmeadow, where she recently spoke to a group of students.
Sanderson spoke recently to students at Mountain View Elementary School, and, while her appearance was real, there were magical moments for children who read her stories about enchanted forests, magic rings, and kings.
“Her books are really good, and what I mean by that is she gives a lot of good word choice. I’m getting one of her books and I’m so excited,” said fourth-grader Mackenzie Richards. “What I enjoy most about fairy tales is anything can happen.”
Sanderson now lives in Easthampton where there is a thriving arts community. She has written and illustrated 12 books, all fairy tales. She says they’re as much for adults as children. “I don’t think there’s an upper limit for fairy tales; they’re for all ages,” she said.
Sanderson retells classic fairy tales like “The Twelve Dancing Princesses.” Each night when the princesses go to bed they have new shoes, yet each morning when the king wakes his daughters their shoes are worn out. The king can’t solve the mystery so he appeals to his subjects – offering a daughter’s hand in marriage to the sleuth who can solve the mystery. Sanderson reads several versions of a fairy tale before settling in to tell it her way.
“I change the names and faces and write it in a slightly more modern style. The older style doesn’t have quite as much dialogue so you make it a little more interesting for today’s child,” she said.
Sanderson also bases her fairy tales on the reality of her childhood. “The story takes place in the fifteenth century in Europe because that’s where the castles are, but the setting is inspired by the woods of Monson,” she said. “I loved playing in the woods. They are magical woods with golden trees. That always appealed to me.”
Sanderson says she was born to love fairy tales they way other people are drawn to different genres. She says that while modern stories and movies can leave people frustrated and angry, fairy tales usually don’t do that.
“Often it’s the underdog that wins and we all love rooting for the underdog. It’s always the youngest son or someone who’s a simpleton. The helpers are magical and the animals talk. That is so appealing to children and people of any age,” said Sanderson.
There will be likely a time when fourth-grader Julia Peteros cries when her hero dies or gets angry when the villain wins. But for now she’s content to get lost in a fairy tale. “I like reading fairy tales because most of the time they end happily. In the middle sometimes it can get bad or sad but then it ends happily.”