Ella of Frell lives in a magical world where fairies are real -- and so are fairy gifts. At her birth, a foolish fairy named Lucinda gives Ella the gift of obedience. Unfortunately, this means that she must obey any order given to her, including off-handed ones such as "Run off and bang into somebody else," and potentially deadly ones such as an order to kill herself...or someone else. Ella's mother dies and leaves her in the hands of her absentee father who, of course, brings a wicked step-mother into the mix. Ella is indeed enchanting for readers of all ages. On a quest to undo the curse, she overcomes adversity with a sense of humor, makes some narrow escapes, and is overall a lot of fun. Gail Carson Levine has created a delightful spin on the traditional Cinderella story. I particularly liked the end where Ella learns to die to herself in order to save another.