The release of the Barbie movie, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, has us all in our Y2K feels.
Wanting to relive the nostalgia of romance, ambition and female empowerment in all its hot pink glory, Aura Print has given us the ultimate recommendations of the modern twists and takes on our favorite Barbie movies.
Barbie Movie Book Recommendations
| Books to Read based on your favorite Barbie Movie | ||
| Movie | Book | Author |
| Barbie in the Nutcracker, 2001 | Tiny Pretty Things, 2015 | Sona Charaipotra, Dhonielle Clayton |
| Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper, 2004 | Twin Crowns, 2022 | Catherine Doyle, Katherine Webber |
| Barbie of Swan Lake, 2003 | Six Crimson Cranes, 2021 | Elizabeth Lim |
| Barbie in the 12 Dancing Princesses, 2006 | House of Salt and Sorrows, 2019 | Erin A. Craig |
| Barbie as Rapunzel, 2002 | Caraval, 2016 | Stephanie Garber |
Barbie in The Nutcracker
Book to read: Tiny Pretty Things, by Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton We can’t blame you for picking this 2001 classic as your favourite Barbie movie, after all, it did kickstart the whole Barbie renaissance in all its questionable (but at the time revolutionary) CGI glory. A true Barbie take on the classic Tchaikovsky ballet, the adaptation sees the Mouse King cast an evil spell, and only the Sugarplum Princess can reverse the magic. If Barbie in The Nutcracker is your favourite Barbie movie, you like a fairytale with a little edge. May we introduce you to Tiny Pretty Things – a drama novel where Black Swan meets Pretty Little Liars, and the wealthy and elite battle to become the top prima ballerina.
Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper
Book to read: Twin Crowns, by Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber If Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper is your fave, we’re just like you. What is probably one of the greatest Barbie films ever made is a staple of both millennial and gen-z culture thanks to its positive message and iconic soundtrack. Two female protagonists, raised in entirely different worlds who come together to achieve a shared goal and a generous dash of romance, you say? We recommend Twin Crowns, a fantasy rom-com about twin princesses separated at birth – one raised as the crown princess, and the other taken and raised to kidnap her sister, steal the crown, and avenge the parents’ murders.
Barbie of Swan Lake
Book to read: Six Crimson Cranes, by Elizabeth Lim Another classic Barbie take on a famous Tchaikovsky ballet, Barbie of Swan Lake provides everything you could want in a fairytale – finding the balance between romance, courage, hope, despair – and unicorns. If this magical movie makes you want to relive your childhood, we suggest reading Six Crimson Cranes, and trust us, you won’t want to put it back down. This story follows an exiled princess given an unspeakable curse, based on East Asian folklore of ‘The Wild Swans’, the princess of Kiata uncovers a dark conspiracy to seize the throne in the hunt to save her brothers – with a mercurial dragon by her side.
Barbie in the 12 Dancing Princesses
Book to read: House of Salt and Sorrows, by Erin A. Craig Barbie in the 12 Dancing Princesses, loosely based on the German fairytale, is full of magical dance numbers, dazzling visuals and the unconditional love of 12 sisters. If this relatively obscure fairy tale is your favourite, well, you’ll love House of Salt and Sorrows, a darker retelling of the story. This ‘eerie’ and ‘lovely’ fantasy follows a sister’s mysterious death on their isolated island estate. As three more sisters die in ways even more mysterious than the last, we see a race to unravel the darkness before it claims its next victim.
Barbie as Rapunzel
Book to read: Caraval, by Stephanie Garber Barbie as Rapunzel takes a classic tale and turns it around, in which Barbie escapes the tower she’s been locked in all her life, and follows a tunnel into a whole new kingdom where she meets a handsome prince. If you’re looking to escape the world into new land and mesmerising romance, Caraval takes us through the pages of a living dream. We see two daughters trapped on an island with their ruthless father, arranged in a marriage and crushed dreams. The Caraval, a legendary, once-a-year performance grants the sisters one wish, sending the sisters on an exciting and dangerous adventure.
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