Since I'm indecisive, I'll also throw in an honorable mention: Ella Enchanted, by Gail Carson Levine. A lot of the same stuff I mentioned about Matilda, with a dash of general interest in fairytales but young dissatisfaction and unhappiness with the creepy antifeminist stories they presented. Ella Enchanted was what I wanted out of a Cinderella story at the time and was responsible for Cinderella being my favorite fable for a long time.

Let's not speak of the movie. :( :( :(