Cinderella Smith: The More the Merrier

Cinderella Smith

by Stephanie Barden, Diane Goode

In Stephanie Barden’s The More the Merrier , middle-grade readers will root for Cinderella Smith the same way they do for Junie B. Jones, Judy Moody, and Clementine.
 
Cinderella takes on mean girls in the second book in the Cinderella Smith series. A clique has formed in her third-grade class, and they don’t want Cinderella in the group. Cinderella and her best friend, Erin, try to figure out what to do about the popular girls while making time to study for the big spelling bee.
 
Parents will appreciate the way the chapter book takes on the serious subject of bullying with a light touch, while emphasizing the importance of having true friends. The book also shows that studying pays off.
 
Engaging illustrations by Caldecott Honor Award winner Diane Goode bring Cinderella to life.

Genres: Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Childrens, Contemporary, Humor, Juvenile

144 pages, Hardcover

First published April 24, 2012

About the author

In between tripping over abandoned shoes, chasing after escaped pets and searching for lost belongings, Stephanie Barden wrote Cinderella Smith, her first book. HarperCollins will publish Cinderella Smith and the More the Merrier in spring of 2012. A third Cinderella Smith book, as yet untitled, will come out in 2013. When she's not writing, Stephanie teaches classes at Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle where she lives with her husband, Tom, son, Joe, and 80-pound lap dog, Otis.

Reviews

[Kitty Austin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Title: "Cinderella Smith: The More the Merrier”
Author: Stephanie Barden
Published By: Harper Collins
Age Recommended: 8 - 12
Reviewed By: Kitty Bullard
Raven Rating: 5

Review: Based on one of the cutest, quirkiest little girls ever, Cinderella Smith, the More the Merrier, is a wonderful read for children from 8 to 12 years of age. This cute book sends a great message about bullying and how it’s not nice to say bad things about or be mean and thoughtless to others.
Teaching a valuable lesson such as this in a sweet and sensible way is what Cinderella Smith is all about. Children and parents are sure to enjoy her uniqueness and her wonderful penchant for making up interesting new words! This is a wonderful series for children!

[Kathleen Vincenz · Rating 5 out of 5]

The more Cinderellas I read the more the fun

I want to be in third-grade again. Rosemary T. with her stink eye and all. The illustrations add to fun.

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

In The More the Merrier, Cinderella, so named because she frequently loses shoes, has a lot going on. Her parents are away, so her Aunt Flora is staying with her and her sister, Tess. The spelling bee is coming up, and Cinderella wants to win, so she needs to learn a lot of spelling words in a short time. She’s also recently started making up her own words and is working hard to bring “vexylent” into the lexicon of everyone she knows. And then there’s Rosemary T., who is so mean to Cinderella that Cinderella has stopped talking to her altogether. Aunt Flora says Cinderella and Rosemary need to have a “what’s what” to clear the air, but Cinderella doesn’t know what to say, or what the final outcome will be.

I enjoyed the first Cinderella Smith book, but found it difficult to review, since it was the first book in the series and included a lot of exposition. I knew I liked it, but had a hard time articulating why, and in the end, didn’t bother with a review. This time, though, the characters are all established, and I could dive right into a good story. As my description demonstrates, there is a lot going on in this book, but the author manages each thread of the story very well. Cinderella’s fascination with creating new words ties in nicely with her spelling bee studying. Rosemary T.’s cruelty eventually ties into Aunt Flora’s visit, when Rosemary begins saying hurtful things about Flora. Finally, the spelling bee itself and Cinderella’s eventual face-off with Rosemary both happen in the climax of the story. Barden ties everything together so that no thread gets lost, and neither does the reader.

There are a lot of nice details in this book that bring Cinderella’s home and school environments to life. I love the way the tables in her classroom represent the different cliques among her peers - the smart boys’ table, the loud sports boys’ table, the Rosemarys’ table, the arty girls, and the stamp collecting girls. I also love the Table Book Talks, the kids give to each other, where they share the main theme of a book they’ve read, and then some supporting details. I especially enjoyed it when Cinderella uses the Table Book Talk concept to explain her feelings to Rosemary T.

This book is perfect for third and fourth grade girls who are experiencing their first friendship crises. It doesn’t shy away from how hard it is when a friend wants to stop being friends, but Cinderella’s positive attitude and desire to be friends with everyone would give anyone hope for better days ahead.

[Dorine White · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a delightful middle grade novel to review today, Cinderella Smith, the More the Merrier by Stephanie Baden. Published by Harper Collins, it will be on shelves April 24, 2012. As an added bonus I also have details about the book launch, happening in Seattle this weekend! Tune in at the end for all the info.


The Story- Cinderella Smith is in third grade and is determined to win her school spelling bee. Why? Because the winner gets to plan a class party and she doesn’t want her once good friend, Rosemary T., to win and plan a “stupid” unicorn party. Cinder sets out studying with her friends Erin and Charlie.

At the same time, her parents leave on a trip and Cinder and her sister are babysat by their Aunt Flora, a really cool person who loves to experiment with food. While making pancake surprise, Cinder learns that putting tons of ingredients together makes a very tasty pancake, and her idea of “the more the merrier” is born. This philosophy soon spills over to school where Cinder makes sure all her classmates can join in on the class party.



My Thoughts- This is the cutest book. I love that Cinder is a character who is kind and not rude. She says the most hilarious things that remind me of a typical third grader. Her adventures are fun and she has an air of innocence about her.

Middle graders will love this book. It has the school bully, the fun teacher, the awesome Aunt, and the cool friends. Being a younger middle grade novel, it is also illustrated, so kids will love to look at the sketches (by Diane Goode) of all the people and activities.

The theme of, “The more the merrier,” is a good idea to teach to children, and Stephanie Barden does it in a wonderful way that will sink into children’s minds. This book is a great read for your younger middle grader.

[Aeicha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I jumped right into Cinderella Smith: The More the Merrier after reading the first book, excited to join in Cinderella’s merry dance once again.

Cinderella Smith, the quirky and charming third grader is back with even more friendship troubles, missing shoes and fun adventures. Cinderella’s lifelong friend Rosemary T. continues her mean teasing, but Cinderella’s cool Aunt Flora is around to help her deal with anything. And Cinderella’s new hobby of making up new words comes in handy when the big spelling bee arrives. Whoever goes the farthest in the bee gets to decide the theme of a big class party and Cinderella thinks that’s a vexylent (very excellent) prize.

In The More the Merrier, author Stephanie Barden brings to life Cinderella’s sparkling and captivating personality once again. I gobbled up this chuckle inducing MG read quickly and loved getting to spend more time with my newest favorite third grader. When Cinderella’s parents go away on a trip, her dental hygienist Aunt Flora, along with her grumpy cat, come to stay and she brings a lot of fun, excitement and silliness into the Smith home.

From purple pancakes to mismatched high-tops to awesome new words, the fun and laughs never stop. But, Barden explores the topic of bullying and broken friendships more in-depth in this second book. Cinderella and Rosemary T.’s feud is relatable and very realistic. Young readers will be able to identify with Cinderella’s hurt feelings and anger. I really liked the “what’s what” Cinderella finally has with Rosemary T.

Cinderella’s journey to the spelling bee is exciting and even makes spelling fun! But, more importantly, Barden offers a wonderful message in the way Cinderella discovers that you should always just be yourself and true to who you are.

This book is fantabulous, F-A-N-T-A-B-U-L-O-U-S, fantabulous!

[Joella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have such a soft-spot for all things Cinderella. And although her name is Cinderella, she only has a few shoe mishaps in this particular book. Mostly it is all about the characters and interactions this go-round.

Cinderella and her class-mates are going to participate in a spelling bee. The third, fourth and fifth graders are all able to participate. Each class has their own spelling bee and the 3 class winners will all go on to compete in the school bee. The winner of the school bee will be able to plan a special class party to celebrate. Both of the Rosemarys are just as obnoxious as ever. They form clubs and tell everyone who can and can't be in them. Also they get upset and angry when everyone doesn't agree with their idea of what a perfect class party theme would be (unicorns). When Cinderella decides that she will ignore Rosemary T. (who used to be her best friend until she got too mean) Rosemary retaliates by telling mean lies about Cinderella's aunt. Cinderella must learn to not only juggle practicing for the big spelling bee, she must figure out how to handle an ever-increasing distance between her used-to-be best friend.

This book proves that this series will become a good staple for young chapter book readers. The situation and struggles are spot on for the age and interests of the characters. Cinderella is a solid character that many will like. (Even though she has a very princessy name, she has loads of interests that aren't super girly. For example in her classroom she sits at a table with three boys and they enjoy making up words and talking about bugs and dinosaurs.) If the tomboys and boys in school are okay reading a book with a pink cover, they will really enjoy learning about Cinderella Smith's antics.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cinderella Smith is one of a kind. She’s “vexylent.” It may not be a real word, but it could be. Combine very with excellent and you know Cinderella’s meaning. Cinderella likes words and she likes to play around with them. In third grade, Cinderella is determined to win her school spelling bee. It is important to her because, of course she would like to win, and because the winner plans a class party. She wants to plan a party everyone can enjoy. She doesn’t want her once good friend, Rosemary T., to win. She’ll plan a unicorn party and that’s something that only Rosemary T. and her posse of friends will like. That doesn’t seem right to Cinder - a party should be fun for everyone.

While studying words with her friends, Erin and Charlie, Cinder has notices that Rosemary T. has been using some pretty mean ones lately. Cinder’s parents are on a trip, her aunt is taking care of her and Rosemary T. is spread rumors around the class. She’s decided that Cinder is babyish and weird. It doesn’t feel good to be excluded and Cinder decides to give her the silent treatment. Aunt Flora helps her understand how important it is to be yourself and enjoy life. Creating pancake surprise helps Cinder learn that putting tons of ingredients together makes very tasty pancakes. That is how her idea of “the more the merrier” is born. This philosophy soon spills over to school and Cinder finds a way to include everyone.

You’ll learn some pretty great words by reading, Cinderalla Smith – the More the Merrier and you’ll also find some good friends. They know they’re different, but they’re okay with that. There are no adventures in “same.”

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cinderella Smith: The More the Merrier was a wonderful sequel to Cinderella Smith. Things continue to get worse in regard to Cinderella and Rosemary T's friendship. Cinderella's aunt Flora gets introduced in this sequel. I liked her aunt a lot. Quite a few of the things she said and did made me chuckle. In this book, it finally feels like Cinderella is starting to have more friends on her side. She still gets bullied quite a bit by the Rosemarys, but she has a lot of people that stick up for her as well. She starts to make friends with the smart boys. The plot was a lot better than the first book. The purple potion that Cinderella and Aunt Flora me laughing pretty hard. As this book is about Cinderella participating in a spelling bee, parents could use it as an educational tool with their child while the child has fun reading and learning at the same time. I liked The More the Merrier a lot better than the first book in the series. The only thing that bothered me were a few grammar misusages. The author was writing from the point of view of Cinderella (who happens to be a third grader, prone to grammar errors). I recommend this book for girls that have read the first Cinderella Smith book.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was exciting. Our local children's book store had a book release party for it (the author is local), and i took Madeleine. She was quite excited, and i was pleased that she had the opportunity. Like the first book, the adults in the family enjoyed the positive role-modeling in this book. I also appreciated that we get a) some insight into why the bully in the story may act that way, and b) some discussion of clique-iness and some discussion of other ways to behave. It gives us some things to talk to our kids about.
The book also reads quickly and has a nice story that kids can follow and enjoy. I don't think these will necessarily turn into great classics, but i think they are decent kids' literature.

[StorySnoops · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fans of Ramona and Junie B. will enjoy this series, featuring third-grader Cinderella, and her positive attitude about problem solving. In The More the Merrier, Cinderella is busy getting ready for the spelling bee when Rosemary decides to start picking on her, mostly calling her weird for being babyish and young. Cinderella decides to try ignoring her, and refuses to speak to Rosemary. However, her aunt advises communicating about how Rosemary's actions make her feel to see if that might be a better solution. When all is said and done, it becomes apparent to Cinderella that ... (see full review here: http://www.storysnoops.com/detail.php...)

[Codymarie Greene · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love Ramona or Junie B. Jones, Cinderella Smith is going to become a fast favorite too. Both my 3rd grader and I enjoyed Cinderella's story. She is creative, spunky and has heart.

"The More The Merrier" is a wonderful, subtle way to encourage children to be themselves, to stand up for themselves and how to have a "what's what" with someone that is being mean or bullying them.

We can't wait for more Cinderella books in this house!

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cinderella Smith is an awesome character. She has a wonderfully positive attitude. She treats everyone with kindness. And she looks for help and support from her friends and family. It's a shame that "girl drama" has to start as early as 3rd grade. But Cinderella shows girls that there are positive, proactive ways to deal with it.

[Ingrid · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the original Cinderella Smith book very much and was happy to see that this book now seems to be a series. Cinderella still has trouble keeping track of her shoes, but in this story the main focus is on the school spelling bee and the trouble that Cinderella and some of her classmates are having with a few mean girls in the class.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this with my eight-year-old daughter for our mother daughter book club. My daughter loved this book enough that she wanted me to immediately put the other books in the series on hold for her. It was a cute story with a spunky, good-natured heroine and a good message easily applicable to elementary-aged girls.

[The Styling Librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite a cute character to enjoy.

[Horace Mann Family Reading Challenge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second book in the Cinderella Smith series. P.K.

[Mari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it, maybe even more than the first one. Great characters, interesting situations, and a very real growing issue with a friend being mean.

[Jschofi4 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great story for upper elementary girls dealing with being unique and trying to fit in with catty girl classmates.
Topics: spelling bee. Catty cliques. Being unique.

[Colby Sharp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cinderella's aunt is such a cool character.

[Kristin Lee Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this to Helen while she was on spring vacation. She loved it!

[Jaymie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great story with this great character. Lots for kids (and parents/teachers) to dig into here about friendships and how to deal with one that goes south.

[Tyra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute series, Alex really loves them. I hope she writes more in this series. We are sad there aren't anymore to read.

['jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spunky girl takes on spelling bee and mean girl, and does it well.