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Cinderella Smith
Cinderella Smith
Cinderella Smith has a problem with a capital P. She loses shoes almost as quickly as she puts them on her feet. But now she’s lost the most important shoe of her shiny, ruby red tap shoe. Without it she won’t have a chance of being chosen Pumpkin Blossom Fairy for the fall dance recital—and that means no special tutu, no crown, and no solo! The school year is starting out with big problems too. Her new teacher laughs at her name, she’s sitting at the smart-boys table, and her old best friend is ignoring her. Now the new girl, Erin, has asked for her advice on wicked stepsisters. And Cinderella doesn’t have stepsisters—wicked or otherwise! The recital is just around the corner and the stepsisters are on their way. Can Cinderella and Erin solve the capital P problems in time?
160 pages, Hardcover
First published April 26, 2011
7 people are currently reading
205 people want to read
About the author
Stephanie Barden
7 books11 followersIn 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
May 25, 2011
About a year ago, and rather to my surprise, I fell in love with a fictional character named Clementine and have eagerly shared her stories with my grandkids and with the children of friends. Happily, most of them love Clementine, too. (It's always satisfying when people really enjoy the books you recommend to them.) Though there are a number of things that drew me to Clementine, I think the fact that she has a kind heart tops the list. And I see a similar vein of kind-heartedness in Cinderella Smith, the central character in Stephanie Barden's newly published children's book of the same name.
Cinderella isn't her real name of course. That would be Josephine-Kathryn (with that little line thing in between). And she isn't called Cinderella because she has a mean, bossy stepmom, or because she sleeps by an ashy fireplace or because her sister is a mean step one, or because she has a billion chores to do. Alas, it's because she has shoe trouble. She loses them. Frequently. And always only one, just like in the fairytales.
As she starts 4th grade, shoe trouble isn't the only thing Cinderella is facing. For the first time, her teacher is a man, something she's a little nervous about; her pesky neighbor (and pre-school age crush) Charlie Prince, who loves to tease her, will be in her classroom again; her mom refuses to let her get her ears pierced like all her friends and, perhaps worst of all, some of those same friends don't seem to be quite so friendly any more. Cinderella is getting left out - and it hurts. To top it off, after being chosen for a solo in her dance recital, Cinderella has - wouldn't you know - lost one of her new red tap shoes. If she can't find it, the solo will go to Rosemary T., the used-to-be friend who is now leading the "let's not play with Cinderella anymore" faction.
4th grade has brought some good things, too. Along with being tapped for the coveted dance solo, Cinderella is making friends with Erin, the new girl at school. With her mom about to get married, Erin will soon have two new stepsisters. She hasn't met them yet but, since everyone knows that stepsisters are mean, wicked beings, she wants Cinderella's advice on how to deal with them. Cinderella has no experience with stepsisters of any kind, of course, but she agrees to help Erin try to figure out if the soon-to-be-stepsisters really are wicked. The two start a notebook to keep track of clues, including any evidence that the stepsisters are loud, messy or lazy, etc. And since Erin will be a stepsister as well (and therefore apparently prone to wickedness), they decide they had better make note of her habits and characteristics as well, classifying each as Not-Wicked, Possibly Wicked or For-Sure Wicked. While the girls work together, their friendship grows.
So much of Cinderella Smith "felt" right to me. This IS the age when some of the girls are suddenly into - or want to be into - make up and fashion. Relationships with parents begin to change as kids grow more independent and seek both more time with - and more approval from - peers. Unfortunately, it can also be a time when cliques solidify and former friends find they have less in common. On many levels, the slow slide into the emotional hotbed that is adolescence has begun. But even with some more serious underlying issues, Cinderella Smith never becomes a pre-adolescent angst-fest. It maintains a light tone and is a fun read.
I really liked Cinderella and discovered that her kind-heartedness is not the only trait she possesses that I admire. She is also feisty and spirited and is showing strong signs of being able to stick to her guns rather than fall in with her peers the moment they raise an eyebrow over something she says or does. Though this is only shown in small ways (her refusal to pull her hand out of her father's when she sees her friends snickering, for example), it's such an important trait - both to possess and to encourage - that I'm glad Barden chose to include it. Best of all, I think Cinderella is relatable. Readers in the 7-11 year old age group will be able to see something of themselves either in her or in some of the things she is experiencing.
Barden's debut is solid and highly enjoyable. While I would have liked to have seen a little more depth in some of the characters, particularly in Cinderella's family members and in Charlie, the bones are here for a good series. Alas, according to the author's website, we won't see book two, Cinderella Smith and the More the Merrier, until next year. It's a long wait, but I've already put it on my watch list and will be pre-ordering it as soon as it's announced. An untitled third book is in the works for 2013. I think Barden will enjoy a growing audience. And deservedly so.
Happily recommended.
Note: Cinderella Smith is illustrated by Diane Goode, Caldecott Honor recipient for When I Was Young in the Mountains. While the abundant line drawings are quite different from the work in her award-winning book, they convey a good sense of the characters and are a welcome addition to the story.
If you enjoyed Cinderella Smith, it might be a very, extremely good idea for you to check out these series as well:
Clementine by Sara Pennypacker (Clementine, The Talented Clementine, Clementine's Letter and (my favorite) Clementine, Friend of the Week. Next up: Clementine and the Family Meeting, due September 13, 2011).
Just Grace by Charise Mericle Harper (Just Grace, Still Just Grace, Just Grace Walks the Dog, Just Grace Goes Green, Just Grace and the Snack Attack and Just Grace and the Terrible Tutu. Coming August 1, 2011: Just Grace and the Double Surprise).
Slightly more challenging is the wonderful Penderwicks series by Jeanne Birdsall (The Penderwicks, The Penderwicks on Gardam Street and The Penderwicks at Point Mouette).
Cinderella isn't her real name of course. That would be Josephine-Kathryn (with that little line thing in between). And she isn't called Cinderella because she has a mean, bossy stepmom, or because she sleeps by an ashy fireplace or because her sister is a mean step one, or because she has a billion chores to do. Alas, it's because she has shoe trouble. She loses them. Frequently. And always only one, just like in the fairytales.
As she starts 4th grade, shoe trouble isn't the only thing Cinderella is facing. For the first time, her teacher is a man, something she's a little nervous about; her pesky neighbor (and pre-school age crush) Charlie Prince, who loves to tease her, will be in her classroom again; her mom refuses to let her get her ears pierced like all her friends and, perhaps worst of all, some of those same friends don't seem to be quite so friendly any more. Cinderella is getting left out - and it hurts. To top it off, after being chosen for a solo in her dance recital, Cinderella has - wouldn't you know - lost one of her new red tap shoes. If she can't find it, the solo will go to Rosemary T., the used-to-be friend who is now leading the "let's not play with Cinderella anymore" faction.
4th grade has brought some good things, too. Along with being tapped for the coveted dance solo, Cinderella is making friends with Erin, the new girl at school. With her mom about to get married, Erin will soon have two new stepsisters. She hasn't met them yet but, since everyone knows that stepsisters are mean, wicked beings, she wants Cinderella's advice on how to deal with them. Cinderella has no experience with stepsisters of any kind, of course, but she agrees to help Erin try to figure out if the soon-to-be-stepsisters really are wicked. The two start a notebook to keep track of clues, including any evidence that the stepsisters are loud, messy or lazy, etc. And since Erin will be a stepsister as well (and therefore apparently prone to wickedness), they decide they had better make note of her habits and characteristics as well, classifying each as Not-Wicked, Possibly Wicked or For-Sure Wicked. While the girls work together, their friendship grows.
So much of Cinderella Smith "felt" right to me. This IS the age when some of the girls are suddenly into - or want to be into - make up and fashion. Relationships with parents begin to change as kids grow more independent and seek both more time with - and more approval from - peers. Unfortunately, it can also be a time when cliques solidify and former friends find they have less in common. On many levels, the slow slide into the emotional hotbed that is adolescence has begun. But even with some more serious underlying issues, Cinderella Smith never becomes a pre-adolescent angst-fest. It maintains a light tone and is a fun read.
I really liked Cinderella and discovered that her kind-heartedness is not the only trait she possesses that I admire. She is also feisty and spirited and is showing strong signs of being able to stick to her guns rather than fall in with her peers the moment they raise an eyebrow over something she says or does. Though this is only shown in small ways (her refusal to pull her hand out of her father's when she sees her friends snickering, for example), it's such an important trait - both to possess and to encourage - that I'm glad Barden chose to include it. Best of all, I think Cinderella is relatable. Readers in the 7-11 year old age group will be able to see something of themselves either in her or in some of the things she is experiencing.
Barden's debut is solid and highly enjoyable. While I would have liked to have seen a little more depth in some of the characters, particularly in Cinderella's family members and in Charlie, the bones are here for a good series. Alas, according to the author's website, we won't see book two, Cinderella Smith and the More the Merrier, until next year. It's a long wait, but I've already put it on my watch list and will be pre-ordering it as soon as it's announced. An untitled third book is in the works for 2013. I think Barden will enjoy a growing audience. And deservedly so.
Happily recommended.
Note: Cinderella Smith is illustrated by Diane Goode, Caldecott Honor recipient for When I Was Young in the Mountains. While the abundant line drawings are quite different from the work in her award-winning book, they convey a good sense of the characters and are a welcome addition to the story.
If you enjoyed Cinderella Smith, it might be a very, extremely good idea for you to check out these series as well:
Clementine by Sara Pennypacker (Clementine, The Talented Clementine, Clementine's Letter and (my favorite) Clementine, Friend of the Week. Next up: Clementine and the Family Meeting, due September 13, 2011).
Just Grace by Charise Mericle Harper (Just Grace, Still Just Grace, Just Grace Walks the Dog, Just Grace Goes Green, Just Grace and the Snack Attack and Just Grace and the Terrible Tutu. Coming August 1, 2011: Just Grace and the Double Surprise).
Slightly more challenging is the wonderful Penderwicks series by Jeanne Birdsall (The Penderwicks, The Penderwicks on Gardam Street and The Penderwicks at Point Mouette).
August 13, 2019
The drawings are great! So is Cinderella.
June 21, 2011
Nothing new here really aside from a girl with a great nickname, but another one to add to the shelf featuring Just Grace,Clementine,Piper Reed Judy Moody,Just Grace,Clementine, Piper Reed and other such titles to show parents smart enough to keep their little girls away from the Disney tween crap so that they can still be little girls!
April 28, 2011
Meet Josephine-Kathryn Smith, better known as Cinderella Smith due to her habit of continually loosing at least one shoe everywhere she goes. She’s funny, she’s quirky, and you’re going to love her. She’s a Bridget Jones for the grade school crowd. Actually, I can’t back that up. You see, Esteemed Reader, Cinderella Smith is a girl book (the chapter titles are types of shoes), and the ninja is forever a boy. If I had seen The Devil Wears Prada, I would probably compare it to that. But I will say that this is a book my sister would have loved and even though I’m a Transformer kid trying to play with a My Little Pony today, I’m going to do my best to tell you why Cinderella Smith is a great read, despite its unfortunate case of cooties.
By the way, Cinderella Smith is the first book by Stephanie Barden, who will be here on Thursday to face the 7 Questions (assuming she doesn’t take offense that I said her book has cooties). And while I’m plugging, I might also remind you to check back on Saturday when we’ll have a surprise literary agent drop by to face the 7 Questions.
Girls are mean, dude. Even as a little boy, I thought this, and my knowledge of little girls hasn’t increased much since then. Consider Cinderella Smith’s “friends,” the two Rosemary’s. They seem to feel they’ve outgrown Cinderella because they have pierced ears and Cinderella does not. They exclude her from their table at lunch (harsh). If you’re thinking those two Rosemary’s sound a bit like wicked stepsisters, you’re on the right track.
Fortunately for Cinderella, there’s a new girl at school to be sat with and the two become friends. Her name’s Erin and she is about to get two for real stepsisters and she needs advice on how to determine if they’re wicked or not and who better to ask than someone named Cinderella? Cinderella doesn’t have any experience with stepsisters, but she has seen a lot of episodes of It’s Me or the Dog and read Dear Abby. Cinderella and Erin start a notebook of evidence about the two stepsisters so that Erin will know what to expect when she meets them for the first time.
The friendship between Cinderella and Erin is one of my favorite things about this book. It feels natural and genuine and I completely bought it, but as I’ve mentioned, I have little experience in these matters. One of the great moments in the book comes when Erin and Cinderella are having a play date at Erin’s house and find several things about Erin that belong in their wicked stepsister evidence log. Could it be that the new stepsisters have as much to fear from Erin as she does from them? It’s perhaps not the dramatic revelation of Charlton Heston discovering that the Planet of the Apes (spoiler) is really earth, but it’s a mature thought and the girls arrive at it in a way that does not feel forced and which comes organically from the story.
So what happens when Erin finally meets her new stepsisters? Are they wicked or what? Esteemed Reader, you know I would never spoil that for you. You’ll have to read Cinderella Smith to find out, and I recommend that you do. You’re going to have a good time and you’re going to laugh because parts of this book are very funny.
And that’s my review, but I have three bits about craft. One, if you’re thinking of weaving a classic fairytale into your modern story, read Cinderella Smith. But please don’t weave the classic tale of Little Red Riding Hood into your vampire/werewolf/zombie/evil mermaid tale as we already have stacks of those (actually, the evil mermaid thing sounds promising).
Readers will pick up on all of the elements in the classic Cinderella story in Cinderella Smith, but Barden doesn’t let them dictate the plot. There’s a big ball, disguised as a fall dance recital, and a bit about a lost shoe, and even a boy named Charlie Prince (how clever is that). But this isn’t a retread of Cinderella and that’s a smart move on Barden’s part. After all, if we want Cinderella, there’s a Disney version with talking mice and that’s going to be tough to top, although I always preferred Roald Dahl’s version in Revolting Rhymes. Cinderella Smith is a wholly original tale that uses the Cinderella motif more for laughs than anything else.
Two, Barden makes a seemingly odd decision in casting Cinderella Smith as the protagonist. After all, her friend Erin is the one who is getting the stepsisters, Erin is the one whose mother is getting married, and it’s Erin’s mother’s wedding that makes for the climax of the third act. Isn’t this Erin’s story? Well, yes and no. Cinderella has a plot of her own, but it’s closely tied to the events in Erin’s life.
The fact that the crux of the novel, the welcoming of new stepsisters, isn’t happening to our protagonist tells us something about her and creates a unique character. Cinderella Smith needs a friend now that the Rosemary’s have abandoned her and how intimately she involves herself in Erin’s affairs shows us the lengths she’s willing to go to for friendship. And besides that, Cinderella Smith is such a strong character with such a strong voice, it would be impossible to mistake anyone else for the main character.
This brings me straight to point number three, which is that Cinderella Smith has a unique voice created through careful craftsmanship by Barden, and as this story is written in the first person, Cinderella’s voice is the novel’s voice. Cinderella is a spunky character who records her pithy observations in a diary of sorts, so maybe that Bridget Jones comparison isn’t completely off base. Nah, I’ll just let it go. But consider this excerpt from the novel’s opening chapter:
When we were very little, we called each other Tinder and Tarles because we couldn’t say each other’s name just right. As soon as I could, I started calling him Charlie, but he kept on calling me Tinder because he knows it embarrasses me, and this is why. Back when I was calling him Tarles, I had, for some dumb reason, a crush on him. In this instance I am allowed to use the word dumb because it’s about me and because it really was dumb. I used to walk over to his house every morning and ask him if he thought I looked pretty. If he said yes, I went back home and had breakfast. If he said no, I went home, changed my clothes, and tried again. And that is embarrassing stuff with a capital E.
It’s awfully revealing about who Cinderella Smith is at the same time important exposition is being delivered. Now contrast that passage with this excerpt from a few chapters later in which Cinderella is feeling a bit bummed because, as I mentioned before, girls are mean:
Usually I would have loved to hear all about it, but my insides were hurting like the dickens, so much that I couldn’t pay attention. The lunchroom was noisy, but even though I was in the middle of a super crowded table and super crowded room, I felt alone. I chewed and tried to swallow and blink-blink-blinked my eyes. There was no way I was going to cry right then and there. No way with a capital N.
I don’t have a lot to say about these passages, except to point out the recurring motif with a capital ‘M’ (or ‘R’). Cinderella also uses the expression “like the dickens,” and a number of other expressions throughout the work, so that the language she uses to describe every situation is uniquely her own and could not be anyone else’s.
More, all of Cinderella’s observations are tempered by who she is. In all thoughts, she takes into account what her parents think or have told her, which is completely appropriate for her age and situation. This is the world through the eyes of Cinderella Smith and if you struggle with voice the way I sometimes do, Esteemed Reader, here is a book for you to read. Or if you write voice perfectly (lucky) and you’re just looking for a good story well told, here is a book for you to read.
And that’s going to do it. Be sure to come back Thursday when Stephanie Barden will be here to face the 7 Questions and again on Saturday when we’ll have a new literary agent interview. And now, as always, I’ll leave you with some of my favorite passages from Cinderella Smith:
“What can you tell me about your wicked stepsisters?”
“Not much,” she said. “I haven’t met them yet.”
“Why not?” I asked.
“I’m not going to meet them until right before the wedding.”
“That sounds a little fishy.”
“It does?” she asked.
“Yes,” I said. “Maybe your stepfather is very, extremely ashamed of them.”
She reached her hand right out the window, and I gave it a good shake, with a good grip, like my dad showed me. Nobody likes a limp-noodle hand.
“This isn’t rain,” I said. “This is dribbly-spit.”
“Dribbly-spit?”
“That’s what we call it at my house,” I said. “I’m not sure what the scientific name is.”
“…My tap shoe is missing.”
My mom’s eyebrow kept going up.
“But, but, but,” I said, trying to make her eyebrow go down again. “Erin and I are going to make posters all about it today and hang them all over the block.”
Her eyebrow stayed half up and half down.
“We already checked all through the Lost and Found and I made an announcement and Mrs. Bentley says we can hang posters at school. Also, I searched all over the house and I told Miss Akiyama and I searched all over the dance studio too.”
I looked at my mom, but I couldn’t tell which way her eyebrow was going.
To read an interview with author Stephanie Barden or to read interviews with other writers and literary agents, log onto www.middlegradeninja.blogspot.com
By the way, Cinderella Smith is the first book by Stephanie Barden, who will be here on Thursday to face the 7 Questions (assuming she doesn’t take offense that I said her book has cooties). And while I’m plugging, I might also remind you to check back on Saturday when we’ll have a surprise literary agent drop by to face the 7 Questions.
Girls are mean, dude. Even as a little boy, I thought this, and my knowledge of little girls hasn’t increased much since then. Consider Cinderella Smith’s “friends,” the two Rosemary’s. They seem to feel they’ve outgrown Cinderella because they have pierced ears and Cinderella does not. They exclude her from their table at lunch (harsh). If you’re thinking those two Rosemary’s sound a bit like wicked stepsisters, you’re on the right track.
Fortunately for Cinderella, there’s a new girl at school to be sat with and the two become friends. Her name’s Erin and she is about to get two for real stepsisters and she needs advice on how to determine if they’re wicked or not and who better to ask than someone named Cinderella? Cinderella doesn’t have any experience with stepsisters, but she has seen a lot of episodes of It’s Me or the Dog and read Dear Abby. Cinderella and Erin start a notebook of evidence about the two stepsisters so that Erin will know what to expect when she meets them for the first time.
The friendship between Cinderella and Erin is one of my favorite things about this book. It feels natural and genuine and I completely bought it, but as I’ve mentioned, I have little experience in these matters. One of the great moments in the book comes when Erin and Cinderella are having a play date at Erin’s house and find several things about Erin that belong in their wicked stepsister evidence log. Could it be that the new stepsisters have as much to fear from Erin as she does from them? It’s perhaps not the dramatic revelation of Charlton Heston discovering that the Planet of the Apes (spoiler) is really earth, but it’s a mature thought and the girls arrive at it in a way that does not feel forced and which comes organically from the story.
So what happens when Erin finally meets her new stepsisters? Are they wicked or what? Esteemed Reader, you know I would never spoil that for you. You’ll have to read Cinderella Smith to find out, and I recommend that you do. You’re going to have a good time and you’re going to laugh because parts of this book are very funny.
And that’s my review, but I have three bits about craft. One, if you’re thinking of weaving a classic fairytale into your modern story, read Cinderella Smith. But please don’t weave the classic tale of Little Red Riding Hood into your vampire/werewolf/zombie/evil mermaid tale as we already have stacks of those (actually, the evil mermaid thing sounds promising).
Readers will pick up on all of the elements in the classic Cinderella story in Cinderella Smith, but Barden doesn’t let them dictate the plot. There’s a big ball, disguised as a fall dance recital, and a bit about a lost shoe, and even a boy named Charlie Prince (how clever is that). But this isn’t a retread of Cinderella and that’s a smart move on Barden’s part. After all, if we want Cinderella, there’s a Disney version with talking mice and that’s going to be tough to top, although I always preferred Roald Dahl’s version in Revolting Rhymes. Cinderella Smith is a wholly original tale that uses the Cinderella motif more for laughs than anything else.
Two, Barden makes a seemingly odd decision in casting Cinderella Smith as the protagonist. After all, her friend Erin is the one who is getting the stepsisters, Erin is the one whose mother is getting married, and it’s Erin’s mother’s wedding that makes for the climax of the third act. Isn’t this Erin’s story? Well, yes and no. Cinderella has a plot of her own, but it’s closely tied to the events in Erin’s life.
The fact that the crux of the novel, the welcoming of new stepsisters, isn’t happening to our protagonist tells us something about her and creates a unique character. Cinderella Smith needs a friend now that the Rosemary’s have abandoned her and how intimately she involves herself in Erin’s affairs shows us the lengths she’s willing to go to for friendship. And besides that, Cinderella Smith is such a strong character with such a strong voice, it would be impossible to mistake anyone else for the main character.
This brings me straight to point number three, which is that Cinderella Smith has a unique voice created through careful craftsmanship by Barden, and as this story is written in the first person, Cinderella’s voice is the novel’s voice. Cinderella is a spunky character who records her pithy observations in a diary of sorts, so maybe that Bridget Jones comparison isn’t completely off base. Nah, I’ll just let it go. But consider this excerpt from the novel’s opening chapter:
When we were very little, we called each other Tinder and Tarles because we couldn’t say each other’s name just right. As soon as I could, I started calling him Charlie, but he kept on calling me Tinder because he knows it embarrasses me, and this is why. Back when I was calling him Tarles, I had, for some dumb reason, a crush on him. In this instance I am allowed to use the word dumb because it’s about me and because it really was dumb. I used to walk over to his house every morning and ask him if he thought I looked pretty. If he said yes, I went back home and had breakfast. If he said no, I went home, changed my clothes, and tried again. And that is embarrassing stuff with a capital E.
It’s awfully revealing about who Cinderella Smith is at the same time important exposition is being delivered. Now contrast that passage with this excerpt from a few chapters later in which Cinderella is feeling a bit bummed because, as I mentioned before, girls are mean:
Usually I would have loved to hear all about it, but my insides were hurting like the dickens, so much that I couldn’t pay attention. The lunchroom was noisy, but even though I was in the middle of a super crowded table and super crowded room, I felt alone. I chewed and tried to swallow and blink-blink-blinked my eyes. There was no way I was going to cry right then and there. No way with a capital N.
I don’t have a lot to say about these passages, except to point out the recurring motif with a capital ‘M’ (or ‘R’). Cinderella also uses the expression “like the dickens,” and a number of other expressions throughout the work, so that the language she uses to describe every situation is uniquely her own and could not be anyone else’s.
More, all of Cinderella’s observations are tempered by who she is. In all thoughts, she takes into account what her parents think or have told her, which is completely appropriate for her age and situation. This is the world through the eyes of Cinderella Smith and if you struggle with voice the way I sometimes do, Esteemed Reader, here is a book for you to read. Or if you write voice perfectly (lucky) and you’re just looking for a good story well told, here is a book for you to read.
And that’s going to do it. Be sure to come back Thursday when Stephanie Barden will be here to face the 7 Questions and again on Saturday when we’ll have a new literary agent interview. And now, as always, I’ll leave you with some of my favorite passages from Cinderella Smith:
“What can you tell me about your wicked stepsisters?”
“Not much,” she said. “I haven’t met them yet.”
“Why not?” I asked.
“I’m not going to meet them until right before the wedding.”
“That sounds a little fishy.”
“It does?” she asked.
“Yes,” I said. “Maybe your stepfather is very, extremely ashamed of them.”
She reached her hand right out the window, and I gave it a good shake, with a good grip, like my dad showed me. Nobody likes a limp-noodle hand.
“This isn’t rain,” I said. “This is dribbly-spit.”
“Dribbly-spit?”
“That’s what we call it at my house,” I said. “I’m not sure what the scientific name is.”
“…My tap shoe is missing.”
My mom’s eyebrow kept going up.
“But, but, but,” I said, trying to make her eyebrow go down again. “Erin and I are going to make posters all about it today and hang them all over the block.”
Her eyebrow stayed half up and half down.
“We already checked all through the Lost and Found and I made an announcement and Mrs. Bentley says we can hang posters at school. Also, I searched all over the house and I told Miss Akiyama and I searched all over the dance studio too.”
I looked at my mom, but I couldn’t tell which way her eyebrow was going.
To read an interview with author Stephanie Barden or to read interviews with other writers and literary agents, log onto www.middlegradeninja.blogspot.com
June 3, 2019
I do love Cinderella so was drawn by the title! Each chapter is named after a type of shoe, from gladiator sandals to shiny ruby red tap shoes. While she helps her new friend determine if she is about to get 2 new step-sisters, Cinderella has a habit of losing a different type of shoe. A new teacher, school friends and a dance recital round out this very cute story!!
December 2, 2018
This was a very good book and I think the plot goes perfect with the title!
April 8, 2020
Fun character and an interesting modernization.
May 26, 2014
Orginally posted on my blog, ReadLove
Our plucky heroine, Cinderella Smith, isn’t a princess. And she doesn’t have step-sisters. What she does have is a propensity for losing one of her shoes. Alas, she lost her first shoe on the way home from the hospital after she was born.
Cinderella’s having a rough start to the school year. Her old friends are pushing her out, and one of them, Rosemary T., is being a bully. But Cinderella meets a new girl, Erin. Erin is instantly interesting to Rosemary T. and the rest of Cinderella’s old group. But, convinced that the girl with the fairy tale moniker can help her with her step-sister dilemma (Erin’s mother is remarrying, and Erin’s worried that her step-sisters will be evil), Erin is interested only in Cinderella.
Cinderella is a good girl. She’s well-mannered, nice, and polite. She’s not a goody-two-shoes – It’s kind of hard to be when she’s always missing a shoe, right? Ha, ha! – but she tends to do the right thing. When Erin asks for her help with step-sisters, and says “You know about them right,” she doesn’t lie and say she does. Instead, she comes up with a plan, researching step-sisters – by reading Cinderella – and studying advice-giving with the help of a TV show. Cinderella creates a Wicked Step-Sister Notebook with questions whose answers will be placed under categories like “Not-Wicked Things”, “Possibly Wicked Things”, and “For-Sure Wicked Things”, and she and Erin put their heads together to puzzle it out.
When she does something a touch improper, Cinderella admits she’s breaking a rule and will take the blame. For instance, when she and Erin are tossing popcorn into the air and catching it in their mouths, Cinderella makes sure Erin’s mom knows it was her idea in case that’s not allowed in Erin’s house. She and Erin are good friends to one another, and it’s refreshing to watch their young friendship unfold.
Cinderella is her own person, even when it’s not popular to be so. Her unique personality is also seen in the narrative voice. Some highlights are the instances of vocabulary words or phrases thrown in with explanations ala Fancy Nancy, Diane Goode’s ink drawings, and the shoe-inspired chapter headings.
All in all, Cinderella Smith is a lot of fun. With a capital F!
4 of 5 stars. Fun with a capital F! Though she may not charm her way into your heart to the same degree as Pennypacker’s Clementine, you’ll want to make room in your circle of friends for Cinderella Smith. A good choice for kids of parents who want their children reading smart, nice, age-appropriate stories of regular kids (as opposed to cynical, wise-cracking mini-teens) who actually like their parents and siblings, most of the time.
Our plucky heroine, Cinderella Smith, isn’t a princess. And she doesn’t have step-sisters. What she does have is a propensity for losing one of her shoes. Alas, she lost her first shoe on the way home from the hospital after she was born.
Cinderella’s having a rough start to the school year. Her old friends are pushing her out, and one of them, Rosemary T., is being a bully. But Cinderella meets a new girl, Erin. Erin is instantly interesting to Rosemary T. and the rest of Cinderella’s old group. But, convinced that the girl with the fairy tale moniker can help her with her step-sister dilemma (Erin’s mother is remarrying, and Erin’s worried that her step-sisters will be evil), Erin is interested only in Cinderella.
Cinderella is a good girl. She’s well-mannered, nice, and polite. She’s not a goody-two-shoes – It’s kind of hard to be when she’s always missing a shoe, right? Ha, ha! – but she tends to do the right thing. When Erin asks for her help with step-sisters, and says “You know about them right,” she doesn’t lie and say she does. Instead, she comes up with a plan, researching step-sisters – by reading Cinderella – and studying advice-giving with the help of a TV show. Cinderella creates a Wicked Step-Sister Notebook with questions whose answers will be placed under categories like “Not-Wicked Things”, “Possibly Wicked Things”, and “For-Sure Wicked Things”, and she and Erin put their heads together to puzzle it out.
When she does something a touch improper, Cinderella admits she’s breaking a rule and will take the blame. For instance, when she and Erin are tossing popcorn into the air and catching it in their mouths, Cinderella makes sure Erin’s mom knows it was her idea in case that’s not allowed in Erin’s house. She and Erin are good friends to one another, and it’s refreshing to watch their young friendship unfold.
Cinderella is her own person, even when it’s not popular to be so. Her unique personality is also seen in the narrative voice. Some highlights are the instances of vocabulary words or phrases thrown in with explanations ala Fancy Nancy, Diane Goode’s ink drawings, and the shoe-inspired chapter headings.
All in all, Cinderella Smith is a lot of fun. With a capital F!
4 of 5 stars. Fun with a capital F! Though she may not charm her way into your heart to the same degree as Pennypacker’s Clementine, you’ll want to make room in your circle of friends for Cinderella Smith. A good choice for kids of parents who want their children reading smart, nice, age-appropriate stories of regular kids (as opposed to cynical, wise-cracking mini-teens) who actually like their parents and siblings, most of the time.
September 30, 2015
{My Thoughts} – “So by now you’ve probably figured out how I got my name, which is just a nickname, for the record. My real name is Josephine-Kathryn with that little line thing in between. Everyone calls me Cinderella though,, on account of my trouble with losing shoes.”
Cinderella is an interesting little girl with a fun attitude. She isn’t one of those characters that come off as snotty of full of themselves, which makes her extremely like-able. She appears to do what she can to try and get along with everyone, even those that upset her.
In this book you get to learn about her, her family and her close friends. Cinderella is in a new grade with a new teacher and far less friends then she’d had the year before. This is also a new girl named Erin that is introduced. Cinderella and Erin decide that they should become friends and so they do.
Cinderella has a passion in dancing and has an important role in the upcoming dance recital. Somehow though she lost her tap shoe and no one can seem to find it. No one really thinks much of it either, because she is always losing one of her shoes. Hence the nickname, Cinderella.
There is another girl named RoseMary T. and this girl really wants Cinderella’s part in the recital. So RoseMary T. decides that she will make it so that Cinderella has to forfeit her part to her by making her lose one of her tap shoes, which in the end can possibly prevent Cinderella from participating in the recital.
The question now is: Will Cinderella find her shoe in time to participate in the recital? And where does Cinderella find her missing show?
I really enjoyed this book as it helps to teach children that it’s not okay to act on jealous instinct. When someone has something that you want it is never okay to take or try to take that something away from another person. Jealousy can be a nasty thing, it can cause a lot of people to act horribly wrong and without thinking things through, because of that a lot of actions that occur when someone is jealous are mostly lies and deceit because someone is just trying to get the thing the other person has.
As I was reading this book I ran across this quote and I really liked it, because it’s something we follow within our house with our children. “I was a little shocked at her saying that. Stupid is a very, extremely mean and off-limits word in my house.” In our house we consider it a swear word and the use of it cannot be justified. It is just not allowed.
Cinderella is an interesting little girl with a fun attitude. She isn’t one of those characters that come off as snotty of full of themselves, which makes her extremely like-able. She appears to do what she can to try and get along with everyone, even those that upset her.
In this book you get to learn about her, her family and her close friends. Cinderella is in a new grade with a new teacher and far less friends then she’d had the year before. This is also a new girl named Erin that is introduced. Cinderella and Erin decide that they should become friends and so they do.
Cinderella has a passion in dancing and has an important role in the upcoming dance recital. Somehow though she lost her tap shoe and no one can seem to find it. No one really thinks much of it either, because she is always losing one of her shoes. Hence the nickname, Cinderella.
There is another girl named RoseMary T. and this girl really wants Cinderella’s part in the recital. So RoseMary T. decides that she will make it so that Cinderella has to forfeit her part to her by making her lose one of her tap shoes, which in the end can possibly prevent Cinderella from participating in the recital.
The question now is: Will Cinderella find her shoe in time to participate in the recital? And where does Cinderella find her missing show?
I really enjoyed this book as it helps to teach children that it’s not okay to act on jealous instinct. When someone has something that you want it is never okay to take or try to take that something away from another person. Jealousy can be a nasty thing, it can cause a lot of people to act horribly wrong and without thinking things through, because of that a lot of actions that occur when someone is jealous are mostly lies and deceit because someone is just trying to get the thing the other person has.
As I was reading this book I ran across this quote and I really liked it, because it’s something we follow within our house with our children. “I was a little shocked at her saying that. Stupid is a very, extremely mean and off-limits word in my house.” In our house we consider it a swear word and the use of it cannot be justified. It is just not allowed.
June 13, 2013
Cinderella Smith is another delightful, irrepressible girl similar in personality and style to Sara Pennypacker's Clementine and Kay Kelly's Lucy Rose. Although her real name is Josephine, Cinderella has acquired her nickname because she consistently loses ONE of almost every pair of shoes she has. Each chapter is titled with a different kind of shoe which helps knit the plot with its main character in a unique and effective manner.
Pushed out of her usual group of friends by the arrival this past school year of a new student who then spends the summer at dance camp with the girl who has been Cinderella's closest friend for years, Cinderella finds herself confused, hurt and unhappy. The new school year begins and Cinderella notices Erin, a new student who seems open to and eager for Cinderella's friendship.
We learn one of Erin's biggest reasons for wanting to be friends with Cinderella is that she assumes because of her nickname that Cinderella must know about wicked stepsisters. It happens that Erin's mother is remarrying and Erin will be gaining two new stepsisters. Who better to help her determine whether or not they are wicked than a girl named Cinderella? Anxious not to disappoint her new friend Cinderella resolves to help Erin, eventually confessing she has no personal knowledge of stepsisters--wicked or otherwise.
Cinderella's journey with Erin to a new, positive friendship parallels her growing realization that her former friend, Rosemary, is unable to participate in the same kind of give-and-take friendship based in kindness, empathy and respect. The truth about Rosemary's motives and the unfortunate turn in the girls' friendship unfold through a conflict over the lead role of Pumpkin Blossom Fairy in their Dance Recital and a lost tap show with a red bow.
Written in a genuine voice by Stephanie Barden Cinderella is more likeable--in my opinion--than Barbara Parks' Junie B Jones and will appeal to 3rd and 4th Grade female readers as someone they would like to have as a friend. This is a great independent or read-aloud choice for the 1st through 4th Grade set. A good role model who is bright, intelligent, silly, talented and compassionate, Cinderella Smith is a brilliant (and I think will be an extremely popular choice) addition to the Division I Lovelace nominees for 2013-14.
May 10, 2011
Josephine-Kathryn Smith is better known by her nickname "Cinderella" for her unfortunate habit of losing shoes. She's a relaxed, funny, messy elementary school student who is just starting to feel the pressures of shifting alliances in her social circle.
Cinderella welcomes a friendship with her new neighbor Erin, especially once her former best friend Rosemary T. starts to give her the cold shoulder. Cinderella and Rosemary T. are both competing for the starring role in the Pumpkin Blossom recital. The only problem is, will Cinderella be able to find her missing tap shoe in time for the show? If not, the role will default to Rosemary!
In the meantime, Erin asks for Cinderella's help in an area she thinks Cinderella must be expert in: sussing out whether Erin's future stepsisters are wicked or not. Cinderella begrudgingly has to admit that she has no stepsisters of her own, but she still feels equal to the task. She comes up with a hilarious list of criteria on what might put a new stepsister firmly in the evil category. The girls create a checklist including items such as: has a lot of luggage, stares in mirrors, owns too many shoes. Worryingly, Erin seems to have far more of these characteristics than her stepsisters do! I did think it was a very strange family dynamic that the stepsisters were not introduced to each other until the day of their parents wedding. As one can expect from the story's light-hearted tone, all is satisfactorily resolved by the end of the book, however.
I loved all of the exclamations and creative use of language that Cinderella uses throughout the story. Light rain is "dribbly-spit", when she's upset, she has a "problem with a capital P." She even improvises a tap shoe by sticking a flat tack into the toe of her sneaker.
This humorous middle-grade story will be perfect for readers who are reading just above Junie B. Jones level. Charming, quirky and unique, Cinderella Smith is certain to be a favorite with tween readers. Debut novelist Stephanie Barden is coming out with a sequel in 2012.
Cinderella welcomes a friendship with her new neighbor Erin, especially once her former best friend Rosemary T. starts to give her the cold shoulder. Cinderella and Rosemary T. are both competing for the starring role in the Pumpkin Blossom recital. The only problem is, will Cinderella be able to find her missing tap shoe in time for the show? If not, the role will default to Rosemary!
In the meantime, Erin asks for Cinderella's help in an area she thinks Cinderella must be expert in: sussing out whether Erin's future stepsisters are wicked or not. Cinderella begrudgingly has to admit that she has no stepsisters of her own, but she still feels equal to the task. She comes up with a hilarious list of criteria on what might put a new stepsister firmly in the evil category. The girls create a checklist including items such as: has a lot of luggage, stares in mirrors, owns too many shoes. Worryingly, Erin seems to have far more of these characteristics than her stepsisters do! I did think it was a very strange family dynamic that the stepsisters were not introduced to each other until the day of their parents wedding. As one can expect from the story's light-hearted tone, all is satisfactorily resolved by the end of the book, however.
I loved all of the exclamations and creative use of language that Cinderella uses throughout the story. Light rain is "dribbly-spit", when she's upset, she has a "problem with a capital P." She even improvises a tap shoe by sticking a flat tack into the toe of her sneaker.
This humorous middle-grade story will be perfect for readers who are reading just above Junie B. Jones level. Charming, quirky and unique, Cinderella Smith is certain to be a favorite with tween readers. Debut novelist Stephanie Barden is coming out with a sequel in 2012.
June 6, 2012
It’s been a while since I’ve read a book for the younger MG crowd and I didn’t realize how much I’ve missed these fun, quick reads. And Cinderella Smith is a great example of why I love these children’s books so much.
Josephine-Kathryn, better known as Cinderella, doesn’t have a wicked stepmother or ugly stepsisters, just a habit of losing her shoes. But when she enters the third grade, Cinderella has even bigger problems: a best friend turned mean girl who is determined to make sure Cinderella doesn’t get to be the Pumpkin Blossom Fairy in the dance recital, a missing red tap shoe and a new friend with a tricky problem. What’s a clever third grader to do?
In Cinderella Smith, author Stephanie Barden introduces readers to a wonderful character whose charm and spirit are reminiscent of Junie B. Jones, Ramona Quimby and Judy Moody. Full of lots of laughs, unforgettable characters and relatable situations, this is a very entertaining MG read.
The story is told from Cinderella’s laugh out loud point of view and Barden has captured a pitch-perfect third grade voice. Cinderella’s honesty, excitement and joy are infectious and irresistible. I love how when she’s excited, Cinderella talks LIKE THIS!!! And she doesn’t just have problems; she has Problems, with a capitol P. And when life gets dramatic she lets out a sighy Alas. The story is over the top and dramatic in the best, most enchanting way possible.
I love that each chapter’s title reflects the pair of shoes Cinderella is wearing, and her habit of losing just one shoe is too funny. Barden touches upon some very relatable and important issues (mean girls, losing best friends, divorce and new step-families) and she explores these in a way that younger readers will understand and parents will appreciate.
Readers of all ages will enjoy Cinderella’s sparkling charm, her quirky personality and reading about her genius idea of just how to discover whether her new friend Erin’s future step-sisters are wicked and her troubles with her friend Rosemary T.
This book is super Cute, with a capitol "C"!
Josephine-Kathryn, better known as Cinderella, doesn’t have a wicked stepmother or ugly stepsisters, just a habit of losing her shoes. But when she enters the third grade, Cinderella has even bigger problems: a best friend turned mean girl who is determined to make sure Cinderella doesn’t get to be the Pumpkin Blossom Fairy in the dance recital, a missing red tap shoe and a new friend with a tricky problem. What’s a clever third grader to do?
In Cinderella Smith, author Stephanie Barden introduces readers to a wonderful character whose charm and spirit are reminiscent of Junie B. Jones, Ramona Quimby and Judy Moody. Full of lots of laughs, unforgettable characters and relatable situations, this is a very entertaining MG read.
The story is told from Cinderella’s laugh out loud point of view and Barden has captured a pitch-perfect third grade voice. Cinderella’s honesty, excitement and joy are infectious and irresistible. I love how when she’s excited, Cinderella talks LIKE THIS!!! And she doesn’t just have problems; she has Problems, with a capitol P. And when life gets dramatic she lets out a sighy Alas. The story is over the top and dramatic in the best, most enchanting way possible.
I love that each chapter’s title reflects the pair of shoes Cinderella is wearing, and her habit of losing just one shoe is too funny. Barden touches upon some very relatable and important issues (mean girls, losing best friends, divorce and new step-families) and she explores these in a way that younger readers will understand and parents will appreciate.
Readers of all ages will enjoy Cinderella’s sparkling charm, her quirky personality and reading about her genius idea of just how to discover whether her new friend Erin’s future step-sisters are wicked and her troubles with her friend Rosemary T.
This book is super Cute, with a capitol "C"!
September 20, 2016
It was cute
July 19, 2012
Cinderella Smith was a cute children's book. The book is about a girl nicknamed Cinderella because she loses shoes so often. It brought back a lot of childhood memories. The book reminded me a lot of the Junie B. Jones series I used to read when I was younger. The plot was interesting. I went through some of the same things when I was a kid that Cinderella went through. I took a lot of ballet and tap dance classes as a child. Thinking on it from a younger person's perspective, I think they would really enjoy the book. I didn't care for most of Cinderella's friends. They seemed like they liked to bully her and make fun of her. Cinderella just took the bullying, and didn't do much about it. I liked Erin as a character. She always helped out Cinderella, and became a good friend to her. She never made fun of or talked bad about her. Mr Hansen and Ralph made me chuckle. The illustrations were cute. They helped to flesh out the characters in my head, made them seem more real. I recommend this book for girls ages eight and up. I also recommend this book for fans of the Junie B. Jones series.
March 10, 2012
Cinderella's real name is Josephine-Kathryn Smith. She's called Cinderella because she looses one of each pair of her shoes. She's lost them almost everywhere! When she went Erin's house, she took off her shoes. When it was time for Cinderella to leave, she only had one shoe. Her shoes were tap shoes. The color of the shoes were ruby red and they had a fancy white bow. In the story, Erin is getting stepsisters and Erin thinks that all stepsisters are supposed to be mean. Cinderella is getting a boy teacher for a year and she's nervous because she hasn't had a boy teacher before. The teacher's name was Mr.Harrison. And I think Cinderella should look in Erin's house for her tap shoe because that's where she took her shoes off in the first place. Instead, Cinderella has looked in the dance school and in the Lost and Found at her school. They weren't in either place. She didn't even ask Erin to look in her house! Cinderella didn't ask because she had more stuff in her mind. So, she didn't have time to ask that question.
March 28, 2015
Josephine-Kathryn is nicknamed Cinderella because of her problem with losing shoes. The title of each chapter is a name of a shoe, e.g. Thumbtacked Sneaker, and so the adventures begin! Cinderella is being jilted by her old best friend Rosemary T. and becomes friends with the new girl Erin. Rosemary T. and Cinderella take tap dancing lessons together and both of them want to be the Pumpkin Blossom Fairy in the fall dance recital. Rosemary T. sabotages Cinderella.
Erin's mother is getting remarried to someone with two daughters. Erin is worried that they will be wicked stepsisters and since Cinderella must have experience with wicked stepsisters, Erin asks for her advice. Cinderella really doesn't know anything about wicked stepsisters since she comes from a traditional family and likes her little sister. So she and Erin start a "wicked stepsister" notebook and come up with a plan.
The illustrations by Diane Goode add to the book. I would highly recommend this to girls who are dealing with these same friendship problems.
Erin's mother is getting remarried to someone with two daughters. Erin is worried that they will be wicked stepsisters and since Cinderella must have experience with wicked stepsisters, Erin asks for her advice. Cinderella really doesn't know anything about wicked stepsisters since she comes from a traditional family and likes her little sister. So she and Erin start a "wicked stepsister" notebook and come up with a plan.
The illustrations by Diane Goode add to the book. I would highly recommend this to girls who are dealing with these same friendship problems.
November 6, 2013
Cast off by her old friends, Cinderella agrees to help a new student deal with the stepsisters she will soon have, and meantime, a former friend tries to prevent Cinderella from dancing the lead in their tap recital.
Does Cinderella distinguish herself from Clementine, Ivy and Bean, Judy Moody or any other of the innumerable spunky heroines of early chapter books? Not especially. But that club could always use an extra member or, as Cinderella is fond of saying, "the more the merrier!" I liked the voicing in this narrative, which portrays the main character as bright and determined, but not annoying or needlessly mischievous. She's a young woman of kindness as well as good intentions, making her inevitable successes satisfying for the reader. This would be a perfect read for 1st-3rd graders, especially girls and maybe even more especially those who are dealing with parents remarrying, moving to a new school or the love of dance class.
Does Cinderella distinguish herself from Clementine, Ivy and Bean, Judy Moody or any other of the innumerable spunky heroines of early chapter books? Not especially. But that club could always use an extra member or, as Cinderella is fond of saying, "the more the merrier!" I liked the voicing in this narrative, which portrays the main character as bright and determined, but not annoying or needlessly mischievous. She's a young woman of kindness as well as good intentions, making her inevitable successes satisfying for the reader. This would be a perfect read for 1st-3rd graders, especially girls and maybe even more especially those who are dealing with parents remarrying, moving to a new school or the love of dance class.
January 13, 2016
Cinderella Smith earned her nickname from losing her shoes, so she now writes her name and address on every pair she gets. When the new school year starts, Cinderella has to deal with her old friend not being her friend, a new teacher who is a man, and being on the second floor of the school with the big kids. At school, she meets Erin, who has recently moved to Seattle and is worried about the stepsisters she will when her mom gets married soon. Erin enlists Cinderella's help to find out if her stepsisters are wicked or not. Along the way to solving this mystery, Cinderella has to find her missing red tap shoe so she can be the Pumpkin Blossom Fairy in her dance school's recital. Will she ever find her tap shoe? Will Erin's stepsisters be wicked? Read this charming little book to find out the answers to these questions, told in a style reminiscent to the beloved Junie B. Jones series.
August 1, 2011
Cinderella Smith does not have a wicked stepmother. Just a regular mom. Cinderella Smith does not have a wicked stepsister. Just a regular little sister. Cinderella does have a dad who loves her, a friend named Charlie Prince who lives across the street, and a habit of losing her shoes.
This is a great fiction book! (And not just because the main character is nicknamed Cinderella!) I like how there is great vocabulary. I like how Cinderella has to solve a math problem for the majority of a chapter. I like how Cinderella deals with problems (try to figure things out for herself then ask for help). I like how Cinderella gets annoyed by her younger sister, but then just is a big sister anyway. This was an enjoyable read that felt like a Ramona Quimby-type of real character. This book was just right!
This is a great fiction book! (And not just because the main character is nicknamed Cinderella!) I like how there is great vocabulary. I like how Cinderella has to solve a math problem for the majority of a chapter. I like how Cinderella deals with problems (try to figure things out for herself then ask for help). I like how Cinderella gets annoyed by her younger sister, but then just is a big sister anyway. This was an enjoyable read that felt like a Ramona Quimby-type of real character. This book was just right!
October 17, 2011
After reading all the delightful Clementine books, young readers might very well enjoy this one about Josephine-Kathryn Smith, better known as Cinderella because of her proclivity to lose her shoes. The drama in Cinderella's life relates to where she will sit in the lunch room since some of her former friends seem to be shutting her out, making friends with a new girl named Erin, and competing for the lead role in the Pumpkin Blossom Dance. She must also try to find the missing shoe she needs for the dance. Cinderella's bond with Erin is cemented when Cinderella tries to help her determine if her new stepsisters will be wicked, and what they can do if they turn out to be unsuitable additions to the family. The characters are complex and imperfect and the storyline easy to relate to, assuring that young readers will enjoy following Cinderella's growth.
December 30, 2013
Josephine-Kathryn Smith goes by the nickname “Cinderella” since she loses shoes all the time and is only left with half a pair. Some people make fun of her nickname, while the new girl, Erin, embraces it wholeheartedly and enlists Cinderella’s help in dealing with her possibly wicked stepsisters. Cinderella also has catty, competitive girls breathing down her back in the midst of preparing for a dance recital. The biggest obstacle for the recital is the fact that one of Cinderella’s tap shoes is missing!
This is a cute book. It’s for the early MG crowd because of the word count and pacing, and I can see many children falling in love with Cinderella. She is simply charming. The plot was tight and the book moved well with its secondary characters and plot threads. I’ll look into reading the rest of the series.
This is a cute book. It’s for the early MG crowd because of the word count and pacing, and I can see many children falling in love with Cinderella. She is simply charming. The plot was tight and the book moved well with its secondary characters and plot threads. I’ll look into reading the rest of the series.
October 18, 2012
Cinderella's real name is Josephine-Kathryn Smith. She got her nickname because she has a tendency to lose one shoe out of each pair. When school begins she finds that her friends from last year have decided not to include her this year. Confused, Cinderella is pleased when the new girl seeks her out for advice on step-sisters. Cinderella isn't sure she can help, but she tries none the less.
Cinderella gains a new friend but loses one of her tap shoes. She has been given the staring role in the upcoming fall dance recital. But if she can't find that other tap shoe, the part will be given to someone else. Cinderella looks everywhere but is unable to locate her shoe. Then magically it appears in a former friends vehicle. Hmmm? Accident of conspiracy?
Cinderella gains a new friend but loses one of her tap shoes. She has been given the staring role in the upcoming fall dance recital. But if she can't find that other tap shoe, the part will be given to someone else. Cinderella looks everywhere but is unable to locate her shoe. Then magically it appears in a former friends vehicle. Hmmm? Accident of conspiracy?
October 24, 2012
I loved this book but more importantly my daughters loved this book. Every chapter title is a type of shoe which is real cute since the girl is so prone to losing her shoes. I liked that the main character in the book was being bullied by one of her classmates former close friend. I enjoyed that so that my daughters would be able to hear a main character go through that experience so my daughters will know that it can happen to the best people and that Cinderella stayed strong and didn't let it get her down. She also stayed true to who she was and never altered herself or tried fitting in with the bully. The girls really enjoyed the story and found it hilarious Cinderella was always losing her shoes.
November 25, 2011
The voice was fantastic, and this book was nicely edited for a fast-paced, fun read. My only problem with the book, and the reason why I gave 3 stars rather than 4, was the premise. We didn't get a complete understanding of why the main character keeps losing her shoes to the point of being nicknamed Cinderella. She does not really seem otherwise forgetful. Also, she has a supportive family, so if she did keep losing her shoes, I would think they would do something more to help her remember them. But, I don't think kids reading the book will question it as much as I (a mom) questioned it.
September 11, 2016
Grades 1-4. RL 670. Cinderella Smith has a shoe problem. She loses them all the time, including her all important red tap shoes that are her ticket to a part in the big recital. She doesn't have an evil step-sister, but she does have a former best friend who is making her life miserable. Speaking if step sister, her new friend at school is going to BE one soon-- so they better find out what makes a step sister so evil. Lots of laughs in this book that reminds me of Clementine. Great illustrations, too! Girls will love this one!
October 27, 2011
First in a series -- and I love it! Josephine-Kathryn doesn't have a wicked stepmother, but she does have a shoe problem: she keeps losing them. Thus the nickname Cinderella (just so we have that out of the way). Cinderella is a funny, big-hearted girl who makes friends with the new girl in class, navigates the minefields of other girls' jealousy, and looks for her missing red tap dance shoe. Makes me think of Ramona, Judy Moody and other girls I like. For 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th grade readers.
November 21, 2011
I love Cinderella stories and my 2nd grader finally likes reading. With these 2 factors in my mind I picked this book up from the library. It was cute. The main character was believable. The story line different. I can hand this to my daughter without worry. There were several overused phrases and words that began to bug me, and it was predictable. BUT, it was not written with a picky adult in mind.
December 28, 2011
I wanted to like this more since it is a first book by a local author and set in Seattle. There is a lot to like about it; it is a charming, funny story of a young girl who always loses a shoe (thus her nickname). It is wonderfully illustrated by Diane Goode. But there is a major plot point with a mean neighbor and a missing shoe that is not resolved at all! And aside from a few mentions of the rain there is nothing to set this book in Seattle, which seems kind of a waste.
June 8, 2012
Madeleine quite likes this book. We like it, too. I suppose something that i like about it is that the story and characters ring true and are entertaining. Another thing i like about it is that the protagonist is an admirable character. She is a good kid, she has a positive relationship with her family, and seems to work hard and respect the even the strictness in her parents. In short, she is a protagonist that you are ok with your child holding as a role model.
July 9, 2012
A cute story about a girl nicknamed Cinderella because she frequently loses one of her shoes. Cinderella begins the school year with some friendship changes. Girls who were friends with her last year start excluding her this year. A new girl, Erin, starts school and seeks Cinderella as a friend in the hopes that Cinderella can help Erin with her new stepsisters. Add a ballet recital, a wedding, and a new classroom teacher and you have the makings for one entertaining and fun story!
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