What do you think?
Rate this book
Glass Slippers Give You Blisters
Kelly's involvement in helping design a production of her junior high school's drama club, spurred on by encouragement from her artistic grandmother, helps her discover her own artistic identity
Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
2 people are currently reading
48 people want to read
About the author
Mary Jane Auch
48 books70 followersMary Jane Auch also writes as MJ Auch.
The thought of becoming a writer never occurred to MJ Auch as a child. Her only literary efforts in those days were the plays which she and her girlfriend, Noreen, wrote for their marionettes. They produced these extravaganzas in Noreen’s garage and organized the neighborhood boys into a sales force to sell tickets and refreshments.
Summer visits to both of MJ’s grandmothers led to her fascination with chickens. One grandmother had a small backyard flock and the other grandmother and two bachelor uncles had a large farm that supplied eggs to half of Long Island. MJ learned that a flock of chickens had almost the same range of personalities that could be found in a classroom, from the quiet, shy chicken to the big bully.
MJ loved books and read constantly. She wrote stories, drawn in comic book style with speech balloons for the dialog. Her interest in drawing continued through high school, and she went on to become an art major at Skidmore College. After graduation, MJ headed for New York City to seek fame and fortune, but after a year of designing prints for men's pajamas, she decided she wanted to do something more meaningful with her life. She enrolled in the Occupational Therapy program at Columbia University, which led to some wonderful years of working in a children's hospital near Hartford, Connecticut.
On a brief stop home to visit her parents before transferring to a new job in Denver, she met Herm Auch, a graphic artist and editorial cartoonist for the Rochester newspaper. It was love at first sight, and MJ never made it to Denver. They were married in 1967 and within a few years had produced a daughter, Katrin and a son, Ian. They moved from the city to a small farm, complete with chickens, ducks, and geese. Armed with a huge collection of Mother Earth News and absolutely no practical experience, they tackled farm life with gusto, gaining much comedy material for books MJ’s future books.
As the children grew older, MJ began to look for work in her original field of art. Like Jenna's mother in Mom Is Dating Weird Wayne, she had a brief stint as a “zit zapper” at a school picture factory. Then she started illustrating for Pennywhistle Press, a national children's newspaper, and this sparked her interest in illustrating children’s books.
In the summer of 1984, MJ took a week-long children's writing conference on Cape Cod. She tried to write a picture book manuscript to take to the conference, but instead found herself writing a middle-grade novel. When her instructor, Natalie Babbitt, told of starting out as an artist and finding she could paint better pictures with words, something clicked. MJ finally knew that she wanted to a writer.
She started sending manuscripts to publishers, writing four full-length novels before she sold the first one. Then she sold a second book to another publisher that same week. It had taken two years and thirteen rejections, but MJ had finally reached her goal!mShe continued writing books for older kids and abandoned her dream of illustrating for a while. Then, after nine books, she wrote and illustrated The Easter Egg Farm. This set in motion a series of picture books featuring poultry involved in the arts.
The Auchs have now become a family of artists. Their children are grown and pursuing art careers of their own. Kat, a graphic artist, is now working as Associate Art Director for Scrapbook Answers Magazine in San Francisco. Ian has been a graphic artist and 3-D animator and is now Assistant New Media Editor for the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle newspaper. Ian is also a metal artist and created the chicken-sized beauty parlor chair for [b:Beauty and the Beaks|1918127|Beaut
The thought of becoming a writer never occurred to MJ Auch as a child. Her only literary efforts in those days were the plays which she and her girlfriend, Noreen, wrote for their marionettes. They produced these extravaganzas in Noreen’s garage and organized the neighborhood boys into a sales force to sell tickets and refreshments.
Summer visits to both of MJ’s grandmothers led to her fascination with chickens. One grandmother had a small backyard flock and the other grandmother and two bachelor uncles had a large farm that supplied eggs to half of Long Island. MJ learned that a flock of chickens had almost the same range of personalities that could be found in a classroom, from the quiet, shy chicken to the big bully.
MJ loved books and read constantly. She wrote stories, drawn in comic book style with speech balloons for the dialog. Her interest in drawing continued through high school, and she went on to become an art major at Skidmore College. After graduation, MJ headed for New York City to seek fame and fortune, but after a year of designing prints for men's pajamas, she decided she wanted to do something more meaningful with her life. She enrolled in the Occupational Therapy program at Columbia University, which led to some wonderful years of working in a children's hospital near Hartford, Connecticut.
On a brief stop home to visit her parents before transferring to a new job in Denver, she met Herm Auch, a graphic artist and editorial cartoonist for the Rochester newspaper. It was love at first sight, and MJ never made it to Denver. They were married in 1967 and within a few years had produced a daughter, Katrin and a son, Ian. They moved from the city to a small farm, complete with chickens, ducks, and geese. Armed with a huge collection of Mother Earth News and absolutely no practical experience, they tackled farm life with gusto, gaining much comedy material for books MJ’s future books.
As the children grew older, MJ began to look for work in her original field of art. Like Jenna's mother in Mom Is Dating Weird Wayne, she had a brief stint as a “zit zapper” at a school picture factory. Then she started illustrating for Pennywhistle Press, a national children's newspaper, and this sparked her interest in illustrating children’s books.
In the summer of 1984, MJ took a week-long children's writing conference on Cape Cod. She tried to write a picture book manuscript to take to the conference, but instead found herself writing a middle-grade novel. When her instructor, Natalie Babbitt, told of starting out as an artist and finding she could paint better pictures with words, something clicked. MJ finally knew that she wanted to a writer.
She started sending manuscripts to publishers, writing four full-length novels before she sold the first one. Then she sold a second book to another publisher that same week. It had taken two years and thirteen rejections, but MJ had finally reached her goal!mShe continued writing books for older kids and abandoned her dream of illustrating for a while. Then, after nine books, she wrote and illustrated The Easter Egg Farm. This set in motion a series of picture books featuring poultry involved in the arts.
The Auchs have now become a family of artists. Their children are grown and pursuing art careers of their own. Kat, a graphic artist, is now working as Associate Art Director for Scrapbook Answers Magazine in San Francisco. Ian has been a graphic artist and 3-D animator and is now Assistant New Media Editor for the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle newspaper. Ian is also a metal artist and created the chicken-sized beauty parlor chair for [b:Beauty and the Beaks|1918127|Beaut
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
March 11, 2018
Yuck!
The protagonist and most of her friends and family are not very likable, and most of the book is either arguing or the main character talking to herself.
I give it two stars only because it was fairly well-written.
Next time, I'll think twice before purchasing an old, out-of-print, kids' chapter book.
The protagonist and most of her friends and family are not very likable, and most of the book is either arguing or the main character talking to herself.
I give it two stars only because it was fairly well-written.
Next time, I'll think twice before purchasing an old, out-of-print, kids' chapter book.
July 6, 2019
I ordered this on Amazon after I suddenly remembered it as a childhood favorite during a library conference. I realized it had really influenced a lot of my life! Theatre, fairy tales, jealousy amongst friendships - it was all very prophetic. So I was excited to pick it back up. And mostly, it held up to how I remembered it! The most fun bits are the ones having to do with the show. I love that Auch chose a real musical version of Cinderella for the school to mount (the stepsister's names are right from the R&H play and it's very clear what songs they're rehearsing even though she never names them right out). I did the same show in junior high and it was fun to reread this with that history. And I love that Kelly finds her place as a techie and really loves it. Auch's descriptions of her talent at set painting and transformative powers of light design are perfect (and what really stuck in my head through the years). I laughed when I reread it, remembering how this book was the first time I learned what gels are in lights, and how I thought they were actually gel.
The friendship drama wasn't as engaging as when I was a kid, and Kelly is sort of immature on the reread. But she was also 11, and frankly her at 11 felt very me at 11 (and that can be hard to face). The family drama is also very awkwardly written. The mom and Gram need a lot of family therapy. But I'm really glad I bought a copy and look forward to revisiting it again down the line.
The friendship drama wasn't as engaging as when I was a kid, and Kelly is sort of immature on the reread. But she was also 11, and frankly her at 11 felt very me at 11 (and that can be hard to face). The family drama is also very awkwardly written. The mom and Gram need a lot of family therapy. But I'm really glad I bought a copy and look forward to revisiting it again down the line.
February 29, 2012
I had been wondering what the book was called where the protagonist is a young girl who works with theater lighting. I was happy to re-find this one, but was a bit annoyed that about half the book is her talking to or about herself while daydreaming.
October 6, 2007
The lady who wrote this book actually lives around the corner from me. I remember taking it out of the school library and then later in the year when she came to visit and speak at our schoolI bought my very own copy and she signed it for me.
It's a great story about a young girl who wants to try out for the part of Cinderella in her school production. Her audition does not go as planned and she tries various ways to become a part of the show before she finds her niche. Fighting an unsupporting mother and taking care of an eccentric grandmother lead to many big decisions for our main character.
This book is a really wonderful addition to any young girl's library.
It's a great story about a young girl who wants to try out for the part of Cinderella in her school production. Her audition does not go as planned and she tries various ways to become a part of the show before she finds her niche. Fighting an unsupporting mother and taking care of an eccentric grandmother lead to many big decisions for our main character.
This book is a really wonderful addition to any young girl's library.
February 14, 2018
Kelly wants to be in her schools' production of Cinderella, but things don't go as planned.
With the help of her artistic Grandma, Kelly discovers that her painting skills can be used in other, MORE recognized, ways.
Cute fun read!
With the help of her artistic Grandma, Kelly discovers that her painting skills can be used in other, MORE recognized, ways.
Cute fun read!
July 22, 2014
I first read this book when I was young -- around fourth or fifth grade. Mary Jane Auch was signing books at a Waldenbooks in our local mall and my mom - wonderful lady that she is - took me in and we picked up a copy. I loved the book almost immediately. I've, of course, lost my autographed copy since then. So you can imagine my glee when I found a copy of this book for super-cheap recently.
It certainly holds up!
Kelly is a deeply sympathetic protagonist/narrator -- I don't think there is anyone who couldn't relate to her constant struggles to be "good enough," whether it is trying to emerge from the shadows of her perfect older sister, fit in with the popular kids at school, or even just live up to her own fantastic daydreams about how awesome she could be if only someone else seemed to recognize it. The struggles with her two best friends as they move from elementary to middle school are so real.
More than anything, I really love the way her relationship with the production of Cinderella changes over the course of the book. Kelly's a great heroine and a fantastic role model for readers in the later elementary years.
It certainly holds up!
Kelly is a deeply sympathetic protagonist/narrator -- I don't think there is anyone who couldn't relate to her constant struggles to be "good enough," whether it is trying to emerge from the shadows of her perfect older sister, fit in with the popular kids at school, or even just live up to her own fantastic daydreams about how awesome she could be if only someone else seemed to recognize it. The struggles with her two best friends as they move from elementary to middle school are so real.
More than anything, I really love the way her relationship with the production of Cinderella changes over the course of the book. Kelly's a great heroine and a fantastic role model for readers in the later elementary years.
December 29, 2015
absolutely adorable! I didn't love the breaks of Kelly's imagination all the time, for me they were a little too long and broke up the story too much. that being said, I loved the development of the plot and characters. very cute and realistic. I would've loved to see a finale to the "romantic" rapport but the development of family and friendship was great. however, sometimes I thought the mother and her issues were over the top.
August 12, 2013
I don't know what it was about this book but I really liked it when I randomly picked it up. I think it was the first book I read about a girl and her realistic problems and how she fixed them and I really liked that and then I grew up wanting to read more books like that.
September 3, 2014
Read this with Mia. It was a book we swiped from Grandma's house. I remember buying it at a book fair when I was in elementary school. It's an OK book, but mostly fun to with Mia a book I read at her age.
April 6, 2009
Grades 4+. Kelly learns about her artistic talent and working with others while involved with a junior high play.
June 8, 2017
Very good story about jr high antics and finding your nitch, even when it differs from your friends.
September 10, 2016
Sequoyah Nominee: 1991-1992 (Children's)
April 4, 2013
This might even have deserved a five, but I don't remember it well enough. I was twenty or so when I read it, but I remember it being surprisingly good!
July 3, 2013
This book was pretty lame; not really worth a review.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews