Stephanie Barden

{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.… (plus d'informations)

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!… (plus d'informations)