Starred Review ALA Booklist

Starred Review Josephine-Kathryn "Cinderella" Smith is filled with apprehension over the new school year and the changing relationships among her friends, some of whom went to dance camp over the summer and now seem to be excluding her. Her mother buys Cinderella ruby-red tap shoes, but true to her nickname, she quickly loses one, and as a result, her role as the Pumpkin Blossom Fairy in the dance recital is in jeopardy. Complicating matters is new girl Erin, who needs advice on dealing with her wicked stepsisters, but since Cinderella's sister, Tess, is sweet, can she really help? Each chapter is cleverly titled after a pair of shoes ("White Mary Janes with Little Heels," "Gladiator Sandals"), and line illustrations by the gifted Goode enhance the lightheartedness and fun of the story. Grounded in the details of a modern-day tween's life, Barden's debut is poignant in its portrayal of a young girl on the threshold of growing up and becoming her own person. The awkwardness Cinderella feels with her former friends is palpable yet not overly serious, and her inclusive enjoyment of life is contagious. The resolution to the stepsister problem is especially satisfying, and although the humor is in the vein of Junie B. Jones and Judy Moody, Barden has nonetheless created her own character in Cinderella.

Horn Book (Thu Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2013)

Third grader Cinderella wants to keep her school project on ocelots a secret so she can "shock and amaze" the class. But the library books she's waiting for go missing, so she and her best friend must solve the mystery of who took them. Barden has a "vexylent" ("very, extremely excellent") understanding of her audience, and Goode's line drawings embody the tale's lightness.

Kirkus Reviews

Cinderella Smith, shoe-losing third-grader, is back, now facing the challenges of a research project. Third-grade is the year when some kids (the Rosemarys, in this case) appoint themselves too old for childish things, while others (Cinderella and her posse) are still happy to jump and hop and slither when the zoo docent instructs them to. Alas! It's hard to know what to do if you are Cinderella Smith. When the class is assigned a research project on animals, the children decide they want to shock and amaze their classmates. This turns out to be harder than they thought. Cinderella wants to study ocelots, but the books she needs mysteriously disappear from the library. She and her friends, the self-named Group in Cahoots, come up with a cooperative way to shock and amaze everyone, even the Rosemarys. Fans of this series will appreciate the subtle changes that happen in these sunny stories: The boys and girls are growing up and noticing each other in different ways--they solve problems and forgive each other, even when the Rosemarys conspire to ruin things. Goode's black-and-white illustrations add humor and emotion to the story and, in the end, even make a lovely visual reference to the real Cinderella story when Charlie puts his basketball shoe on Cinderella's bare foot. Charming. (Fiction. 7-10)

School Library Journal

Gr 3-5 Josephine-Kathryn Smith just can't seem to keep track of her shoes, earning her the nickname "Cinderella." Most of the time her propensity to lose footwear is just an annoyance, but it's a different story when she misplaces one of her new ruby-red tap shoesthey are a necessity if she wants to keep the hard-earned role of Pumpkin Blossom Fairy in the autumn dance recital. On top of that, Cinderella is dealing with some social drama. Her usual group of friends, led by bossy Rosemary T., seems to forget about her when cool, new Erin dazzles everyone in their class. Instead of being roped in by Rosemary T., though, Erin gravitates toward Cinderella. Their close camaraderie sends Rosemary T. through the roof, and her jealous reaction may give readers a clue as to the whereabouts of the wayward tap shoe. The light drama gives readers a nonthreatening environment in which to explore how to deal with friendship difficulties, and they will root for the likable Cinderella from start to finish. Loose, cheerful line drawings pepper the pages, adding to the overall upbeat feel of the book. This is a competently told, solid choice for libraries that are looking to expand their selection of contemporary realistic fiction, but it doesn't stand out among the growing clutch of books about spunky girls with unusual names. Amy Holland, Irondequoit Public Library, NY