Fairy Tale Pick: If the Shoe Fits (Whatever After, 2)

If the Shoe Fits (Whatever After #2)
Sarah Mlynowski
Scholastic Press
2013
174 pages

Available January 9, 2013



This is the second book in a charming series of fairy tales meet spunky girl Abby and her funny younger brother Jonah. The kids are determined to visit the land of Zamel again and find Snow White and claim Abby’s favorite pajamas. They try the magic mirror in the basement three nights in a row to no avail. On the fourth night, however, they are sucked through the mirror and end up on the floor of a giant coat closet in a beautiful castle. No one there knows Snow White, but the kids soon find out they are in the wrong fairy tale altogether.

Abby realizes they have entered the castle and are attending a ball—it’s the Cinderella story. Abby feels horribly underdressed. She’s wearing pink pajamas with purple polka dots and sees the Floom flag—and finds out she’s actually wearing their flag on her pajamas. The people welcome her to the party.

The ball goes like the fairy tale, Cinderella enters and dances with the prince all night and runs away as the clock is striking twelve. She leaves one glass slipper behind and the kids chase her to her home in the hopes that she might have a magic mirror at her house that will transport them back home.

Cinderella injures her foot and by morning, her toes are swollen. There is no way a glass slipper is going to fit! Her fairy godmother refuses to help saying that if she wants to become a princess, Cinderella needs to gain some responsibility for herself. The kids try to help Cinderella figure out her strengths and what kind of job she can get to please her fairy godmother and marry the prince.

The brotherly/sisterly love and quick-witted banter between Jonah and Abby is sweet and funny. Mlynowski has a great ear for dialog and humor. Spot-on characters of both children make this book a lively, fun read. Funny details like Abby hating to wear her least favorite underwear because they cause wedgies and having to eat pizza three days in a row because her parents no longer cook or do the laundry, make Abby's home life funny and relatable. I hope there are many more fairy tales waiting to be deftly retold by Sarah Mlynowski.

You don’t need to read book 1 to understand book 2, but why wouldn’t you want the first book? Both books Fairest of All and If the Shoe Fits make the perfect gift for any tween reader.

Highly, highly recommended grade 5-up.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

Girl Pick: Once Upon a Toad

Once Upon a Toad
by Heather Vogel Frederick
Simon & Schuster
2012
272 pages

Available April 10, 2012 (page count and publication date from publisher's website)

Clever, cute, quirky, and good clean fun, Once Upon a Toad delivers non-stop laughs and outrageous antics!

Twelve year old Catriona Skye Starr (Dad calls her Kit-Cat)is visiting her dad, step-mom, step-sister Olivia and little brother Geoffrey. Her astronaut mother was called at the last minute for a space mission. So while Mom is literally out of this world, Cat's Great Aunt Abyssinia is even more far out. She lives in her r.v. with a weird cat and travels around the country to all the national parks. Not only that, Abyssinia is one eccentric auntie--with a family secret that is about to get Cat in trouble.

Cat is not happy to be sharing a room with Olivia; Olivia is conceited and spoiled, a true "mean girl." Cat tries to be nice but living with Olivia is out of the question. It gets worse after a visit from Aunt Abyssinia. All of a sudden, each time Cat speaks, a toad drops from her throat! To make matters worse and pour salt into the wound, each time Olivia speaks, diamonds and flowers flow from her mouth.

Once their secret is discovered, everyone wants a piece of them--media and press are camped out on their lawn, an FBI guy shows up wanting to take Olivia to Area 51 for "study," kidnappers nab Geoffrey--holding him for ransom until they get their hands on the "Diamond Girl."

Cat can't wait to get away from Olivia but she needs to fix their problem: toads and diamonds are everywhere! And then, Cat remebers that Abyssinia visited right before the weird happenings. She has to find Aunt Abyssinia and figure out what she knows about the girls' problem. The girls will have to work together to out-manoeuver the FBI guy, outsmart the kidnappers, and outrun the police.

Recommended for girls who love a funny story with a little fairy tale magic grades 5-7. Older girls may also like quirky Cat.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.