Magic at Midnight

February 15, 2021
A Cinderella with 21st-century attitudes begins a fairy-tale quest. Kelk, a prolific author of light romance for adults, offers younger readers a fractured fairy-tale fantasy that is similarly entertaining. This volume begins as a story about a blended family, a palace, and a ball during which the prince will choose a bride. But nothing is quite what one might expect. There's Sparks, a talking dog, and a woman named Brian, who is a fairy godmother, and then it's Cinders herself who wields the magic--though not without difficulty, at least at first. Cinders is messy and prefers being outside. Prince Joderick would rather be baking brownies. The royal family is terrified of fairies, whom they believe to be monsters based on a long-ago rivalry and a royal pact that should have banished all the fairies from their land. However, late in the narrative readers learn information about Cinders' mother that many might already have suspected. Curnick's amusing grayscale cartoons show a dark-skinned royal family; Cinders and Brian appear White. There's plenty of humor in the text as well. The abrupt ending, which takes a significant detour from the original "Cinderella," will be a jolt to many but leaves the door open for the sequel. Playful and fun for youngsters who know and love classic fairy tales. (Fantasy. 7-10)

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April 1, 2021

Gr 3-7-When Cinders finds herself washing yet another pile of dishes, a punishment from her stepmother for getting muddy again, she is resigned to the idea that her chores are going to take "forever." If only the dishes would wash themselves, she wishes. Imagine her surprise when they do, and the surprises do not end there. Over the course of an afternoon, Sparks, Cinders's dog, gains the ability to talk; Brian, her fairy godmother, appears; and Cinders learns she possesses magic. Good thing too, as magic is the only way she is getting to the ball. The story follows a very familiar arc as Cinders attends the ball, meets Prince Joderick, hastily departs at midnight leaving behind a glass slipper, and is brought back to the palace to be married to the prince. It is back at the palace that Cinders's magic goes awry, forcing her to flee the fairy-fearing royal family and embark on what might be her biggest adventure yet. The juxtaposition of technologies like the cell phone-esque "elf phone" with the otherwise rustic setting provides a modern, if at times anachronistic, twist on the classic fairytale setting. In terms of pacing, this series debut builds slowly and ends abruptly, which may be difficult for some readers. VERDICT A good choice for readers seeking a new twist on an old classic; purchase where fractured fairytales are popular.-Jessica Caron, Bancroft Sch., MA

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