Cinderella Stays Late: Grimmtastic Girls Book 1

By: Joan Holub & Suzanne Williams
Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.
Publication Date: March 2014
ISBN: 978-0545519830
Reviewed by: Deb Fowler
Review Date: February 26, 2014

Cinderella was finally getting the opportunity to attend Grimm Academy. Her Steps, Malorette and Odette, had been going there like forever and Cinda was thrilled. It was more like grimmazing because Cinda never thought she'd be going to an academy where real princes attended. The Academy would soon be home to a new prince, Prince Awesome. Impressed she was! Not. Malorette and Odette were wild over the idea that Prince Awesome was coming and made no effort to hide the fact. They made no effort to hide the fact that they despised Cinda either. Her father was a "little clueless" and because he traveled for work he had no idea she had turned into the "family maid."

Ms. Jabbberwocky, the dragon lady in the principal's office, had started Cinda's day off by giving her a locker key. Bespellings and Enchantments, Comportment (huh?), and Balls were on her list of classes. Prince Awesome was "taking Balls sixth period" and that only meant one thing: Malorette and Odette would want an intro to the prince. Cinda "pretended their words didn't hurt her," but she was only kidding herself. If they didn't get that intro there would be trouble. She had already been late for school and soon there would be even more when Principal Rumpelstiltskin blew his stack at her. Maybe her Steps were right for once. Cinda really was a Loserella.

"Stand up straight!" Odette stabbed at Cinda, "Don't draw attention to your awful gown." Would it never end? It was a bit difficult to be a fashion plate like the Steps with a hand-me-down wardrobe. The only bright patch at the otherwise grim Grimm Academy was meeting new friends in Mistress Hagscorch's lunch room. Red, Snow, and Rupunzel didn't even notice her gown and probably wouldn't mind if they did. The talk of the Academy was all about Prince Awesome and his upcoming ball, but Cinda "didn't care about crowns or royalty any more than she did about fashion." Besides, she couldn't dance. There was talk about an E.V.I.L. society, but something else quite sinister was afloat in the Academy. Someone was trying to sabotage Cinda and ruin the ball!

This grimmazing tale of Cinderella and her wicked Steps will mesmerize young readers. Of course this is a modern-day take on Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm's fairy tale, Cinderella. As soon as I started reading, I knew this little hearth cleaner was not about to let those Steps walk all over her. Attending the Grimm Academy was a dream come true and everyone will immediately fall in love with and root for Cinda. There are all kinds of mesmerizing, magical goings on in the tale that add a lot of humor and fun to the tale. I enjoyed meeting Cinda's new friends, who undoubtedly will be main characters in this series. I had no choice but to chuckle as I met the likes of Grumpystiltskin, Coach Candlestick, Ms. Blue Fairygodmother, and other recognizable Grimm brother's characters. The "Grimmtastic Girls" is a fairy tale world full of grimmazing (almost) modern day gals 'n guys young readers will fall in love with!

Quill says: If you fell in love with the "Goddess Girls" series, you're going to love Grimm Academy and its grimmstastic cast of characters!