If I Have a Wicked Stepmother, Where's My Prince? by Melissa Kantor

From the Publisher

Mrs. McBloom, clean up your room!"For nearly fifty years, that's been the refrain of janitors, principals, and students who enter the chaos of Room Five. Now the beloved Mrs. McBloom-who has taught nearly everyone in the town of Up Yonder, even Principal Pumpernickel-is about to retire. Finally, she must clean up her classroom.But where to begin? Years of science experiments have left all kinds of critters hoppin' and cluckin' and flyin' around. Giant sunflowers droop over desks; vines with fat green beans climb the walls; and a full-grown apple tree grows smack-dab in the middle of the floor. There are more books stacked in Room Five than in the Up Yonder Library. And who knows what else lurks in the piles of papers or the lost-and-found box?

Publishers Weekly

Kantor's (Confessions of a Not It Girl) modern Cinderella story has clever touches and adds a twist. After her father's marriage, Lucy is forced to live with her stepmother and two stepsisters on Long Island while he wraps up work back in California. When she inadvertently attracts the attention of Connor, the cutest senior jock at school, she goes from friendless to popular. But Lucy begins to realize she and Connor have nothing in common beyond their love of basketball; she doesn't connect with him the way she does with artist Sam. Meanwhile, her stepmother treats Lucy like a maid and even gets her in trouble with her dad. The author has some fun updating Cinderella: Lucy has to work taking coats and carrying dishes at her stepmother's dinner party, and instead of the ball, this novel culminates at the prom. (The frame allows for some funny lines, too, including the quote that also serves as the book's title.) Readers will likely think Connor's interest in her seems superficial, so it may come as little surprise when Lucy tries to picture herself "slow dancing with my perfect prince," and sees Sam instead. Her family problems resolve a bit easily, but there are some magical moments here, and Lucy comes across as a strong heroine. Ages 12-up. (Sept.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

Gr 8 Up-Teen readers will relate to "Cinderella" Lucy Norton's woes. Transplanted from San Francisco to Long Island because of the marriage of her father, who continues to spend working weeks on the West Coast, she grapples with a pseudo-family existence with her step-monster, Mara, and her magpie twin stepsisters. Lucy's dual passions of basketball and art characterize her and help her make connections. Negotiating that minefield of adolescence, the high school cafeteria, she often takes a sandwich to the art room, where she enjoys the kindness of her teacher and meets Sam, a talented but rude artist. An astute remark about basketball gains her the attentions of Connor, the team star and all-around hunk. With his notice come Jessica and Madison, as friends. Lucy enjoys her rapid ride on the social surf, featuring drinking parties, melt-away kisses, even the much-sought-after prom invite, but her home life is still difficult-her stepmother "is trying to win some kind of bitch-of-the-year award." To confuse matters, she feels an artistic connection with Sam, whose conversation and interests make Connor seem more ornamental than substantial. While savvy readers will anticipate Lucy's ultimate pairing and improved family relationships, most teens won't be disappointed in the pleasant confection of wit, teen angst, shopping, girl talk, and flirtation. Kantor caters well to the witty-romance, girl-power book market, supplying a worthy offering for many who might not read otherwise.-Suzanne Gordon, Richards Middle School, Lawrenceville, GA Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

Lucy Norton not only has a new stepmother to contend with, but her father has uprooted her cozy West Coast existence and taken her across the continent to Long Island. Dad commutes to his job in San Francisco, leaving Lucy with the wicked stepmother and the two evil little stepsisters. Lucy's new high school seems like a hostile environment until the most popular boy in school smiles at her, sending her stock flying through the roof. At home, Lucy suffers the indignity of living in the basement with no furniture while everyone else lives in relative luxury. She is, of course, made to do chores while the stepsisters get away with murder. Her stepmother and stepsisters are shallow, materialistic, spoiled and even dishonest. But things work out for Lucy in the end. Everyone finally appreciates her, plus she finds her true prince-and he is not the captain of the basketball team. The Cinderella theme here is beaten to a cliche-ridden pulp. Unoriginal and vapid. (Fiction. 12-14)

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