From School Library Journal
Grade 4-7-Life mirrors art when Amy Chin, 12, begins to feel like Cinderella's mean stepsister, the part she is rehearsing in ballet class. Her mother has accepted a job as an Amah, or nanny, which results in increased responsibilities at home for the girl. Feeling resentful, Amy decides she won't like her mother's charge, 12-year-old Stephanie. However, her meeting with the girl and a family heirloom disaster help her realize that Cinderellas aren't always as perfect as they appear and that real magic is the ability to change yourself. A friend's grandmother provides a caring intergenerational relationship as well as information about Chinese culture. Readers will enjoy the ballet references as they explore the universal feelings of jealousy and relationships. A realistic story of a contemporary Chinese-American family with flaws and strengths.
Helen Foster James, University of California at San Diego Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Booklist
Things have been tough in the Chin household since Amy's father died, but her mother's new job as an amah (nanny) for 12-year-old Stephanie, who is just Amy's age, may help. Unfortunately, it means that Amy must take on more responsibility for the house and her four younger siblings, and that she will have less time to prepare for her role as a wicked stepsister in her ballet school's performance of Cinderella. As it turns out, Amy begins to feel and act like the role she's getting ready for when it appears that sweet, "perfect" Stephanie is trying to take over the Chin family. The strained relationship between Amy and her "old world" mother is one of the strongest elements in this story, which clearly delineates the sort of struggle that can occur between generations in an immigrant family as well as what it feels like to be an outsider, even in your own home. A solid read.
Stephanie Zvirin
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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