Cute, if a bit over the top, but who doesn't love a good fairy tale retelling, especially one that's more of a crossover than just the same old story?

Young readers will enjoy this chaotic, funny, and magical twist to the familiar Cinderella story in this series opener.

A cute, modern, and even more magical retelling of Cinderella. Cinders finds herself set to be married to the Prince, but a surprise discovery causes every one's plans for her to unravel. This multi-world, fairy-tale crossover series will be great for young elementary readers and fans of fantasy.

I'll read most any re-imagining of a fairy tale, so I've read countless versions of Cinderella. Most of them don't stray as far from the original story as this one does. Kelk has made a few seemingly simple changes, but they have significant effects on the plot. Cinders is not the perfect picture of femininity we typically see. She's fond of playing outside, often messy and disheveled. It is this tendency that has cause her stepmother to mistreat her. The bigger change, though, is the magic. Because Cinder doesn't just wish. She makes magic happen. As a result, the plot extends well beyond the ball and being reunited with the prince. Her ability to do magic opens up the plot to discussing societal and inter-generational prejudice. It's not too serious, rooted far more in humor than in serious exploration of messaging. Still, a fun read.

3.5 stars = Good+

A cute fractured fairy tale that starts with a Cinderella story but where Cinders has magic. That then launches the larger story of Cinders in search of the truth of who and what she is and what that means for her future. This feels on the young side of middle grade and should be a fun series for kids.

I received an electronic ARC from HarperCollins Children's Books through NetGalley.
A distinct twist on the Cinderella fairy tale. Cinders loves to be outdoors and has no interest in being a lady and staying inside with her step-mother and step-sisters. She has no interest in gossip magazines or parties but does want to see the palace. Her dad won't let her go. He promised her mother that he would not take her anywhere near the palace. This hint is shared several times throughout the story.
When the ball is held, she performs her own magic using wishes to go. There, she does meet the prince but has no interest in marriage nor the ball.
Kelk presents a Cinderella who is content with a simple life and who can take care of herself for the most part. Late in the story, it's revealed who her mom was and she sets off for her homeland. The book ends with her heading out on this journey while fleeing from the king's guards.
A quick read for middle graders. A series that pairs fun with fantasy. The illustrations bring the world to life as readers jump into the action along with Cinders and her dog, Spark.

The first in a series of books of Cinderella retellings. I thought it was a fun and imaginative book, tying in other fairy tales and modern technologies into the story as well. I like that Cinders is a more independent girl who knows what she wants and learns to stand up for herself. This book does end on a cliffhanger, so kids will want book 2 right away!

This is a very modern retelling of Cinderella. Cinders and her talking dog Sparks are the main characters. While I personally didn't love this version, I think many of my younger students would. It is a good addition to my fairytale section and I see it being popular with my seven and eight year old students. I will also be on the lookout for the second book to help wrap up some of the loose strings at the end of this one.

I really didn’t enjoy this story. I understand the author is trying to make the story more accessible for modern kids, which is fine, but if you can text and email to fix your problems then people shouldn’t be wearing wigs and corsets, riding in carriages and on horses, etc. There is no depth to the story and it is hard to connect to the characters because they don’t make sense. The plot is disjointed and tedious. The most interesting part is the end, and then it ends before it starts getting good. Very little explanation of the backstory which has implications on the current story’s events.

Also, the artwork in the book is cute, but the illustrator did not read the story because sometimes the pictures are totally wrong for the story. The cover on the front of the book is cute and eye catching, but it is a totally different person because she looks nothing like the girl in the story.

The only part I enjoyed was the references to other fairy tale characters. Those were cute.

I will not be reading the further adventures of “Cinders”.

This book was a breath of fresh Cinderella retelling! Cinder is our not-so-average protagonist who gives new life to Cinderella retellings. With cute illustrations, good morals throughout, and a tough as nails girl leading the story, this book is sure to dazzle the young readers it’s made for.

I'm honestly not sure if I would have liked Lindsey Kelk's <em>Cinders and Sparks: Magic at Midnight</em> had I read it as a child, but I sure didn't love it now. If you're looking for an over the top fanciful (and mildly annoying) Cinderella retelling, <em>'good golly gosh'</em> this is a book for you. But, if you find excessive cutesy language and ridiculous characters really hard to read through, I'd skip it.

<b>It's Not Bad...</b>

I'll stand by this statement. This isn't a <em>bad</em> book. I just didn't like it. The majority of my distaste existed in the form of a talking dog, Sparks. Not only was he painfully annoying, but he kind of existed as the 'point out the obvious' character. And while I'll admit that he, like much of the book, is unique, I just didn't enjoy it.

Similarly, I'll say this much: Kelk's book is very unique. There's a lot that's new to the Cinderella tale that you definitely don't expect. In some ways, it's very impressive. But it's also filled with a bunch of silliness that takes a lot away from my ability to appreciate the nuanced pieces. And, that said, I did <em>really </em>like this Cinderella's prince. I just wish he had been a little bit more involved in the story.

And I wish we'd seen less of Sparks and the fairy godmother, Brian.

<b>An Interesting Ballgown</b>

The artwork in this book is actually pretty great. I kind of loved all of it, and I was especially excited to see the diversity in how the royals were portrayed. The art, like the novel, was quite unique. And while I'll admit that it wasn't all to my taste, I think the kids will absolutely love it. And if you're like me, your favorite moment with both illustrations and story will be hidden underneath the snacks table at the ball.

<b>I Wasn't Expecting...</b>

I wasn't expecting a series, I'll be honest. And in its conclusion, <em>Magic at Midnight</em> kind of fell short for me. I think the fact that this book was setting up for a series is partially why a large portion of the novel didn't work for me. Cinderella's entire experience at the castle after the found her, quite frankly, sucked. It was <em>awful</em> the way they got her to go there in the first place. I legitimately cringed the entire time I was reading it.

And the one moment that Kelk had to move this novel in a good direction was completely foiled when Joderick didn't join in running to the trees -- you'll know what I mean if you read it.

So, yeah. It was okay.

<em>I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</em>

"Cinders isn’t supposed to know how to do magic. Her dog, Sparks, isn’t supposed to talk. And they’re definitely not supposed to go to the fancy palace ball....But with a fairy godmother named Brian, do we really think that’s going to stop them?"

Cinders is a typical seeming child until one day when sparks fly from her finger, the dishes start doing themselves, and her dog starts talking. In this tale, all the fairy tales you know and love are turned on their heads and reimagined to the readers great delight. This promises to be a fun and engaging series for young readers.

In this retelling of Cinderella, Cinders is a spunky girl who is always getting in trouble. Preferring to run around outside with her dog, Sparks, Cinders one day discovers she can perform magic. Oh, and Sparks starts talking. Things just get stranger when Cinders meets her fairy godmother, Brian. The story follows the classic Cinderella tale loosely, with quirky, amusing twists. Instead of a romantic interlude with the prince at the ball, Cinders makes his acquaintance while under the salad bar table.

The missing glass slipper fits, of course, but that’s not the end of the tale. It’s really just the beginning, When Cinders learns she is not who she thought she was, she and her dog set off to find some answers. This book would be a worthy addition to any collection of fairy tale retellings, but it’s worth noting that readers will want to be on the lookout for the sequel, which should tie up the loose ends left at the end of this first installment.

Cinders and Sparks is such a fun play on the classic Cinderella story that we all know and love. I thought the mix of magic and curiosity brings this old, classic story into the modern world. My daughter and I read this story together, and she loved it! It is perfect for those elementary readers. As a teacher, I also do a fairy-tale unit where we compare and contrast all the different versions of fairytales. This will be such a fun one to add to the mix!

Fun twist on a traditional story. Great for fans of everyone who loves series like Whatever After. It is a funny story that will get checked out often. I read it to a group of 7 year olds and they wanted more.

Playful and funny multiple-novel retelling of the classic story of Cinderella and (in a rather less classic twist) her talking dog. Familiarity with both fairy tales and nursery rhymes will improve the reading experience, but is not necessary to enjoy either headstrong Cinders or her mishmash fantasy/modern world. I'll be looking for the other two books in the series for sure.