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Cinderella Cleaners #1
Change of a Dress
Behind the counter at Cinderella Cleaners, Diana watches the clothes come and go. She loves to imagine the exciting events that the different outfits might be worn to. Then one day, Diana reaches into the pocket of a fancy coat - and finds an invitation to a glittering gala in New York City. Since the coat's owner is out of town, Diana gets a wild idea. With the help of some savvy friends, one glamorous dress, and a lot of improvising, Diana pretends to be someone she's not, and makes it into the party! Will she be discovered, or will she get her happily ever after?
209 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2010
43 people are currently reading
2803 people want to read
About the author
Maya Gold
22 books72 followersMaya Gold grew up in New Jersey, a few towns north of Diana’s home in Weehawken. Now she lives in upstate New York with her fashion–forward teenage daughter and a very friendly dog. Maya writes books and magazine articles, and in her spare time, she coaches a high school drama club. Cinderella Cleaners is her first series for young readers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews
June 4, 2011
True rating: 4.5 stars.
A little gem of a book, Change of a Dress is an updated retelling of the Cinderella story, complete with an ‘evil’ stepmother, a pair of annoying stepsisters, a fairy godmother (in the form of a tailor), a lost shoe, and a handsome prince. (The main character even goes by ‘Cindy’ for an extended period.) But the parallels with the famous fairy tale are often so subtle as to slip past even an attentive reader, and it never feels as though there was an effort on the author’s part to write a retelling or that she allowed her creativity to be confined by the original.
The plot moves along seamlessly, shifting between home, school, the family’s dry cleaning business, and the Broadway stage, each location described with enough detail to bring it to life, but not so much as to bog down the story (as is appropriate for this reading level). Gold especially does a good job capturing the gritty and grimy setting of the cleaners – unfamiliar territory for most readers, I would imagine.
Few 13 year old narrators have ever sounded as authentic or acted so realistically as Diana Donato. Her thoughts, vocabulary, and dreams all ring true for a girl her age, as do those of the older teens with whom she interacts. We encounter a second villain (of sorts), Mrs. MacInerny, at the cleaners, and her rigidity makes an ideal foil for the teens’ natural elasticity.
There is humor, drama, suspense, and even a moral in Change of a Dress, and though several plot threads remain dangling at the end, they will surely be sewn up in the sequels. All in all, this is a well-written, entertaining book, with a likable protagonist and a storyline that keeps the pages turning.
A little gem of a book, Change of a Dress is an updated retelling of the Cinderella story, complete with an ‘evil’ stepmother, a pair of annoying stepsisters, a fairy godmother (in the form of a tailor), a lost shoe, and a handsome prince. (The main character even goes by ‘Cindy’ for an extended period.) But the parallels with the famous fairy tale are often so subtle as to slip past even an attentive reader, and it never feels as though there was an effort on the author’s part to write a retelling or that she allowed her creativity to be confined by the original.
The plot moves along seamlessly, shifting between home, school, the family’s dry cleaning business, and the Broadway stage, each location described with enough detail to bring it to life, but not so much as to bog down the story (as is appropriate for this reading level). Gold especially does a good job capturing the gritty and grimy setting of the cleaners – unfamiliar territory for most readers, I would imagine.
Few 13 year old narrators have ever sounded as authentic or acted so realistically as Diana Donato. Her thoughts, vocabulary, and dreams all ring true for a girl her age, as do those of the older teens with whom she interacts. We encounter a second villain (of sorts), Mrs. MacInerny, at the cleaners, and her rigidity makes an ideal foil for the teens’ natural elasticity.
There is humor, drama, suspense, and even a moral in Change of a Dress, and though several plot threads remain dangling at the end, they will surely be sewn up in the sequels. All in all, this is a well-written, entertaining book, with a likable protagonist and a storyline that keeps the pages turning.
November 25, 2022
"Things don't have to be perfect to come out just right."
This series was one of my favorites when I was a kid! I'm rereading it for nostalgia, and I'm not disappointed. Such a fun, modern retelling of the Cinderella story, with the magic of Broadway sprinkled in. I love Diana's world and the way she sees things. I read this series over and over, and it helped twelve-year-old me embrace my love of musicals and vintage fashion.
This series was one of my favorites when I was a kid! I'm rereading it for nostalgia, and I'm not disappointed. Such a fun, modern retelling of the Cinderella story, with the magic of Broadway sprinkled in. I love Diana's world and the way she sees things. I read this series over and over, and it helped twelve-year-old me embrace my love of musicals and vintage fashion.
November 11, 2012
Reviewed by Theresa L. Stowell for TeensReadToo.com
Diana Donato is not happy. Though she has been in every drama production since elementary school, her rival, Kayleigh Carell, is going to get the part of Emily in the middle school production of Our Town, a part that should be Diana's.
But that's life when you have a wicked step-mother who thinks you are old enough to take on some responsibility and give up everything that is fun in life. So, instead of going to tryouts, Diana has to tackle her first day of work at Cinderella Cleaners, the family dry-cleaning business.
Though hesitant to admit it, because Fay could never be right, Diana begins to enjoy her time at work. If nothing else, she has a chance to work in fashion - at least in a way - and might get dibs on something great that has been left in the "rack" after two months of not being claimed. Cat and Elise, two high school girls who work at Cinderella Cleaners, are kind of cool, too.
Diana also learns a few necessary life lessons along the way, including knowing when to admit she knows something and when it's okay to keep it quiet. Her main dilemma happens when she finds a pair of tickets to a sold-out Broadway production. After learning that the client will be out of town on the night of the show, Diana is tempted to use the tickets herself.
The first novel in a new series, this story challenges the way people justify doing something they know is wrong. What will happen if Diana uses those tickets? Who will know if she has shirked her responsibilities and gone on the experience of a lifetime? Who will it hurt?
Gold asks (and answers) these questions as Diana makes choices about what she should do and then has to deal with consequences that are beyond her imagination.
Diana Donato is not happy. Though she has been in every drama production since elementary school, her rival, Kayleigh Carell, is going to get the part of Emily in the middle school production of Our Town, a part that should be Diana's.
But that's life when you have a wicked step-mother who thinks you are old enough to take on some responsibility and give up everything that is fun in life. So, instead of going to tryouts, Diana has to tackle her first day of work at Cinderella Cleaners, the family dry-cleaning business.
Though hesitant to admit it, because Fay could never be right, Diana begins to enjoy her time at work. If nothing else, she has a chance to work in fashion - at least in a way - and might get dibs on something great that has been left in the "rack" after two months of not being claimed. Cat and Elise, two high school girls who work at Cinderella Cleaners, are kind of cool, too.
Diana also learns a few necessary life lessons along the way, including knowing when to admit she knows something and when it's okay to keep it quiet. Her main dilemma happens when she finds a pair of tickets to a sold-out Broadway production. After learning that the client will be out of town on the night of the show, Diana is tempted to use the tickets herself.
The first novel in a new series, this story challenges the way people justify doing something they know is wrong. What will happen if Diana uses those tickets? Who will know if she has shirked her responsibilities and gone on the experience of a lifetime? Who will it hurt?
Gold asks (and answers) these questions as Diana makes choices about what she should do and then has to deal with consequences that are beyond her imagination.
October 18, 2011
This book was a twist on the classic tale of Cinderella. It's about a girl named Diana who's mom died when she was young and her dad remarried. Typically, the stepmom is evil and her two daughters are no better. But Diana's life completely flips when she finds two tickets to a Broadway production of the musical "Angel", which is starring her top celebrity crush, Adam Kessler. She is supposed to be home watching her stepsisters, but she finds a babysitter and sneaks away. At the show, Diana meets the grandfather of her celebrity crush and she gets to meet him. During the opening night party, Diana meets up with Adam and they share, of course, a romantic "twirl on the dance floor". The only problem is he is seventeen and she is a thirteen-year-old eighth grader! But Adam doesn't know that. Right in the middle of their romantic evening, the person who's tickets Diana has shows up, and she she has to escape home. On the way to the car, she loses her shoe, which is retrieved by, you guessed it, Adam Kessler! He comes to find her, but she reluctantly explains that she is thirteen. Even though that doesn't match the original fairy tale, the book is fantastic! I highly reccomend to those who love cheesy romances, like me!
July 19, 2017
Hideous. Weird. Boring. Unrealistic. One of the worst books ive read. Just don't read it. I'm warning you. Also what in the name is wrong with the girl in the covers leg?
June 10, 2021
Cinderella Cleaners: Change of a Dress is a modern interpretation of the Cinderella story told from the perspective of a thirteen year old girl, Diana Donato, who is forced to work after school at her father's laundromat (Cinderella Cleaners) rather than audition for the school's production of Our Town. Though at first she would rather be on stage with her friends, her punishment starts to seem more like fate when she finds two tickets to the Broadway show staring her favorite actor, Adam Kessler, hidden inside of a coat that was sent to be cleaned.
I enjoyed this book. It was a fun, yet subversive Cinderella retelling that I read when I was a kid and I realized as I was reading it how much of an impression it made on me. I vividly remembered some of the scenes and was excited to relive them, which did add to my enjoyment quite a bit. Unfortunately, it also was frustrating as hell to read through some of it because of how the characters tended to behave irrationally, especially when concerning Diana, Fay, and her father. Frankly, I just do not understand why any father would tolerate anyone treating their kid so poorly, especially their wife.
I also really wish we would've gotten more of Diana's school life, more interacting with her friends and more of her life before she went to work at the cleaners, especially considering the main plot at the cleaners didn't kick in until about two-thirds the way through the book. But the main plot was interesting and a fun, somewhat stressful ride to get through. I will say this though, considering the fact that everyone at the cleaners knew that Diana was only in the eighth grade, why would anyone support a romantic relationship between her and a seventeen year old? Even if just for one night, why would full grown adults or teenagers be like, 'yup, this is cool' when Diana is actively pursuing a guy who can legally drive? I don't say that to hate on the book because it is a lot of fun and a quick, light read, but that part of the book made me feel uneasy.
Despite my harsh critiques, I liked a lot about this book. I liked Diana, for the most part, at least when she wasn't acting stuck up, I liked Adam as well, even though he was hardly in the story, I also like Cat, though Elise got on my nerves quite often, and I liked Nelson considering how he seemed to be the most reasonable guy of the bunch. My favorite part of the book was near the end of the book at the after-party. I also liked the ending, or close to it It really is a wonderful, sobering thing to read as a kid and as much as it broke my heart to read when I was young, I really do think that it has impacted me to this day.
I enjoyed this book. It was a fun, yet subversive Cinderella retelling that I read when I was a kid and I realized as I was reading it how much of an impression it made on me. I vividly remembered some of the scenes and was excited to relive them, which did add to my enjoyment quite a bit. Unfortunately, it also was frustrating as hell to read through some of it because of how the characters tended to behave irrationally, especially when concerning Diana, Fay, and her father. Frankly, I just do not understand why any father would tolerate anyone treating their kid so poorly, especially their wife.
I also really wish we would've gotten more of Diana's school life, more interacting with her friends and more of her life before she went to work at the cleaners, especially considering the main plot at the cleaners didn't kick in until about two-thirds the way through the book. But the main plot was interesting and a fun, somewhat stressful ride to get through. I will say this though, considering the fact that everyone at the cleaners knew that Diana was only in the eighth grade, why would anyone support a romantic relationship between her and a seventeen year old? Even if just for one night, why would full grown adults or teenagers be like, 'yup, this is cool' when Diana is actively pursuing a guy who can legally drive? I don't say that to hate on the book because it is a lot of fun and a quick, light read, but that part of the book made me feel uneasy.
Despite my harsh critiques, I liked a lot about this book. I liked Diana, for the most part, at least when she wasn't acting stuck up, I liked Adam as well, even though he was hardly in the story, I also like Cat, though Elise got on my nerves quite often, and I liked Nelson considering how he seemed to be the most reasonable guy of the bunch. My favorite part of the book was near the end of the book at the after-party. I also liked the ending, or close to it It really is a wonderful, sobering thing to read as a kid and as much as it broke my heart to read when I was young, I really do think that it has impacted me to this day.
August 26, 2011
It is really cool. I like Diana. She is really a brave girl. She lost her mother and now is struggling with her horrible stepmother Fay. Can't say how much I hate Fay. Well, Cindrella Cleaners is owned by Diana's family. I like Cat and Elsie. They work at the Cleaners. Elsie is really kind to babysit the twins or the stepsisters of Diana. Nelson is good too. He arranged for the dresses and a limo for Diana and Cat. Diana and Cat go to Angel's primiere whose main actor was Adam Kessler. Diana had a huge crush on him. At the primiere she was mistaken as someone else. She meets Adam. Then, she fell in trouble as her parents come to know that she went out without their permission. It was really sad. But endings are always happy.This book also ended well. I think one should try it. It's really good.
August 28, 2010
I loved this book! It was a book filled with suspence, fun, and happiness and LOTS of feeling. I cannot wait to read the other ones!
October 19, 2010
I think this book is very fun and amusing. It is a great book with a few suprises. Hmm. I recommend it to anyone who loves realistic fairytales.
December 13, 2010
It wwas a present day cinderella story but it was changed a little
December 18, 2010
This was a very goood book!! I LOVED IT! It was girly too!
May 17, 2016
Basically a lesser, not as well-written A Cinderella Story for preteens. Also, this one doesn't have Chad Michael Murray. Not recommended!
July 26, 2012
This is a good book.
January 29, 2024
This book started off on a 3-star rating but moved up to 4 stars once the story got going. Diana is a very realistic young teenage protagonist in the sense that she knows who she is, knows what she's doing, and is very on top of others' perception of her, but hasn't experienced life long enough to avoid the obvious mistakes.
While I do prefer middle-school stories where the school-age protagonists act a little older, it was good to be in the shoes of someone still in eighth grade and restricted to the limits of someone her age. The only reason it got off on the wrong foot was because it was jarring to read from the perspective of someone so unapologetically 13-years-old-in-2010. She made so many references to real celebrities famous around that time, that I had to look up Adam Kessler to make sure he wasn't real.
Speaking of Adam Kessler, he's not much of a character in this despite being the Prince Charming to her Cindy (which took me forever to connect btw, this story doesn't lay the Cinderella aspect on very thick). He was a young Broadway star and Diana was a Broadway fangirl, and that was pretty much it.
While Diana's fangirling over him was cute and all, I couldn't help but wonder why the author had neglected to share Adam's age with us. If he was starring on Broadway, he had to be 16 minimum. It'd be problematic to have her date someone that much older than her. BUT THEN. Then they danced in the fairy-light garden at the after party and he was so charming! Her escape scene with Cat into the limousine as the clock struck 12 was the best part, accented by how heartbroken Adam looked. I didn't know that I bought that he fell in love with her after their few brief interactions, but that scene sure did sell it.
And then I was extra invested!! I was like "omg it would be so sick if she got to date him after all" and it was shaping up so well.
THEN I was hit with the age gap!! An age gap!!! How do people stand this!! I had to stand up and mourn 😭
Anyways, it started out very rough, but once I got into Diana's headspace as a middle schooler, it was actually very enjoyable and I was really able to appreciate the older cast surrounding her. Nelson, the fashion designer diva relegated to work at a dry cleaners, was a lot of fun. The high school kids, Cat and Elise, were good sports for never treating Diana badly because she was younger. The evil stepmother and her kids were kinda flat, but I wasn't there for them anyway, so I didn't mind. Jess was a fine best friend and the fundraiser at the end was nice.
As an aside, in my head, the dad looked like Steven Yeun. This is the second time he's been typecast as a dad in my head. Also as an aside, I really like the cover for this book. I'm usually put off by real people on covers, but the model they chose was very cute and easily helped me visualize Diana in my head. The only problem was that they hyped up the dress so much and it just didn't match the glamorous, transformative garment Diana described in the book. Sure, the dress on the cover is cute, but expensive-looking and elegant? I just kinda reminds me of something a kid would wear to an elementary school dance after school. Nelson would never make it on Project Runway at this rate.
While I do prefer middle-school stories where the school-age protagonists act a little older, it was good to be in the shoes of someone still in eighth grade and restricted to the limits of someone her age. The only reason it got off on the wrong foot was because it was jarring to read from the perspective of someone so unapologetically 13-years-old-in-2010. She made so many references to real celebrities famous around that time, that I had to look up Adam Kessler to make sure he wasn't real.
Speaking of Adam Kessler, he's not much of a character in this despite being the Prince Charming to her Cindy (which took me forever to connect btw, this story doesn't lay the Cinderella aspect on very thick). He was a young Broadway star and Diana was a Broadway fangirl, and that was pretty much it.
While Diana's fangirling over him was cute and all, I couldn't help but wonder why the author had neglected to share Adam's age with us. If he was starring on Broadway, he had to be 16 minimum. It'd be problematic to have her date someone that much older than her. BUT THEN. Then they danced in the fairy-light garden at the after party and he was so charming! Her escape scene with Cat into the limousine as the clock struck 12 was the best part, accented by how heartbroken Adam looked. I didn't know that I bought that he fell in love with her after their few brief interactions, but that scene sure did sell it.
And then I was extra invested!! I was like "omg it would be so sick if she got to date him after all" and it was shaping up so well.
THEN I was hit with the age gap!! An age gap!!! How do people stand this!! I had to stand up and mourn 😭
Anyways, it started out very rough, but once I got into Diana's headspace as a middle schooler, it was actually very enjoyable and I was really able to appreciate the older cast surrounding her. Nelson, the fashion designer diva relegated to work at a dry cleaners, was a lot of fun. The high school kids, Cat and Elise, were good sports for never treating Diana badly because she was younger. The evil stepmother and her kids were kinda flat, but I wasn't there for them anyway, so I didn't mind. Jess was a fine best friend and the fundraiser at the end was nice.
As an aside, in my head, the dad looked like Steven Yeun. This is the second time he's been typecast as a dad in my head. Also as an aside, I really like the cover for this book. I'm usually put off by real people on covers, but the model they chose was very cute and easily helped me visualize Diana in my head. The only problem was that they hyped up the dress so much and it just didn't match the glamorous, transformative garment Diana described in the book. Sure, the dress on the cover is cute, but expensive-looking and elegant? I just kinda reminds me of something a kid would wear to an elementary school dance after school. Nelson would never make it on Project Runway at this rate.
October 7, 2017
I remember reading this book when I was in 5th grade and just falling in love with this book and now reading it as a senior in high school I got warm feelings reading it and reminiscing on what started my love for reading. Diana is such a cute character and she's just trying to keep things together as her world is flipped upside down. She goes on a crazy adventure that she personally couldn't have dreamt of and she ends up having the time of her life! I wish this book was talked about more since it really is a great middle-grade book and it's so cute. It may not be Harry Potter or Percy Jackson but, it really holds a special place in my heart and I hope more people will this book a try!
December 6, 2023
Where do I begin … thank god for ms westbury she bought me the last book of this series bc the school library refused to get it. and thank god for scholastic book fair.
July 24, 2024
I read this series when I was a kid, and honestly it’s one of my favorite reads from that time in my life. Such a great starter series for young females. A great retelling of Cinderella.
November 19, 2016
Have liked the series so far. Can't wait to read Cinderella Cleaners - Prep Cool! :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 19, 2016
Diana Donato lives in Weehawken, New Jersey, and she loves fashion and acting. Normally, she'd be trying out for the Fall play along with her best friend Jess, but Fay, her stepmother, has convinced her father to make her work at his dry cleaning business this year instead. At Cinderella Cleaners, Diana makes friends with the motley crew of employees. Elise and Cat teach her how to stay out of trouble with the supervisor, Joy MacInerny, whom they call Joyless, and Nelson teaches her how to sneak out wearing other people's clothes, and sneak them back in without getting caught. All of this new information comes in very handy when Diana finds tickets to a Broadway show starring her favorite actor inside a customer's coat and decides to use them for herself.
Diana is a really sympathetic protagonist, and the setting of the dry cleaning business is portrayed as a unique and almost magical place, because of Diana's love for clothing. The unfairness of her stepmother's demands and the tension in the family, between Diana and her twin stepsisters, and even Diana's dad and his wife, is very realistic, and also very uncomfortable, making the reader really feel bad for Diana. I think tween girls will also really relate to the temptation Diana faces when she first discovers the tickets, and to the way she nearly abandons her best friend in order to pursue her own agenda.
This book reminded me a little bit of the Allie Finkle series by Meg Cabot, with just a slightly more mature tone. Diana's problems are not as realistic as Allie's, and the events of this book were pretty unlikely compared to things that happen to Allie, but I think girls who like one series will be likely to enjoy the other as well. This is an entertaining read, with a lot of contemporary pop culture references that are sure to appeal to Disney Channel watchers and Zac Efron fans. It's not a book I'd re-read, and it's definitely fluff, but it was cute, and explored situations I haven't seen in many children's books before.
Other titles in the Cinderella Cleaners series are: Prep Cool, Rock and Role, Mask Appeal, Scheme Spirit, and Swan Fake.
November 2, 2012
the book i have chosen for my book report, is called Cinderella cleaners (change of a dress) i would rate this book about a 4 out of 5. the author of this book is Maya Gold.
the main characters of this book are diana her co workers, elise and cat.
this book is about a 13 year old girl named diana, who got a job at a laundry mat, called cinderella cleaners. she has two co workers elise and cat.
once you get into the book a little, diana is working at the cleaners with cat and elise they were just finishing up. diana was just hanging a red coat up and noticed that the pocket was inside out. so she reached in to the pocket to fix it and found an envelope. she grabbed it out and cat shouted what is that? when elise and cat went over to see what diana has diana noticed the flap was not closed. she was just about to open it when elise stopped her. cat said you dont know whats in there. diana felt it. she said that it was flat like paper. so diana opened it, as elise and cat were saying common common what is it? diana pulled out two tickets to an angels concert. they were the most popular band. they told diana to put it back but elise got worried and started phoning around, she found out that the owner of that red jacket would not be in town for the concert. she will be away on a trip in dubai. the concert was in two days and the owner of those precious tickets would be away fo another 10 days. diana was so excited she took the tickets and said she was gonna go. elise didn't want to get involved, but cat loved to party that was one of the things about her. so diana asked her. they questioned how to get there? well cat had and old van and was 16. they could get there no problem.
if you want to know how the book ends or if diana got to go to her all time favorite band, than i highly encourage you to go read it!!!
the main characters of this book are diana her co workers, elise and cat.
this book is about a 13 year old girl named diana, who got a job at a laundry mat, called cinderella cleaners. she has two co workers elise and cat.
once you get into the book a little, diana is working at the cleaners with cat and elise they were just finishing up. diana was just hanging a red coat up and noticed that the pocket was inside out. so she reached in to the pocket to fix it and found an envelope. she grabbed it out and cat shouted what is that? when elise and cat went over to see what diana has diana noticed the flap was not closed. she was just about to open it when elise stopped her. cat said you dont know whats in there. diana felt it. she said that it was flat like paper. so diana opened it, as elise and cat were saying common common what is it? diana pulled out two tickets to an angels concert. they were the most popular band. they told diana to put it back but elise got worried and started phoning around, she found out that the owner of that red jacket would not be in town for the concert. she will be away on a trip in dubai. the concert was in two days and the owner of those precious tickets would be away fo another 10 days. diana was so excited she took the tickets and said she was gonna go. elise didn't want to get involved, but cat loved to party that was one of the things about her. so diana asked her. they questioned how to get there? well cat had and old van and was 16. they could get there no problem.
if you want to know how the book ends or if diana got to go to her all time favorite band, than i highly encourage you to go read it!!!
November 21, 2010
this ordinary girl that worked at the cleaners family buisness found a note in a costumers cote and they areb 2 tickets to the best play ever "Angel" staring AdamCasler and there was more... then an invitation to the after party but she had so much problems among her: the play is in N.Y. and she is 13 so she has no way to get there, her mean step mom woudn´t let her do anything, she also had to go to her best friend´s play, baby sitting her little sisters and more. When she gets there( with help of her friend Cat) the sits next to Dianna were reserved for Adams grand parents and Dianna´s sits were supposed to be Adamm´s aunt so they made up that they were exchange students and Dianna: her niece. they went to the after party and well Adam asked Dianna to slow dance but her limo leaves at midnight and she needs to go but not yet because she has 12 minuts left to dance with Adam but she sees the aunt and she needs to go before she gets busted when she is running through the parkinglot one of her high heals falls and now the onely thing Adamm has is her shoe.Adam enteres the cleanes and ofcourse he is in love with Dianna but she needs to tell him the truth. Now they are realy close friends and Dianna uses other tickets that he gave her to raise money for " Our Town " ( HER FRIEND´S PLAY ) and now every body is comming to see the play because if you buy a ticket you could have a chance to see Angel. Dianna said at the end of the book "maybe he is kind of cute" to a guy that her friend was always talking about, that she said he had a crush with Dianna, I WONDER WHAT IS GONNA HAPPEN NEXT!!
May 4, 2013
I finished reading Cinderella Cleaners Book 1: Change of a Dress. I think it was okay. I definitely found a number of similarities to another series called The Allegra Biscotti Collection.
Change of a Dress is about a girl named Diana who works at her father’s business after school and finds tickets to a show in the pocket of a coat. There is a lot in between, but eventually, Diana lies to her father and stepmother and she and her coworker go to the show. She meets a very famous movie star and she has a huge crush on him, they dance, etc.
As I mentioned before, I found several similarities to The Allegra Biscotti Collection. The main characters in both stories live on the east coast, they both LOVE fashion, they are both DYING to have their dreams come true, they both have a guy best friend and a girl best friend, they both have mothers (stepmother, in Diana’s case) who don’t understand them, in both stories it’s the father’s family business that the girls work at after school.
Overall, this was a good book. It got a little boring near the end, I really wished there was more drama between the stepmother and Diana, but I also wish that the stepmother wasn’t so stereotypical.
This book, in my mind, is for children between the ages of 8-10. I think I’m going to rate it 3 stars out of 5.
Change of a Dress is about a girl named Diana who works at her father’s business after school and finds tickets to a show in the pocket of a coat. There is a lot in between, but eventually, Diana lies to her father and stepmother and she and her coworker go to the show. She meets a very famous movie star and she has a huge crush on him, they dance, etc.
As I mentioned before, I found several similarities to The Allegra Biscotti Collection. The main characters in both stories live on the east coast, they both LOVE fashion, they are both DYING to have their dreams come true, they both have a guy best friend and a girl best friend, they both have mothers (stepmother, in Diana’s case) who don’t understand them, in both stories it’s the father’s family business that the girls work at after school.
Overall, this was a good book. It got a little boring near the end, I really wished there was more drama between the stepmother and Diana, but I also wish that the stepmother wasn’t so stereotypical.
This book, in my mind, is for children between the ages of 8-10. I think I’m going to rate it 3 stars out of 5.
October 7, 2021
This book was one of my favorite books in elementary school. I still own this book and read it from time to time to re-live the love I had for the book. This book lets children live their fantasy of being grown up and going to a very important event with a lot of publicity. Girls grow up dreaming about being a celebrity and transforming into someone else and getting to go on adventures. This book was my way of living that and escaping the real world. It’s a modern spin off of Cinderella that a lot more kids can get sucked into dreaming of.
March 23, 2012
In the book "Cinderella's Cleaners, Change of a Dress", the main character, Diana has a conflict. Diana's mom died when she was in fifth grade, but her dad re-married Fay, her step-mom, six months later. Diana is now in 8th grade and wants to try out for a school play, but her step mom is making her work at the family business instead. Diana doesn't want to argue with her step-mom because it only makes the situation worse, especially her dad, because when he hears the two of them fighting, it brings tears to his eyes. This conflict reminds me a similar conflict in the book " I'm not her". Tess loves art and is very good at it. Her mom says that she should forget about art because it is not important and could use her time more wisely focusing on her grades. I preferred the book " I'm Not Her" because of the valuable lesson that is taught about family . I think that "Cinderella's Cleaners" is a good book, but it wasn't the best book I have ever read.
October 17, 2011
My granddaughter and I read this aloud, rotating readers by chapter, over a weekend, with plenty of "book club discussion" as we went. A Cinderella retell, but atypical, because the points at which one would expect sit-com-type foibles, go off without a hitch. The reader doesn't suspect a Cinderella tale until well into the book, and then it is clearly marked, so that just makes it fun, and it becomes a delight how the reader has already woven so much of the story into the fabric of the book. My eighth grader felt the beginning was totally plausible--having to work after school at her father's business because he can't afford to hire anyone else outside the family due to the economy-- and she could really relate to the decriptions of school culture, so it really drew her in.
March 10, 2012
Diana works at her family's dry cleaning store and she watches as the clothes come and go, but then she finds a fancy coat- and two tickets to a Broadway play and an invitation to a grand gala in New York City. She decides to go to the gala and pretend to be someone she's not without getting caught by the celebrities and by her parents.
I picked up this book because I like the story of Cinderella and I also like stories of identity theft.
I finished the book because I wanted to see what happened to Diana when she has to act like she's famous.
I would recommend this book to Alisha because she likes stories that are interesting and somewhat realistic.
I picked up this book because I like the story of Cinderella and I also like stories of identity theft.
I finished the book because I wanted to see what happened to Diana when she has to act like she's famous.
I would recommend this book to Alisha because she likes stories that are interesting and somewhat realistic.
November 14, 2016
This entire series is such a fun, enjoyable read. They are super easy to go through and perfect for young girls maybe late elementary/middle school age. The whole series is such a cool concept and the main character really draws you in. She feels like your bff and you just love her through it! I read these in middle school, and am now older (WAY OLDER) and still love them, and definitely will be reading these to my little cousins as kind of a way to pass my love of the series on to them. This first book was a perfect way to begin the story and I smiled the whole way through! LOVE THESE FOREVER <3
May 13, 2010
If you don't let yourself get caught up in the unlikely events and decisions happening to and made by the main character, this book is a lot of fun. Instead of trying out for the school play, Diana's evil stepmother makes her start working in the family dry cleaning business. Diana actually likes most things about her job especially as she begins to make friends with her co-workers. When she finds a customer has left two tickets to the opening night premiere of Angels, THE premiere of the season, she, with the help of her new friends, decides she just has to use them.
January 18, 2012
Summary
summary
Diana, a girl who lives in New Jersey.
Diana works at a dry cleaners for her dad. Every day Diana dreams of owning or wearing the clothers that come in .One day when Diana was cleaning a jacket she fond a ticket to a brodway show.Diana love the thether. So she decides go serly with a friend to New York. Diana also gets to meet someone in the play. When Diana goes home she has to seen into the house. Diana has a stepmother and Dad went to a party.They did not get home yet.In the end had a great night that night.
summary
Diana, a girl who lives in New Jersey.
Diana works at a dry cleaners for her dad. Every day Diana dreams of owning or wearing the clothers that come in .One day when Diana was cleaning a jacket she fond a ticket to a brodway show.Diana love the thether. So she decides go serly with a friend to New York. Diana also gets to meet someone in the play. When Diana goes home she has to seen into the house. Diana has a stepmother and Dad went to a party.They did not get home yet.In the end had a great night that night.
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