Description

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Written in diary form, this Cinderella-themed tale is expertly woven by the master award-winning authoress, Barbara Brooks Wallace. Anderson "Andy" Lillibeth Wardell makes 25 entries in her diary, spanning 8 long months, taking place in China and the United States. It is a most unsettling and trying time for the 10-year-old, whose been nicknamed Shao Gwai (Little Devil) by her servants Andy confides in us that she wishes her newborn baby brother be whisked off to an orphanage in China, where he would only visit her to deliver presents from time-to-time. But Andy discovers you must be very careful what you wish for when her baby brother goes away forever -- taking Mummy with him. Her tribulations ratchet up whilst in the U.S., when her Daddy marries a widow with twin daughters, both of whom befriend a stuck-up girl Andy thinks stole her best friend, Donald. It all reaches a fever pitch when an older Chinese girl at school confides in Andy, entrusting her with a secret that is almost more than she can bear to know. The diary culminates with a showdown between Donald and Andy during Christmastime, under a mistletoe. Andy's adventures have ended -- but it may be the start of a whole new diary.

About the Author

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Barbara Brooks Wallace is an award-winning American children's writer, who was born and spent her childhood in China. She is the winner of two Edgar Allan Poe Awards from the Mystery Writers of America for The Twin in the Tavern (1994) and Sparrows in the Scullery (1998). Cousins in The Castle (1997) and Ghosts in the Gallery (2001) were also nominated for the Edgar Award. She received the NLAPW Children's Book Award and International Youth Library "Best of the Best" Honor for Claudia (2001) and the William Allen White Children's Book Award for Peppermints in the Parlor (1983). The trilogy series, Miss Switch, enjoyed a popular run on the successful TV program, The ABC Weekend Specials, garnering the highest Nielsen ratings of all the episodes. Wallace's Hawkins books (which were notable offerings from the elite Scholastic Book Club) were also featured as live action films on The ABC Weekend Specials.