Traditional Literature_Cindy Ellen by Jane Manning

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Lowell, Susan. 2000. CINDY ELLEN: A WILD WESTERN CINDERELLA. Ill. by Jane Manning. U.S.A. Joanna Cotler Books. ISBN 0064438643.

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Cindy Ellen is a Cinderella tale set in the West. Cindy Ellen’s father, a rancher and widower, marries a cantankerous woman who has two mean-spirited daughters. Although Cindy Ellen’s new life is filled with hardships, she remains a sweet and beautiful girl. One day neighbors of the biggest cattle tycoon are invited to a two-day “Western fandango.” Everyone in the household attends, except Cindy Ellen. Upon their departure, Cindy Ellen’s fairy godmother appears and provides her with all of the gear a cowgirl would need. On the first day Cindy Ellen’s arrival at the ranch causes a stir. The rich rancher’s son takes notice and is swooned. On the second day at the square dance, Cindy Ellen loses one of her diamond spurs. The search to find the owner to the diamond spur emerges and the truth unfolds.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Illustrator, Jane Manning, does a surperb job matching the pictures to the text. The image she creates of the step-mother complements the descriptive words of Lowell. The various settings and color choices of browns, oranges, and rusts give the reader a taste of the arid western desert.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Inside book cover- “Winner of the Storyteller Award from the Western Writers of America.”
Starred review in KIRKUS REVIEWS: “Bright, stylish….Manning trick out her characters in dazzling modern cowboy dress.”
Starred review in THE HORN BOOK: “Expressive regional turns of phrase and exuberant full-color comic illustrations in skewed perspective place the action squarely in the dry desert of the West.”

5. CONNECTIONS
* This book can be used with students in kindergarten to students in high school. It supports many of Texas’ TEKS/SEs. For instance, teachers can address Compare and Contrast texts/characters/settings, Author’s Purpose, Author’s Point of View, Analyze Characters, Drawing Conclusions, applying Graphic Organizers, and many more.