[RZM]≡ [PDF] My Rotten Stepbrother Ruined Beauty and the Beast My Rotten Stepbrother Ruined Fairy Tales Jerry Mahoney Aleksei Bitskoff 9781496544698 Books

My Rotten Stepbrother Ruined Beauty and the Beast My Rotten Stepbrother Ruined Fairy Tales Jerry Mahoney Aleksei Bitskoff 9781496544698 Books

Download As PDF : My Rotten Stepbrother Ruined Beauty and the Beast My Rotten Stepbrother Ruined Fairy Tales Jerry Mahoney Aleksei Bitskoff 9781496544698 Books

My Rotten Stepbrother Ruined Beauty and the Beast My Rotten Stepbrother Ruined Fairy Tales Jerry Mahoney Aleksei Bitskoff 9781496544698 Books

My Rotten Stepbrother Ruined Beauty and the Beast

by Jerry Mahoney

11-year old Maddie watched with equal parts relief and horror as a plague descended upon her home. The sickness was of the love variety, and brought with it a union between her father and her sweet new stepmother, something that should have made Maddie happy. But it also brought with it the evils of Holden, the cretin that she's now forced to call stepbrother. She can't seem to get away from him no matter how hard she tries: he's the same age as her and so of course they are in the same classes at school (a place where she constantly has to remind people that no, they are certainly NOT twins - they are barely even related!) and she can't escape him when she gets home because he always seems to be lurking behind every corner, just waiting to snap an unflattering photo of her with his annoying tablet so he can post it to Instagram and earn her yet another obnoxious nickname (as if "Morning Maddie" wasn't enough; a name honoring the horrific state of her hair that morning he'd gotten a prime shot of her). He deletes all of her favorite shows off the DVR and swipes all the good snacks in the pantry. He inserts himself into her class projects with a maniacal and malicious glee, garnering her unwanted attentions from the other kids in class and ruining her certain moments of glory. He's a menace. 

But that's not even the worst of it. Not too long ago, he attempted to ruin her favorite fairy tale of all time - the beloved Cinderella. The classic tale of slave-to-the-cinders transforming into a beautiful princess via a delightful fairy godmother was a story Maddie coveted above all others. She dreamed of one day becoming a princess herself, because if it could happen to the unfortunate Cinderella, then certainly she too could be pulled from the toils of a disastrous childhood and raised up to the station of most beautiful lady in the land - right? 

Because of Holden, the story had almost been ruined forever. After helplessly watching the pages of the book turn into a twisted shadow of the fairy tale it used to be, they'd been curiously transported into the land of Cinderella, her wicked stepsisters, and awfully terrible stepmother. Instead of enjoying the whimsical fairy tale in all its magical glory, Maddie had instead been forced to spend her time fixing the story so it would end with a happily ever after. And now, Holden has done it again - only this time, to Beauty and the Beast!

On Halloween night Maddie and Holden are lifted by twinkling fairy dust and plunged into a tablet storybook, arriving in rustic countryside of France where everyone (of course) speaks perfect English. Maddie watches in pure delight as her body lengthens into a statuesque form fit for a runway model, her hair grows and begins to shine like the happiest of spring mornings, and her skin glows as radiantly as the moon. She looks better than any Halloween costume could ever begin to match; she is more perfect than the most blessed red rose . . . she is Belle! 

Luckily for Maddie, Holden is no where to be seen; he's been spirited away to whatever miserable existence lawyers inhabit, and it couldn't have happened to a nicer person. But on the cusp of joining her sweetheart Beast in everlasting nuptials, Maddie discovers something quite unsettling: her husband-to-be is about to be put on trial for her kidnapping and could be beheaded for his crimes against her! But don't the villagers understand the story? The Beast was kind and became gentle over the time they spent together, he gained the trust and devotion of the girl who longed for something more than this provincial life, and in the end they were supposed to have their happily ever after as two beautiful human beings living in a shiny castle! With portly servants and chipped teacups!

Maddie must work against her beauty and all the unnecessary rewards it brings with it and instead, convince the villagers to accept people for who they are on the inside. After all, isn't all real beauty something to be found within? And running along in the background like a computer virus, she must trust her rotten stepbrother to do his own duty and help win the trial of the century - one that will secure the Beast's freedom and earn the perfect ending for the most beautiful of fairy tales!

My Rotten Stepbrother Ruined Beauty and the Beast is the second installment in the Rotten Stepbrother series, each of which carry the theme of a different fairy tale. Penned by father and husband Jerry Mahoney, the series is full of appropriate humor and wily stepbrotherian exploits, all true to the character of the precocious age group portrayed. Diverse and full of imagination, young readers will find themselves transported into worlds they only thought they knew, and will likely find a character (or two) along with the way with which they can completely commiserate with. Whether it's Maddie fretting over her first blemish or Holden fighting back the terror of the prospect of a first kiss, there is truly something for everyone in these easy-to-read mid-grade books. There are enough redeeming moments to make Holden just as likable and understood as Maddie, making this series perfect for both young ladies and gentlemen. 

Giving My Rotten Stepbrother Ruined Beauty and the Beast 5 out of 5 stars, I recommend this series to readers ages 10+. Anyone who even remotely likes fairytales will revel in the clever retellings and those skeptics who wonder how Belle didn't realize she was being kidnapped in the first place or how Prince Charming was intent upon using a glass slipper to find Cinderella will enjoy finding an ally in the rotten stepbrother intent upon ruining things for his sister. Every teacher should have these charming books in their classroom.

Readers will also enjoy the continuation of the series (as follows):

My Rotten Stepbrother Ruined Cinderella

My Rotten Stepbrother Ruined Beauty and the Beast

My Rotten Stepbrother Ruined Aladdin

My Rotten Stepbrother Ruined Snow White 


Tags : My Rotten Stepbrother Ruined Beauty and the Beast (My Rotten Stepbrother Ruined Fairy Tales) [Jerry Mahoney, Aleksei Bitskoff] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. AGAIN, Holden?! First you broke Cinderella, now Beauty and the Beast? Your stepsister is ready to strangle you. Pointing out that the Beast kidnapped Beauty and only fell for her looks has somehow put the real Beast in jail! Now there’ll never be a happy ending. You need to go into the fairy tale world of rural France and― what do you mean you don’t speak French?!,Jerry Mahoney, Aleksei Bitskoff,My Rotten Stepbrother Ruined Beauty and the Beast (My Rotten Stepbrother Ruined Fairy Tales),Stone Arch Books,1496544692,Fairy Tales & Folklore - Adaptations,Family - Stepfamilies,Fantasy & Magic,Beauty and the beast (Tale),Beauty and the beast (Tale);Juvenile fiction.,Brothers and sisters,Characters in literature,Fairy tales,Fairy tales.,Magic,Magic;Juvenile fiction.,Stepbrothers,CHILDREN'S FICTION FANTASY,CHILDREN'S FICTION HUMOROUS,Children: Grades 3-4,Fairy Tales & Folklore Adaptations,Fiction-Fairy Tales, Folklore & Mythology,JUVENILE,JUVENILE FICTION Family Blended Families,JUVENILE FICTION Fantasy & Magic,Juvenile Fiction,Juvenile Fiction Fairy Tales & Folklore Adaptations,Juvenile FictionFamily - Blended Families,Juvenile FictionFamily - Siblings,Juvenile FictionFantasy & Magic,Juvenile Grades 3-4 Ages 8-9,Middle grade fiction; fractured fairy tales; fantasy,Monograph Series, any,United States

My Rotten Stepbrother Ruined Beauty and the Beast My Rotten Stepbrother Ruined Fairy Tales Jerry Mahoney Aleksei Bitskoff 9781496544698 Books Reviews

The premise here is that Maddie and Holden are step-siblings who don't get along well. Maddie is pretty together, but Holden is a snotty pain. At the beginning of each book Holden says something smart-mouth or mean about one of Maddie's favorite fairy tales. This knocks the actual fairy tale off track, and Maddie and Holden get sucked in to the tale and have to fix it in order to get back home.

So, I looked at this set up and doubted everything about it. The signs were not good. Step-sibling discord is overdone. Nasty, mean step-brothers are a dime a dozen. The whole "drawn-into-the-book" thing has been showing up a lot. Everyone seems to be rewriting fractured fairy tales. It just felt like this was going to be a chore. Well. Exccuuuuusse me for being totally wrong and sort of an ass. This book, (and the entire series), is a hoot.

We do start slowly, with Maddie complaining about Holden. But, Maddie and Holden's newlywed parents seem O.K. And Maddie's voice is fresh and she seems good-hearted. Holden is more of a doofus, and maybe a bit thoughtless, but certainly not a mean bully. The drawings were light and high energy and the narrative feel was light and fun, so everything started to look up. Then, Holden observed that Belle didn't actually love the Beast; she was just a victim of Stockholm Syndrome. That was enough to fracture the fairy tale and so, wham, our two heroes found themselves in the story, with Belle walking down the aisle to marry a Beast who hadn't changed from being a Beast and who was about to be arrested, tried, and executed for kidnapping. Hey, this just got interesting.

At this point it also got good. Maddie is totally into being Beautiful Belle, until she learns some lessons about being the prettiest girl in town. Holden ends up as Beast's defense lawyer and has to grow up and fix his mess. From there the story gallops along with twists and turns and lessons learned by all. But get this - it's funny. And it's funny in all the ways a middle grade book can be funny - silly stuff, gross stuff, word play, sly throwaway observations, misunderstood words, slapstick, puns, confusing foreign words, silly or quirky characters, and even deadpan funny dialogue. So, as the story screams along at a remarkably breathless place, we also think about beauty, desirability, concern for others, true love, being true to oneself, loyalty, and even sibling support and bonding. Holy cow, where did all of this come from?

The upshot? The book is a hoot; it's fast paced and funny. And it even offers food for thought and some upbeat lessons. What a nice find. Was I a jerk, or what? (Please note that I received a free advance will-self-destruct-in-x-days Adobe Digital copy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)
Maddie and Holden do not get along. Maddie loves fairy tales and Holden, her step brother, loves to ruin them--sometimes unknowingly.

After a botched Halloween costume Holden try to explain to Maddie what the Beauty and the Beast is really about-- and it isn't true love. As his explanations continue the tablet he carries with him everywhere begins to adjust the story--everything begins to wipe away! Soon, the two siblings are sucked into the story and are given the roles that they will play to right the mixed up fairytale. Maddie as Belle and Holden as the Lawyer.

A lawyer in Beauty and the Beast? I don't remember that character either--but I guess as the two attempt to make things right so they can go home we'll get to learn how he comes into the mix.

Does true love really win out in this story? What would happen if the Beast were not the one cursed but Beauty? Would their love remain? And how should we see those around us--with the eyes on our head or with the eyes of our hearts?

This book is targeted towards lower middle school aged children and I think for the target demographic it is a great book.

I received a complementary copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.
My Rotten Stepbrother Ruined Beauty and the Beast

by Jerry Mahoney

11-year old Maddie watched with equal parts relief and horror as a plague descended upon her home. The sickness was of the love variety, and brought with it a union between her father and her sweet new stepmother, something that should have made Maddie happy. But it also brought with it the evils of Holden, the cretin that she's now forced to call stepbrother. She can't seem to get away from him no matter how hard she tries he's the same age as her and so of course they are in the same classes at school (a place where she constantly has to remind people that no, they are certainly NOT twins - they are barely even related!) and she can't escape him when she gets home because he always seems to be lurking behind every corner, just waiting to snap an unflattering photo of her with his annoying tablet so he can post it to Instagram and earn her yet another obnoxious nickname (as if "Morning Maddie" wasn't enough; a name honoring the horrific state of her hair that morning he'd gotten a prime shot of her). He deletes all of her favorite shows off the DVR and swipes all the good snacks in the pantry. He inserts himself into her class projects with a maniacal and malicious glee, garnering her unwanted attentions from the other kids in class and ruining her certain moments of glory. He's a menace. 

But that's not even the worst of it. Not too long ago, he attempted to ruin her favorite fairy tale of all time - the beloved Cinderella. The classic tale of slave-to-the-cinders transforming into a beautiful princess via a delightful fairy godmother was a story Maddie coveted above all others. She dreamed of one day becoming a princess herself, because if it could happen to the unfortunate Cinderella, then certainly she too could be pulled from the toils of a disastrous childhood and raised up to the station of most beautiful lady in the land - right? 

Because of Holden, the story had almost been ruined forever. After helplessly watching the pages of the book turn into a twisted shadow of the fairy tale it used to be, they'd been curiously transported into the land of Cinderella, her wicked stepsisters, and awfully terrible stepmother. Instead of enjoying the whimsical fairy tale in all its magical glory, Maddie had instead been forced to spend her time fixing the story so it would end with a happily ever after. And now, Holden has done it again - only this time, to Beauty and the Beast!

On Halloween night Maddie and Holden are lifted by twinkling fairy dust and plunged into a tablet storybook, arriving in rustic countryside of France where everyone (of course) speaks perfect English. Maddie watches in pure delight as her body lengthens into a statuesque form fit for a runway model, her hair grows and begins to shine like the happiest of spring mornings, and her skin glows as radiantly as the moon. She looks better than any Halloween costume could ever begin to match; she is more perfect than the most blessed red rose . . . she is Belle! 

Luckily for Maddie, Holden is no where to be seen; he's been spirited away to whatever miserable existence lawyers inhabit, and it couldn't have happened to a nicer person. But on the cusp of joining her sweetheart Beast in everlasting nuptials, Maddie discovers something quite unsettling her husband-to-be is about to be put on trial for her kidnapping and could be beheaded for his crimes against her! But don't the villagers understand the story? The Beast was kind and became gentle over the time they spent together, he gained the trust and devotion of the girl who longed for something more than this provincial life, and in the end they were supposed to have their happily ever after as two beautiful human beings living in a shiny castle! With portly servants and chipped teacups!

Maddie must work against her beauty and all the unnecessary rewards it brings with it and instead, convince the villagers to accept people for who they are on the inside. After all, isn't all real beauty something to be found within? And running along in the background like a computer virus, she must trust her rotten stepbrother to do his own duty and help win the trial of the century - one that will secure the Beast's freedom and earn the perfect ending for the most beautiful of fairy tales!

My Rotten Stepbrother Ruined Beauty and the Beast is the second installment in the Rotten Stepbrother series, each of which carry the theme of a different fairy tale. Penned by father and husband Jerry Mahoney, the series is full of appropriate humor and wily stepbrotherian exploits, all true to the character of the precocious age group portrayed. Diverse and full of imagination, young readers will find themselves transported into worlds they only thought they knew, and will likely find a character (or two) along with the way with which they can completely commiserate with. Whether it's Maddie fretting over her first blemish or Holden fighting back the terror of the prospect of a first kiss, there is truly something for everyone in these easy-to-read mid-grade books. There are enough redeeming moments to make Holden just as likable and understood as Maddie, making this series perfect for both young ladies and gentlemen. 

Giving My Rotten Stepbrother Ruined Beauty and the Beast 5 out of 5 stars, I recommend this series to readers ages 10+. Anyone who even remotely likes fairytales will revel in the clever retellings and those skeptics who wonder how Belle didn't realize she was being kidnapped in the first place or how Prince Charming was intent upon using a glass slipper to find Cinderella will enjoy finding an ally in the rotten stepbrother intent upon ruining things for his sister. Every teacher should have these charming books in their classroom.

Readers will also enjoy the continuation of the series (as follows)

My Rotten Stepbrother Ruined Cinderella

My Rotten Stepbrother Ruined Beauty and the Beast

My Rotten Stepbrother Ruined Aladdin

My Rotten Stepbrother Ruined Snow White