Ninas Waltz [Hardcover]

Corinne Demas (Author), Deborah Lanino (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up

Nina must step in for her dad and play her special song at the fiddle competition when he is stung by wasps.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3-A hymn to the transforming power of music. Nina's father is the best fiddler she knows-"The best in the whole state. In the whole country." Early one morning, the two of them leave for a fiddle contest that offers a first prize of $200, money the family desperately needs. Her father plans to play "Nina's Waltz," a song that he wrote for her birthday. After several wasps sting his hand and he is unable to play, Nina overcomes her own stage fright and takes his place. Demas's quiet story is accompanied by soft acrylic paintings that echo the peaceful rural setting. Graceful musical notes appear throughout, dancing serenely across purple-and-blue skies. Pair this tale with Libba Moore Gray's energetic When Uncle Took the Fiddle (Orchard, 1999).
Kathleen Whalin, Greenwich Country Day School, CT
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

A hymn to the transforming power of music. -- School Library Journal, November, 2000 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic (September 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0531302814
• ISBN-13: 978-0531302811
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.9 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,814,337 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Corinne Demas is the author of two collections of short stories, three novels, a memoir, a collection of poetry, a play, and numerous books for children. She is Professor of English at Mount Holyoke College and a fiction editor of the Massachusetts Review. Before the year 2000, she published her books under the name Corinne Demas Bliss.

Corinne grew up in New York City, in Stuyvesant Town, the subject of her memoir, "Eleven Stories High: Growing Up in Stuyvesant Town 1948-1968". She attended Hunter College High School, graduated from Tufts University, and completed a Ph.D. in English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University. She lived in Pittsburgh for a number of years, teaching at the University of Pittsburgh and at Chatham College.

She lives with her family in Western Massachusetts and spends the summer on Cape Cod. You will find more information at her website: www.corinnedemas.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Power of Music, February 20, 2003

By 

A. Wolverton (Crofton, MD United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ninas Waltz (Hardcover)

Nina learned how to play fiddle from her dad, an accomplished player. Nina's dad even wrote a waltz for her. He plans to perform it at a fiddlers' contest, hoping to bring both joy to his daughter and some money to his family. But when Nina and her dad arrive at the contest site, something unexpected happens and Nina is forced to face her fears.

NINA'S WALTZ teaches children (and adults) some beautiful lessons. First, music comes from the soul and is capable of elevating the human spirit to incredible heights. The book also teaches the value of contentment, love for family, and a passion for music. I hope that many children will read this book or have it read to them. We need more children who are in love with reading and music. Wouldn't that make the world a better place?