Customer Reviews

Theater Shoes (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition)

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Do you remember when the Meg Ryan character walked into TomHanks' FOX BOOKS store and the customer asked about the"Shoes" books, and a monologue about the wonders of Noel Streatfeild's "Shoes" books ensued, touching on Dancing Shoes, Ballet Shoes, and Skating Shoes, which is absolutely wonderful? That scene made me break down crying, because I had never heard anyone other than myself talk about these terrific books, and the fact that it is tragic that they are mostly out of print and hard to find. This book is a wonderful story of working hard for a goal, and accomplishing it, or at least getting on the road to achieving a reasonable, yet magical, goal. If you want a great book for your favorite elementary school girl, buy this one - then buy the other "Shoes" books (and get a copy of Tennis Shoes for your favorite boy too!)

Sorrel, Holly, and Mark Forbes, whose father has disappeared in World War II, come from their grandfather's vicarage to live with their previously unknown grandmother, the great actress Margaret Shaw, in wartime London, and attend Madame Fidolia's school. They are "adopted" by the Fossil sisters (Pauline and Posy in California, Petrova flying in the war), and adjust to their talented cousins and new family. A vivid look at theatre life and London; delightful characters; a book that will enchant young and old. When will all this series be reprinted?

I admit that I have never quite outgrown children's books, of which this is definitely one. It is set in England in 1942-43 and is about three children named Sorrel, Mark and Holly. Their mother is dead and their father missing when the grandfather that they were living with dies. They are sent to live with their maternal grandmother, about whom they know nothing because their mother eloped and was never forgiven. It turns out that their mother was a member of a very famous stage family; so they are sent to the Children's Academy of Dancing and Stage Training so that they can carry on the tradition. This book serves as a sequel to Ballet Shoes but it manages to be more successful than most sequels in that it doesn't follow the original characters' lives after they have resolved their primary drama, but it keeps them as peripheral to the main plot. This way, the reader knows what happened to them but is not disappointed by the fact that they have become so much less interesting. There really isn't too much commentary that can be given on this book. It's very nice if you like this sort of thing but probably be very annoying if you don't

I first read Theatre Shoes when I was eleven years old and I adored it. I read every other "Shoes" book that the nearby library had, and have reread them often since. A few days ago, I finally decided that I wanted to have my own copy and once I bought it, I immediately started reading the book yet again.

I noticed a couple small changes to the book right away, but mostly they were language updates (such as hiccoughed to hiccuped) until I noticed that the description of the Academy was quite different. Comparing my copy (a 2003 printing) to my library's copy (from 1983), I found that in some places over a page of text had been cut, while smaller cuts occurred all over the book. The text was also slightly altered to put a stronger focus on Sorrel's growing up.

This book is still good, but the old version is much better. I will probably buy a used old edition, and return the new one.

Theatre Shoes was the first of Noel Streatfield's 'shoe' book that I read. After I finished it, I went straight to the library to get more. I love reading about how normal kids [poor and orphaned] can become great at something. In this particular one Sorrel, Mark, and Holly are living with their grandmother, who has almost nothing, in London. This 'shoe' book [along with the other ones that I have read] talks about their troubles and how hard they work to earn money by preforming [even though they do not want to] and how each one of them finds their own special talent. You get to know the charecters so well that you feel like you are one of them. The events in the book seem so real. I just wish Noel Streatfield had written more than just 10 of them.

This book is about three children named Sorrel, Mark and Holly. When their grandfather dies and they are sent to live with their maternal grandmother, and former famous actress. They are sent to the Children's Academy of Dancing and Stage Training so that they can carry the family's stage tradition. Holly is very good at dancing, Mark at singing and Sorrel at acting. The grandmother is very distant and cold, yet the children find love in their nanny and other family members. Meanwhile, they must put up with their talented, bratty cousin.

The story is wonderfully told and once again, the characters are completely lovable. Kids and adults will love this story, especially Shoes fans.

This marvellous book I know by the title Curtain Up, which I've had since I was about nine years old. It is a perennial favourite on my book shelf - although written for children, there is plenty in it to keep even an adult reader gripped until the last page. Noel Streatfeild's sense of humour for a start and the gritty realism of her descriptions of poverty still hold strong today. And who can't identify with Sorrel, Mark and Holly's when they yearn for an attache case, not wanting to be different from other children at school? We've all been there, to some degree or another.
There is something infinitely comforting about slipping back between the covers of a book you enjoyed as a child. A highly enjoyable book.

I love this book! I like to dance, and I think that the girls who are interested in this book will be dancers or actresses, etc. I think that it is a good story about children my age learning to love dancing and acting as I do, and I would definately recommend reading this book! I have read this book and Dancing Shoes, and I cant' wait to read Ballet Shoes! I am not sure if non-dancers or actresses would like this book, but I sure did!
It is about three children named Sorrel, Mark, and Holly, who, after a period of time, find that talent runs in their family. But Sorrel is rivaled by her cousin, Miranda, who thinks she is better than them. But they prove her wrong! Sorrel learns to love acting, while Mark sings, and Holly dances. I'll probably read it over and over again years to come!

Theater Shoes is a wonderful story with an attention grabbing plot, a lovely setting, and a well thought out conflict and resolution. This is, now, one of my favorite books and I really enjoyed it.

Throughout this story, there is a great plot. In this book, Sorrel, Mark, and Holly's parents die. They are forced to live with their grandmother, a bitter, but famous, english actress. She puts the children through a Childrens Academy of Dancing and Stage Training. Almost everyone in their family, before the children, had been a famous in the arts. Their grandmother was determined to keep the family tradition. At first all three children hated the academy. They thought that all of the teachers were too harsh and too serious. Then, after getting used to it, the academy "grew" on to them. Each of the three children discover something about themself at the academy. Sorrel, the eldest, discovers that she is a real actress. She can be very dramatic and play roles quite well. Mark finds out that he is a really fabulous singer. Little Holly can do a lot. She charms almost everyone at the academy with her adorable ways of doing things.

There is a lovely setting in this book. It takes place in England! I have always wanted to go to England, and by the way Noel Streatfeild, the author, describes it in the book, it seems so beautiful. It is in such detail and it is so easy to put an image in your mind.

The conflict / resolution in the story, almost stated in the second paragraph, is the children are forced to go to an academy, by their bitter grandmother, that they have no interest in. But in the end, it all pans out. Each child learns something different about themselves and are now striving to learn more. They end up loving the academy and treating it like their home. It means more to them now, than just pleasing their grandmother. Do you think that all of the hard work the children put into learning will result to something? Read this wonderful book and you will find out quickly.

In conclusion, this book was really great! I think that one reason why I liked it so much was because I can really relate to it. I love to do musical theater, and I think that reading about something that I really enjoy helped me understand the text better than it was already described. You don't have to love musical theatre to enjoy this book, but I think that it really helped. This book was enchanting and I hope that you enjoy it as much as I did!

This book was a lovely book many children will enjoy. I read it when I was somewhere between 9 and 12, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It will fill girls' heads with visions of success and possibilities will abound for them.