Ballet Shoes

(Author)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-4–Narrator Elizabeth Sastre beautifully brings to life the story of three British orphans and their loving caretakers in Noel Streatfield's Ballet Shoes (Random, 1937). Pauline, Petrova, and Posie start life off as carefree children, but when their adopted Great Uncle Max (a.k.a. Gum) disappears on a fossil hunting expedition, the young girls find themselves becoming the breadwinners of the family. As stage performers they are able to give back to the only family they have ever known, and have their own adventures while they're at it. This charming and often humorous story stands the test of time. The strong female characters solve many conflicts on their own. In the end, each girl is also able to choose her own path in life. Sastre gives each character a distinctive voice and conveys the warmth and vivacity of the story, making this a highly enjoyable audiobook.–April Mazza, Wayland Public Library, MA --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description

Pauline, Petrova and Posy are found as orphaned babies in different parts of the world by eccentric fossil collector and explorer Gum. He adopts them, takes them to his London home and leaves them in the care of his niece Sylvia and the family Nurse. Then off he goes to continue his exploring, saying that he'll be back in five years' time. When the three little girls are old enough, they choose the surname Fossil for themselves and vow to make the name famous. At first they lead privileged and sheltered lives. But when Gum fails to return after five years, Sylvia's money begins to run out. First she is forced to take in some boarders - an engaging and eclectic mix of characters - but then she decides that the girls should go to acting school. This way they will be able to earn some money before they grow up. Pauline adores the school, as she dreams of becoming an actress. Petrova hates it, all she wants to do is learn about cars and planes and engines. Posy loves it too - she is born to be a dancer and the school is the perfect place for her.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Orion Children's Books (an Imprint of The Orion Publishing Group Ltd ) (November 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1842556797
• ISBN-13: 978-1842556795
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (67 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #94,823 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Book for Young Girls, July 1, 2001

By	Susan C (Sanford, FL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ballet Shoes (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) (School & Library Binding)

I cannot even begin to count how many times I read this book when I was in elementary school. I must have checked it out from the library over 20 times. Finally, my mother found it in the bookstore and I could check out other books. This book was a wonderful influence on me and really did help me to grow in my understanding of the world of theatre, dance, and literature. I still think of this book when I read or see A Midsummer Night's Dream and the philosophy about acting that you should say exactly what is written because the author wrote it the way they wanted it has influence me both as a playwright and actor.

This book presents a wonderfully bright world for a child, especially one that is interested in the arts. The book also presents a very female oriented world that is not all romance novels and sweet valley high. This is one of the top books on my list to give to my niece when she's old enough. I might even read it to her myself.

36 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a childhood must-read, January 4, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Ballet Shoes (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) (School & Library Binding)

Ballet shoes -- and all of Noel Streatfield's "shoes" stories -- were by far my favorite books as a child. My copy of Ballet Shoes is nearly worn out from being read so many times. The mix of fantasy and reality is perfect -- it sparks a child's imagination of what could, just maybe, happen to her. Interestingly, the "shoes" series was given a bit of publicity in the recent flick "You've Got Mail;" perhaps one of the movie's writers was a fan of Streatfield as well? In any case, I'd recommend this book to any child . . . and any adult wishing to relive childhood through the eyes of three orphaned -- but very lucky -- British children.

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful and charming story!, April 3, 2006

By	Kind Bean "can't read enough" (New England, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ballet Shoes (Paperback)

I loved this book! It is the story of three orphans, Pauline, Petrova, and Posy, who are adopted by an older man who is gone during most of the book. After going through most of the money that he has left for their care until his return, the three sisters attend a special school of the arts. There they can learn to act, dance, and sing; then they can get jobs in different performances making money. Pauline falls in love with acting, Posy is a natural dancer, and poor Petrova would rather fix cars and learn to fly planes than be on stage. All the characters are wonderful and a joy to read about, the story is unique and charming. I simply didn't want it to end. The sisters are fun characters that children will love to read about. Adults will enjoy this story just as much.