Impossible to put down—even if ballet isn’t your thing.
Three young ballet dancers go through changes in Landis’ middle-grade novel.
Three narrators—Lauren, age 12; Serena, also age 12; and Bryan, age 11—each tell their stories leading up to their ballet recital: a rendition of Alice In Wonderland, choreographed by Patricia Dallarosa, a principal dancer at the nearby, highly acclaimed Pacific Northwest Ballet. Before their performance, they have some critical obstacles to overcome—this is the year their ballet class must pass their pointe exam and start learning a more challenging element of the art. Lauren and Bryan, along with their friend, Caroline, have been friends forever; they grew up taking ballet together on Mercer Island near Seattle. Serena is the newcomer. She moved with her family from New Jersey after a tragic accident took her older brother Theo’s life. Serena’s mother and brother were also ballet dancers, and Serena has trained hard at an advanced school in New Jersey. For Serena, working hard to fulfill her mother’s ambitions for her means giving up her other interests, including science and singing. Before Serena showed up, Lauren was the star of the ballet class. Lauren loves ballet with all her heart, but her father is adamant that ballet will never be a fruitful career. Lauren’s parents’ worries about money (and her wild older brother, Josh) cause tensions in the home which Lauren is always trying to counter by being “the good girl.” Bryan is a Black ballet dancer, the target of bullying at school, and seemingly a disappointment to his father, who is always trying to get him into therapy for being “different.” Bryan loves ballet but also yearns for his father’s acceptance.
Each character has something to learn: Serena must find her true passion, even if it isn’t ballet; Lauren must work harder at her passion and prove herself, even if it means ruffling feathers at home; and Bryan must grow to love himself and stand up for who he is, which will ultimately earn his father’s pride. This is not just a story about ballet—it’s a story about leaving childhood behind and entering adolescence with a sense of identity and confidence. As Bryan puts it: “Going on pointe also meant growing up, taking responsibility, and accepting that my successes and failures had more to do with what was happening inside me than external things I couldn’t control. The daily rigor, all those relevés at the barre to strengthen my muscles, rising up and down repeatedly, was the physical manifestation of the work I was doing inside. Getting stronger. More experienced. Wiser.” The story braids together the three narratives elegantly; the three friends support each other, challenge one another, sometimes let each other down, and ultimately work through each conflict to become better, both as individuals and as a group. A few pages feature black and white pencil sketch style illustrations that neither add to nor detract from the text. The prose is beautiful, and the novel’s themes of personal discovery, empathy, friendship, grief, and family dynamics are explored with subtlety and depth.
Impossible to put down—even if ballet isn’t your thing.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2023
ISBN: 9798988307822
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Rhododendron Press
Review Posted Online: Oct. 30, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A stellar collaboration that introduces an important and intriguing individual to today’s readers.
Two bestselling authors imagine the boyhood of the man who became the legendary boxing icon Muhammad Ali.
Cassius was a spirited child growing up in segregated Louisville, Kentucky. He had a loving home with his parents and younger brother, Rudy. Granddaddy Herman also was an important figure, imparting life lessons. His parents wanted him to succeed in school, but Cassius had difficulty reading and found more pleasure in playing and exploring outdoors. Early on, he and Rudy knew the restrictions of being African American, for example, encountering “Whites Only” signs at parks, but the brothers dreamed of fame like that enjoyed by Black boxer Joe Louis. Popular Cassius was especially close to Lucius “Lucky” Wakely; despite their academic differences, their deep connection remained after Lucky received a scholarship to a Catholic school. When Cassius wandered into the Columbia Boxing Gym, it seemed to be destiny, and he developed into a successful youth boxer. Told in two voices, with prose for the voice of Lucky and free verse for Cassius, the narrative provides readers with a multidimensional view of the early life of and influences on an important figure in sports and social change. Lucky’s observations give context while Cassius’ poetry encapsulates his drive, energy, and gift with words. Combined with dynamic illustrations by Anyabwile, the book captures the historical and social environment that produced Muhammad Ali.
A stellar collaboration that introduces an important and intriguing individual to today’s readers. (bibliography) (Biographical novel. 8-12)Pub Date: Oct. 5, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-316-49816-6
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Jimmy Patterson/Little, Brown and HMH Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 3, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
PERSPECTIVES
A worthy combination of athletic action, the virtues of inner strength, and the importance of friendship.
A young tennis champion becomes the target of revenge.
In this sequel to Legacy and the Queen (2019), Legacy Petrin and her friends Javi and Pippa have returned to Legacy’s home province and the orphanage run by her father. With her friends’ help, she is in training to defend her championship when they discover that another player, operating under the protection of High Consul Silla, is presenting herself as Legacy. She is so convincing that the real Legacy is accused of being an imitation. False Legacy has become a hero to the masses, further strengthening Silla’s hold, and it becomes imperative to uncover and defeat her. If Legacy is to win again, she must play her imposter while disguised as someone else. Winning at tennis is not just about money and fame, but resisting Silla’s plans to send more young people into brutal mines with little hope of better lives. Legacy will have to overcome her fears and find the magic that allowed her to claim victory in the past. This story, with its elements of sports, fantasy, and social consciousness that highlight tensions between the powerful and those they prey upon, successfully continues the series conceived by late basketball superstar Bryant. As before, the tennis matches are depicted with pace and spirit. Legacy and Javi have brown skin; most other characters default to White.
A worthy combination of athletic action, the virtues of inner strength, and the importance of friendship. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: Aug. 24, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-949520-19-4
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Granity Studios
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
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