One highlight of Christmastime as a child was dancing in my local Nutcracker. Although our tree grew with green tinsel attached to the ceiling, it was magical to dress up as a snowflake and play a part in a beautiful story.
 |
| Me (second from right) as a snowflake in The Nutcracker. Photo by Bill Wheeler |
Although it’s been a while since I’ve put on ballet slippers, which is a good thing for all involved, I still love The Nutcracker. I’ve attended productions in Portland, Seattle, and Odessa while I was studying in the Crimea. One year, my sons were kind enough to accompany to a performance. Although they were sure they wouldn’t like it, they liked the part when the snowflakes (not the dancers, but the fake snow) fell on stage.
So I was super excited to find a middle grade that not only was about a dancer in the Nutcracker but had magical realism elements!
Synopsis:
Georgie has waited for this moment her whole life—to dance the part of Clara in The Nutcracker ballet. And when she finally gets the part, it's like a dream come true. . . Literally.
Every time Georgie dances with the Nutcracker doll, she leaves the ballet studio and enters a world where everything around her-the old wooden furniture, the Christmas tree, the carefully wrapped presents-is larger than life. It's so magical, Georgie can't wait to return again and again.
Then the Nutcracker's magic seeps into the real world, putting Georgie's friend in danger. Everything is falling apart, and it's almost Christmas! Can Georgie save her friend, the Nutcracker, and most of all, herself?
My Take
1. I loved getting an insider's view of what auditions and practices are like for high-level dancers. Aside from Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfield and The Turning by Gloria Whelan, I haven’t encountered a book about ballet for this audience.
2. The magic: Georgie slipping into the actual Nutcracker story while dancing was super intriguing. I also liked its ties to her ballet teacher and possibly the Russian dancer who plays the prince.
3. Friendship dynamics: The rivalry and up and down nature of the friendship between Georgie and Kaitlyn were realistic and relatable for girls this age. My best friend was in ballet with me, but thankfully, we did not go through this kind of drama. I also enjoyed her “just friends” relationship with Noah, who really had her back through her adventures.
4. Writing style: Adrian used clear, concise sentences throughout and yet still conveyed so much of Georgie’s feelings. This made it a fast read for me, and I think that will appeal to MG readers as well.
5. Large family dynamics! I loved how the mom and dad were loving and present, but realistically portrayed as a little frazzled juggling their lives and their kids. This allowed Georgie to solve a lot of the problems on her own.
One minor thing: I would've liked to know the mystery of what the Russian words on the nutcracker said!
Max’s take (out of a 5 bone scale)
 | |||||
| Max, the Reading Dog* |
🦴🦴
Unfortunately, there were no dogs. But there were a lot of mice! Now, if I’d been in the story, there would be no mice, right? Problem solved.
Your Turn:
Do you like books about the performing arts?
What is your favorite holiday read?
Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by following this blog.
No comments:
Post a Comment