BALLERINA DREAMS

In her third outing, Katie faces disruptions to her well-ordered life from the new girl in class.

Katie’s family now lives in Scotland’s Cloudberry Castle, which they inherited; her mum, a former dancer, runs a ballet school there. All is happiness for Katie, who loves to dance and hang with her classmates. Then trouble arrives in the guise of a new student, Velvet, whose father is a big Hollywood actor. Velvet is getting an introduction to ballet as training for an upcoming movie. Suddenly, best friends are no longer that. Will Velvet steal the limelight? Another complication in Katie’s life is the abused pony that an old friend now owns. Can Katie balance her love of the pony with her love of ballet? In a somewhat far-fetched plot twist, New York City Ballet announces that ballet students can audition for a role in their traveling performances of The Nutcracker Suite. Katie adores the ballet, especially the second act, which takes place in the Land of Sweets, perfect for her own sweet tooth. Will she get the coveted role of Clara? American readers should be able to work out most of the Scottish wording and phraseology without too much trouble.

A sugary dessert for preteen readers who love ballet, with a spoonful of whipped cream thrown in for pony fans.