Alexandrea Petrakova Johnson does not want to be a beautiful ballerina, and she does not want to leave her friends in Apple Creek. Unfortunately, that doesn't stop her ballet-crazy mother from moving them to Harlem, or from enrolling Al at the Nutcracker School of Ballet. Life is hard when you're the new ballerina on the block, and it's even harder when you're chosen to be the Sugar Plum Fairy in the school recital Not only is Al a terrible dancer, but she's also got a rotten case of stage fright Al's ballet classmates are going to have to use all the plum power they've got to coach thisscary fairy
I learned about this book, authored by Whoopie Goldberg, while the watching the "View" and decided to give it a try. This is a wonderful story that my granddaughter just loves. She is now four, knows the characters by name and though she can read some, asks me to read from the book all the time. Mike Colgan
A Great Book for Girls!
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 16 years ago
My 9 year old daughter really enjoyed reading this book. At first I was a bit skeptical of a book written by a celebrity. Sometimes those types of books get more hype and positive press than they deserve. But my daughter loved the storyline and the illustrations. The story was well-developed and made the characters interesting and compelling (at these for children). She is looking forward to a sequel!
PERFECT LITTLE GIRL BOOK
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 16 years ago
This is an excellent book for a young girl. It teaches self-confidence and helps understand that everyone is different, but also very much alike.
Great to read aloud...
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 16 years ago
We got this book as a gift and I have been reading it aloud to my 10 year old boy and 6 year old girl. They love it and can't wait for the next installment to come out next spring! A wonderful, innovative story that is very "real" with a main character that tinged with just the right amount of scarcasm. Tempo is good and the imagery is descriptive enough for those getting used to hearing chapter books aloud.
Great book for kids - and grownups too!
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 16 years ago
This is a wonderful book. The story is engaging and believable, the characters are fully fleshed out, and the illustrations are terrific. Kids will relate to Alexandrea's struggles to adapt to her new life in Harlem, and her efforts to deal with her well-meaning stage mother. Funny and heartwarming, I really cared what happened to Alexandrea and her mother, and I can't wait for the next book in the series. Kudos to Goldberg and her coauthor Deborah Underwood for creating a world kids will want to come back to over and over again!
ThriftBooks sells millions of used books at the lowest everyday prices. We personally assess every book's quality and offer rare, out-of-print treasures. We deliver the joy of reading in recyclable packaging with free standard shipping on US orders over $15. ThriftBooks.com. Read more. Spend less.