The book is juvenile fiction about a young girl, age 9, who dances ballet. She wants to start using toe shoes but everyone tells her she is too young. She goes on a summer vacation to the beach and meets a famous ballerina and her choreographer husband who decide to stage a shortened version of The Nutcracker at the grand hotel where they are staying. The girl is invited to participate even though she is not staying there. The owner’s spoiled daughter makes a fuss and is cast as Clara. She had started dancing with toe shoes but it is causing too much stress on her developing feet and she can’t dance very well. I think her name is April.
Stump the Bookseller
New format, same book stumper solving.
This is Susie and the Ballet Family by Lee Wyndham, part of the Susie series, in order: A Dance for Susie, Susie and the Dancing Cat, Susie and the Ballet Family, On Your Toes, Susie!, and Susie and the Ballet Horse
Susie and the Ballet Famiky, by Lee Wyndham.
“Susie gasps. She can hardly believe her eyes. The woman dancing is Allegra Allard, the great ballerina! Meeting Allegra is the beginning of a thrilling summer. Susie is allowed to practice with the ballerina. And she is to have an exciting part in the Nutcracker Suite Ballet to be given at the hotel. Then April Shaw-and trouble-arrives. April is a poor dancer, but she expects to star in the show. After all, her father owns the hotel. Susie is worried. Will the dance show go on? Or will April spoil everything?.”