Product Description

In the tradition of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Little Princess come Noel Streatfeild’s tales of triumph. In this story, three orphan girls vow to make a name for themselves and find their own special talents. With hard work,
fame just may be in the stars! Originally published in 1937.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #12368 in Books
• Published on: 1993-11-23
• Released on: 1993-11-23
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 256 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780679847595
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From School Library Journal
Grade 2-4–Narrator Elizabeth Sastre beautifully brings to life the story of three British orphans and their loving caretakers in Noel Streatfield's Ballet Shoes (Random, 1937). Pauline, Petrova, and Posie start life off as carefree children, but when their adopted Great Uncle Max (a.k.a. Gum) disappears on a fossil hunting expedition, the young girls find themselves becoming the breadwinners of the family. As stage performers they are able to give back to the only family they have ever known, and have their own adventures while they're at it. This charming and often humorous story stands the test of time. The strong female characters solve many conflicts on their own. In the end, each girl is also able to choose her own path in life. Sastre gives each character a distinctive voice and conveys the warmth and vivacity of the story, making this a highly enjoyable audiobook.–April Mazza, Wayland Public Library, MA

From the Inside Flap
In the tradition of Frances Hodgson Burnett's The Little Princess come Noel Streatfeild's tales of triumph. In this story, three orphan girls vow to make a name for themselves and find their own special talents. With hard work, fame just may be in the stars! Originally published in 1937.

About the Author
Often drawing on the raw material of her experiences as stage actress, Noel Streatfeild wrote more than 80 books for children and adults, including the famous "Shoes" series. A rebellious child who was expelled from her first school, she developed a lifelong love of theater and the performing arts. Her first novel, The Whitcharts--about the theater--was published in 1931. Though several other novels for adults followed, an editor encouraged a reluctant Streatfeild to write a theater-themed story for children; the result was highly successful Ballet Shoes, about three young girls training for the stage. Look for Theater Shoes and Dancing Shoes on audio from Listening Library.

Customer Reviews

A Great Book for Young Girls
I cannot even begin to count how many times I read this book when I was in elementary school. I must have checked it out from the library over 20 times. Finally, my mother found it in the bookstore and I could check out other books. This book was a wonderful influence on me and really did help me to grow in my understanding of the world of theatre, dance, and literature. I still think of this book when I read or see A Midsummer Night's Dream and the philosophy about acting that you should say exactly what is written because the author wrote it the way they wanted it has influence me both as a playwright and actor.

This book presents a wonderfully bright world for a child, especially one that is interested in the arts. The book also presents a very female oriented world that is not all romance novels and sweet valley high. This is one of the top books on my list to give to my niece when she's old enough. I might even read it to her myself.

a childhood must-read
Ballet shoes -- and all of Noel Streatfield's "shoes" stories -- were by far my favorite books as a child. My copy of Ballet Shoes is nearly worn out from being read so many times. The mix of fantasy and reality is perfect -- it sparks a child's imagination of what could, just maybe, happen to her. Interestingly, the "shoes" series was given a bit of publicity in the recent flick "You've Got Mail;" perhaps one of the movie's writers was a fan of Streatfield as well? In any case, I'd recommend this book to any child . . . and any adult wishing to relive childhood through the eyes of three orphaned -- but very lucky -- British children.

A wonderful and charming story!
I loved this book! It is the story of three orphans, Pauline, Petrova, and Posy, who are adopted by an older man who is gone during most of the book. After going through most of the money that he has left for their care until his return, the three sisters attend a special school of the arts. There they can learn to act, dance, and sing; then they can get jobs in different performances making money. Pauline falls in love with acting, Posy is a natural dancer, and poor Petrova would rather fix cars and learn to fly planes than be on stage. All the characters are wonderful and a joy to read about, the story is unique and charming. I simply didn't want it to end. The sisters are fun characters that children will love to read about. Adults will enjoy this story just as much.