Author: Noel Streatfeild
Type: Paperback
Read: 14th September - 17th September 2015
Rating: 3/5
Published: 1995 by Hodder & Stoughton
When their mother dies, leaving them orphaned, Rachel and Hilary are sent to live with their aunt, who runs a troupe of dancing girls - Mrs Wintle's Little Wonders. Hilary, a talented dancer, settles there immediately and loves the chance to dance everyday.
Rachel finds it more difficult to fit in. She's also got another worry on her mind. Her mother's dying wish was for Hilary to attend the Royal Ballet School. But Hilary seems to have other ideas!
I got this book free so i won't moan, but I really didn't enjoy the story as much a I had hoped. I know its a childrens book and a very popular series, but this one no. I heard of these books, via the movie 'You've Got Mail' and i loved that film. But i think perhaps the first book Ballet shoes is the most popular.
This book is simple to read, although I thought it wasn't very clear either. It was very stop, start. The story is about Rachel and Hilary who are left orphans after their mother dying. They are not biological sisters with Hilary being adopted when Rachels' father was an actor in Hollywood. However when news comes to their aunt that they are to live with her, she wants to send Hilary away as at those times, if yuo wasn't family, you wasn't really one to have.
But thankfully after finding out Hilary can dance and to avoid having her properly trained Mrs Wintle decides to take both girls to live with her and her daughter, Dulcie, who is a talented dancer. She's special and no-one can or will beat her.
Dulcie is a brat, there is no other word for it. She's nasty, perfect and everyone has to know about it. I don't think its her fault really. Mummy has made her child into this person and therefore she knows nothing elese. We have two very strong characters in Hilary and Dulcie and Rachel is the meek one.
But the book is of learning lessons, which I was glad of. I'm just annoyed at how fickle Mrs Wintle really was. If anyone beat her daughter, got a part, became more popular, then she didn't wnat to know. But i did love uncle Tom. He always had time for all three girls, and knew exactly how to get Rachel to be herself. I felt sorry for Rachel,she wanted to bring her mothers wish to life but had to realise things weren't meant to be. I think she had such a mature way of looking at life, and for a child she shouldn't have had to.
It's a nice story, one you can fly through. I'll probably read or pass this on to my neices when they're old enough to read. It's very much for little girls. I do want to read some of the others in the shoes series, they look interesting.
Go Get It From: Amazon UK | Book Depository | Waterstones
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