There were thirty seconds to spare when I ran into jazz class on Wednesday. I passed my best friends, Eleanor, Ashley and Paige, coming out of the dressing room just as I dashed in.
‘What a surprise,’ said Jasmine, Silver Shoes’ resident ballerdiva.
‘Get a life,’ I called out, as I tore off my school sweatshirt.’
‘Or find the one you lost,’ I heard Ellie add.
I didn’t catch Jasmine’s reply. But I’m sure it wasn’t any good.
Today was hot and I was already sweating a bit, so my jazz gear was extra hard to get on. After some harsh words with my leggings, I was finally ready. I pushed my school clothes under the bench, took a deep breath and walked out.
Riley loves ballet, and she’s good at it. She loves the Silver Shoes dance school. She also loves athletics and basketball. She’s good at them too. But as each of them demands more of her time, she finds herself running to be able to manage them all. And it’s more than a little exhausting. But Riley is determined not to give up anything. No matter the cost. But it’s harder than she can imagine, and no one seems to quite understand the effort she’s putting in. They all want her to focus more, to work harder. Or to make a choice. Riley is determined to prove them wrong, to show that she can do it all. On her own. Added extras include a Riley biography, a dance tutorial, a glossary and a chapter from another ‘Silver Shoes’ title.
‘Silver Shoes 3: Breaking Pointe’ is the third ‘Silver Shoes’ title in this dance series from Random House. Each features a different main character who attends Silver Shoes dance school and tells their own story. Riley is talented and determined but stretched too thin. Even so, she refuses to seek help until it’s almost too late. Breaking Pointe offers young dancers a chance to read about the sport they love, while gently pointing out that it’s okay to ask for help. It also suggests that sometimes it’s not possible to be the best at everything and that is okay. Recommended for mid-primary, particularly lovers of dance.
Silver Shoes 3: Breaking Pointe, Samantha-Ellen Bound Random House Australia 2015 ISBN: 9780857983749
review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller