Samantha-Ellen Bound – Aussie Reviews

Silver Shoes 4: Dance Till You Drop by Samantha-Ellen Bound

‘You can’t what?’ Ellie crossed her arms and narrowed her big green eyes at me.

Uh-oh. I knew I was in trouble.

I looked at Ellie’s fluoro-pink jazz boots. Then at Ashley’s bag with the ripped handle. Then at a picture of a young Miss Caroline dancing on a cruise ship above the bluest water I’d ever seen.

But I couldn’t look at Ellie.

‘I can’t come to your birthday party,’ I whispered. ‘I’m sorry.’

‘Why not?’ said Ellie.

I picked at my leotard. Then I gave a little cough. Wow. Sometimes Ellie can be scary when she’s excited or passionate about something and can’t stop talking. But when she’s silent? That’s terrifying.

‘You can’t what?’ Ellie crossed her arms and narrowed her big green eyes at me.

Uh-oh. I knew I was in trouble.

I looked at Ellie’s fluoro-pink jazz boots. Then at Ashley’s bag with the ripped handle. Then at a picture of a young Miss Caroline dancing on a cruise ship above the bluest water I’d ever seen.

But I couldn’t look at Ellie.

‘I can’t come to your birthday party,’ I whispered. ‘I’m sorry.’

‘Why not?’ said Ellie.

Paige has been dancing forever. She takes almost every dance class on offer at Silver Shoes dance school, as well as others. But she’s exhausted and starting to lose her passion. An extra dance commitment means she’s going to miss her best friend’s birthday and now her best friend Ellie is not talking to her. Paige is sure all of her friends are better dancers than she is and now she’s starting to wonder if Benji, her ballroom dancing partner is sick of dancing with her too. Paige’s mother was once a dancer and is keen for Paige to take as many opportunities as she can. Her mother also manages the costumes, but Paige is so tired, she’s struggling to be enthusiastic about the costume her mother is making for the ballroom competition. Black and white illustrations are scattered throughout. Added extras include a bio for Paige, a glossary and some dance step instructions.

Dance Till You Drop is a fourth title in the Silver Shoes series from Random House. Each features one of four friends who dance together at Silver Shoes dance school. Paige is feeling the pressure to dance in every class, so much so that’s she’s not sure what she wants to do. All she knows is that she’s not doing anything as well as she’d like to. Her friends have their own challenges, and it’s up to Paige to take control and tell her former-dancer mother how she feels. Her fatigue is feeding her anxiety, but she eventually does make her own decisions. Recommended for mid-primary lovers of all styles of dance.

Silver Shoes 4: Dance Till You Drop by Samantha-Ellen Bound
Random House Australia 2015 ISBN: 9780857983725

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

Silver Shoes 3: Breaking Pointe by Samantha-Ellen Bound

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.

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.

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

www.clairesaxby.com

What the Raven Saw by Samantha-Ellen Bound

He sat perched on the bottom gable of the church’s roof, a smudge of glossy blue-black with a tiny, alabaster eye.

The raven was trying to watch the funeral below, but he had to keep looking back to check the weatherhen wasn’t giving him the eye.

Oh, the shame of it.

He sat perched on the bottom gable of the church’s roof, a smudge of glossy blue-black with a tiny, alabaster eye.

The raven was trying to watch the funeral below, but he had to keep looking back to check the weatherhen wasn’t giving him the eye.

Oh, the shame of it.

She had the act down pat – pretend to be all nice and silent and still. The perfect little weathervane, pointing from north from south. No problems here. But as soon as the raven let his guard down, there she was with her beady eyes.

She was after something of his. He knew it. But no amount of razzle dazzle would get her anywhere near his treasure.

What the Raven Saw is narrated, as the title suggests, by a raven. Raven lives in a church yard. It’s generally peaceful, people mostly left him alone, and that suited him just fine. It was a great place to hide his treasure too. Then there was the bonus of the Sunday morning singing, led by his only friend and equal, the splendid-voiced Father Cadman. Then a young boy’s funeral introduces Raven to her sister, the fiercely angry Mackenzie. Raven despises pigeons, is very wary of the obviously-avaricious weatherhen, mostly ignored the moaning ghosts of the graveyard, but Todd, the young boy, is impossible to ignore and Raven’s life begins to change. For reasons he’s not very keen to explore, Raven is the lynch-pin in lives and happenings all around him.

Raven is a delightfully grumpy, proud and self-contained protagonist. He thinks well of himself and apparently not much of anyone else. ‘What the Raven Saw’ is full of lovely language and an unusual observation of life. Raven can speak to and understand fellow birds, scarecrows, ghosts and humans. His musings are wonderfully funny and his pronouncements sometimes absurd. While he observes sadness and anger in the humans, he also experiences their optimism and belief. Those fortunate enough to hear Raven speak seem intent on seeing only good in him, despite his best efforts. Gradually, their belief in him allows him to see beyond his assertions and to live the good they are sure is there. This is a warm and gently humourous look at life through the eyes of a bird. Recommended for mid-primary readers and beyond.

What the Raven Saw, Samantha-Ellen Bound
Woolshed Press 2013
ISBN: 9781742757353

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author

www.clairesaxby.com

Available from good bookstores or online.