Ballet Shoes (novel) facts for kids
First edition
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| Author | Noel Streatfeild |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Ruth Gervis |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Series | Ballet |
| Subject | Three Children on Stage |
| Genre | Children's novel |
| Publisher | J. M. Dent & Sons |
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Publication date
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1936 |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 303 pp (first edition) |
| OCLC | 222639171 |
| LC Class | PZ7.S914 Bal |
| Followed by | Tennis Shoes |
Ballet Shoes: A Story of Three Children on the Stage is a popular children's novel written by Noel Streatfeild. It was first published in 1936 and was her very first book for young readers. The author's own sister, Ruth Gervis, created the illustrations for the original book.
Ballet Shoes was highly praised and was a runner-up for the first-ever Carnegie Medal. This award celebrates the best British children's book published each year. Noel Streatfeild later won this award for another one of her books.
Contents
What the Story is About
The book tells the story of three adopted sisters: Pauline, Petrova, and Posy Fossil. An elderly, forgetful professor named Matthew Brown, also known as "Gum," found each girl as a baby during his travels around the world. He sent them home to his great-niece, Sylvia, and her childhood nanny, Nana.
Gum leaves for a long trip and arranges for money to support the family. But he doesn't return when he promised, and the money starts to run out. Since they can't reach him, Sylvia and Nana decide to take in renters to earn money.
Some of these renters include Mr. and Mrs. Simpson, and two retired teachers, Dr. Jakes and Dr. Smith. Dr. Jakes and Dr. Smith begin teaching the girls at home when Sylvia can no longer afford their school fees. Another renter, Miss Theo Dane, is a dance teacher. She helps the girls start classes at the Children's Academy of Dancing and Stage Training.
The Sisters' Talents and Dreams
Pauline quickly discovers she loves acting and is very good at it. Petrova, however, dislikes acting and dancing. Her real passion is for engines and airplanes. Posy shows amazing talent for dancing. When she is about six, a famous retired Russian dancer named Madame Fidolia decides to give Posy private lessons, which she has never done before.
As the girls grow older, they start performing to help support their household. The story shows the challenges they face, like arguments between the sisters. They also have to balance their desire to earn money with rules about how much time they can spend on stage.
When Pauline gets a main role, her early success makes her a bit too proud. Because of this, the show's producer replaces her for one performance. This teaches Pauline to be more humble. After this, she goes on to play many successful lead parts.
Posy continues to become a brilliant ballet dancer. She sometimes clashes with her sisters because she is so focused on dancing that she doesn't always notice their feelings. Petrova isn't interested in performing, but she keeps taking classes and performing to help her family. She never gives up on her dream of flying aircraft.
The Ending
The book ends with Pauline going to Hollywood to make a movie, with Sylvia joining her. Posy travels to a ballet school in Prague with Nana. Petrova wonders what she will do, as she is too young to live alone and doesn't want to dance or act.
Just then, Gum finally returns! He has been away for so long that he doesn't recognize the girls at first. But once he realizes they are the babies he left years ago, he decides to help Petrova achieve her dream of working with airplanes.
Main Characters
- Gum (Great-Uncle Matthew Brown): An elderly professor who studies ancient life forms (palaeontologist). He finds the three sisters during his travels. Gum is Sylvia's great-uncle and later becomes her guardian.
- Sylvia Brown: Gum's great-niece, known as "Garnie" (short for Guardian) by the girls. Sylvia is a practical and caring woman who looks after the girls.
- Nana (Alice Gutheridge): Sylvia's strict but loving nurse from her childhood. Everyone calls her "Nana."
- Pauline Fossil: The oldest sister, found after a shipwreck. She is a talented actress and very beautiful, but sometimes a bit stubborn.
- Petrova Fossil: The middle sister, adopted from a young couple who died in Russia. Petrova is a tomboy who works hard but is only interested in engines, airplanes, and cars.
- Posy Fossil: The youngest sister, whom Gum sends to the house in a basket with ballet shoes. Her mother, a dancer, may still be alive. Posy is a child dance prodigy, meaning she is incredibly talented at a young age.
- Dr. Jakes and Dr. Smith: Two retired professors who live as renters in the house. Dr. Jakes teaches literature, and Dr. Smith teaches math. They offer to teach the girls.
- Mr. and Mrs. Simpson: Other renters in the house. Mr. Simpson is especially friendly with Petrova because he owns a car and an auto-repair garage.
- Miss Theodora "Theo" Dane: The last renter. She is a dance teacher at the Children's Academy of Classical Ballet.
- Madame Fidolia: A famous retired Russian prima ballerina (a lead female ballet dancer). She is the head of the Children's Academy of Dancing and Stage Training and becomes Posy's special teacher and mentor.
- Winifred: A fellow student at the Children's Academy. She is considered the best all-around student but often misses out on big roles because she doesn't have fancy clothes. Winifred is both a friend and a rival to Pauline.
Television Shows Based on the Book
Ballet Shoes has been made into a TV show twice by the BBC:
- Ballet Shoes in 1975, starring Elizabeth Morgan, Sarah Prince, and Jane Slaughter as the sisters.
- Ballet Shoes in 2007, starring Emma Watson, Yasmin Paige, and Lucy Boynton as the sisters.
In Popular Culture
- The "Shoes" books, including Ballet Shoes, are mentioned in the movie You've Got Mail. Meg Ryan's character, who owns a bookstore, talks about them.
