Ballet Shoes
by Noel Streatfeildpublished
November 23rd 1993
(first published 1937)
by Random House Books for Young Readers
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binding
Paperback, 256 pages
isbn
0679847596
(isbn13: 9780679847595)
description
In the tradition of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Little Princess come Noel Streatfeild’s tales of triumph. In this story, three or...more
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recommends it for:
girls who love the theatre, and the parents of girls who love the theatre.
My mother doesn't like to read. She's just not that into it, never has been. I, on the other hand, read every day and have, ever since the age of 6. Imagine my surprise, as a 10 year old, when she gave me a copy of "Ballet Shoes" and told me it was her favorite book as a child. During this time, I was obsessed with C.S. Lewis and reading "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" for what felt like the 40th time. But, still, my mother had given me a book, so, the least I co...more
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Read in May, 1990
recommends it for:
girls who love dancing
The story of Pauline, Petrova, and Posy will be in my heart for life, even though I must confess that was introduced to these charming and unforgettable characters from the British television version. That kind of ruined for the book; all I'd do was nosh through my favorite scenes. Only when I was in my 20's did I read it cover to cover when I introduced its pleasures to a girl I was tutoring.
Pauline, Petrova, and Posy are three adopted girls being raised in London in the 1930's. Because o...more
Pauline, Petrova, and Posy are three adopted girls being raised in London in the 1930's. Because o...more
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Read in November, 2007
Although this wasn't very hard-to-read and despite the fact that it is targeted towards a younger audience (say, elementary-middle school), it's a very interesting book to read. The story is about three young girls who vow to make themselves important and famous. Pauline, Petrova, and Posy Fossil each came from different families and were adopted and brought together by, who they call, Great Uncle Matthew. As the familiy face money problems, each girl works hard to earn money and at the same tim...more
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Read in September, 2005
recommends it for:
Children
This story of three orphan sisters adopted by a loving a man to be raised by an old fashioned female guardian was a lovely read. The three adopted sisters, all unique in their personality and background are bound together by sisterly love and their determination to put their name in the history books. It is certainly a page turner. The eldest, Pauline wants to become a Shakespearean actress. Petrova, the bright automobile/airplane-obsessed tomboy has very little interest in dancing and performin...more
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Read in January, 1994
A book about working hard. It's great as a period piece (it was written in 1937) and, given it's for children, the character development of these three sisters is quite multi-dimensional. The book takes its time with the story (and there are sequels, of a sort, but this is probably the best). One thing I always hated about the Laura Ingalls Wilder books was the ridiculous level of detail about things no one cares about like daffodils, but this book is detailed about things I wanted to know. How ...more
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Read in May, 2006
recommends it for:
Dancers
Ballet shoes is about three girls who were brought home from the traveling Great Uncle Matthew (G.U.M.)
Pauline was found in a shipwreck, Petrova was an orphan at the hospital, and Posy was the daughter of a famous dancer.
His Niece, Garnie, and Nanny take care of the girls while he is away. (All the time)One of his adventures takes a lot longer than he thought and everyone thinks he is dead. They get VERY poor.
Garnie and Nanny take the girls to a dance school to learn ballet, t...more
Pauline was found in a shipwreck, Petrova was an orphan at the hospital, and Posy was the daughter of a famous dancer.
His Niece, Garnie, and Nanny take care of the girls while he is away. (All the time)One of his adventures takes a lot longer than he thought and everyone thinks he is dead. They get VERY poor.
Garnie and Nanny take the girls to a dance school to learn ballet, t...more
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Read in October, 2007
recommends it for:
girls wqanting to feel like a child growing up in the 1950s
Being stuck in Japan with a limited amount of fiction at my disposal I've have decided to read all the english books in my school library. The selection is rather limited to old fashioned childrens books and as I loved this book as a kid I thought it was a good place to start. It is a lovely book with cool little 1950s style illustrations and I still enjoyed it. According to my mum its being made into a film but I really can't see who this story will appeal to these days. Its entirely a girl's b...more
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Read in April, 2008
recommended to Helen by:
jameslhelena@bellsouth.net
Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild
In this book, we meet Pauline, Petrova, and Posy, three orphans who have been adopted by Great Uncle Matthew and placed under the care of his great niece, Sylvia. The girls decide on the last name of Fossil for themselves, since that is what Great Uncle Matthew collected. Unfortunately, Great Uncle Matthew, or GUM as he was known by the girls, left on another expedition and was gone so long that the money he left began to run out. How was Sylvia going to find...more
In this book, we meet Pauline, Petrova, and Posy, three orphans who have been adopted by Great Uncle Matthew and placed under the care of his great niece, Sylvia. The girls decide on the last name of Fossil for themselves, since that is what Great Uncle Matthew collected. Unfortunately, Great Uncle Matthew, or GUM as he was known by the girls, left on another expedition and was gone so long that the money he left began to run out. How was Sylvia going to find...more
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1 comments
Read in July, 2008
It's always a risky thing, reading a book that you're too old for and that you didn't grow up with. Nostalgia hides many faults, and reading aloud makes any book charming that's enjoyed by the person read to, but not many children's books stand the test of being read by an adult, to an adult.
I'd say "Ballet Shoes" passed that test though. It's definitely the best Streatfeild book I've read so far, and while it's not a book I expect to reread myself, I'll definitely keep it for any ...more
I'd say "Ballet Shoes" passed that test though. It's definitely the best Streatfeild book I've read so far, and while it's not a book I expect to reread myself, I'll definitely keep it for any ...more
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14 comments
I wore out three copies of Ballet Shoes before finally buying it in hardcover. I read this book every few years or so and it remains a firm favorite. I could never decide which of the Fossils I wanted to be when I grew up and think it no small coincidence that i ended up involved in music, theater and dance education. All the "Shoes Books" are excellent and I have always tried to have a copy of each of them on my shelf. (Currently need "Movie Shoes" as I have lost mine. Does ...more
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3 comments
Read in December, 2007
I read this as a girl and remember liking it, but couldn't remember why - and I still can't. It's a good story - three orphan girls adopted by an absent Great-Uncle, but left with his niece to be raised. I liked the 3 girls names - Pauline, Petrova and Posy - but the story is long-winded and I don't know how I kept with it when I was younger. Perhaps I am just too used to faster-paced stories now. But if an elementary girl likes historical fiction and the American girl books are just too eas...more
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Read in September, 2007
recommends it for:
people who like awesome books for kids.
oh, um, this is another book that is british and pink. i hadn't realized it.
this book i found on audiobook and was super excited because i love audiobooks and also because this is a book that i looooved when i was a tiny thing. here is a thing about me being tiny:
i was obsessed with books about ballet, and books about ice skating, and basically with any book about a lady wearing a pretty costume.
so i enjoyed this book, and i enjoy it just as much now, and i wonder how it's going to...more
this book i found on audiobook and was super excited because i love audiobooks and also because this is a book that i looooved when i was a tiny thing. here is a thing about me being tiny:
i was obsessed with books about ballet, and books about ice skating, and basically with any book about a lady wearing a pretty costume.
so i enjoyed this book, and i enjoy it just as much now, and i wonder how it's going to...more
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I’m still making my way through Ford Maddox Ford’s exquisite (but very dense) World War I quartet “Parade’s End,” and whenever I need a break from it I’ve been revisiting books I loved in my childhood. I hadn’t read “Ballet Shoes” in years. It’s the story of three gifted orphans – Pauline, Petrova, and Posy – who study dancing and acting at a children’s performing school in London in the 1930s. Much is made of toffee, teatime, coral necklaces, and white organdy and blac...more
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Read in March, 2008
We listened to the audio version. Elizabeth Sastre was fun to listen to. The book was written in 1937 and is about 3 orphaned girls who are raised by their guardian, herself the ward of her great-uncle. They have Nana, cook, a housekeeper to look after them too as well as boarders that they eventually take in. The book is interesting but drags a lot at the end as the author spends all the time describing the girl's efforts to earn money and buy clothes for dance and play auditions and each play ...more
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Read in April, 2008
I'm glad I happened to read this one first. I think it is the earliest and seems to provide a kind of foundation for the other books. As I wrote for the other books of this series: "Sweet, well-written, old-fashioned, and a strong support of family and individual values. I plan to read this to my children this summer. I feel the same about all the "Shoe Books" that I have read; though some stories are more compelling than others, they are all worthwhile and wonderful children's
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This book is so fun! Three orphans, Pauline, Petrova, and Posy, vow to make a name for themselves. They try out things until they know that they enjoy and are good at. And then they practice, practice practive! The three all have different backgrounds and personalites, but they're like sisters to each other. There was a one and a half hour movie shown on England t.v with Emma Watson as Pauline, so, if anyone has a copy that they'd be willing to let me borrow, please let me know!
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I had two career goals as a little girl--I would be a ballerina...or a librarian, heh.
Well I started ballet at three and continued through college, but alas never made it to the big stage. I am a librarian though so go figure.
I loved these books so much as a child. All of her series that I read I should say, but especially ballet shoes. This is a fascinating vanished world.
Well I started ballet at three and continued through college, but alas never made it to the big stage. I am a librarian though so go figure.
I loved these books so much as a child. All of her series that I read I should say, but especially ballet shoes. This is a fascinating vanished world.
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recommends it for:
Ballet Book Lovers
Another big favorite from my childhood. Posy wants to be a ballet dancer, but she and her two sisters, also orphans, must help out to earn a living and keep the family going. They live in England post WWI (I think). Pauline becomes an actress and Petrova (they all have the last name because their adopted father is a fossil hunter) dances in patomines. Meanwhile Posy is the baby of the family and a frustrated genius. It is a sweet tale, one of many "Shoes" books by Stretfield.
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Read in January, 2001
Ballet shoes, Dancing shoes, and Theater shoes are probably the only books that have appealed to my little girl side. Even growing up I liked stories of pirates,sword fighting, escapes, adventures, and treasure seeking. When I read these three books I so wanted to be a cute little girl that has the rare talent everyone had been waiting for. Ballet, dancing, and theater shoes are wonderful.......read them to your daughters. ( read them yourself even if you are all grown up)
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Read in November, 2007
recommends it for:
read-aloud to young girls, pre teen girls, anyone who wants to feel "girly"
I listened to the audiobook of Ballet Shoes and really enjoyed the story. What's more is that while my kids were in the car--which wasn't for the entire book--they loved it to. Especially my 6 year old. He really liked listening to the story and imagining what things looked like. He's asked for us to load it on his MP3 player so he can listen to the parts he missed. He even asked if there was a movie version.
Which of the three girls do you identify with? Me--Petrova.
Which of the three girls do you identify with? Me--Petrova.
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