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I've started working my way through the Drina books over the last month or so. I've owned #2 since I was six or seven, and I think I must have found #1 at a library at some point in my childhood; it was very familiar. But I'd never gotten my hands on the rest of the 11-book series, and I always wondered what exactly happened to everyone.
I mean, obviously, Drina grows up to be a wildly successful ballerina. I could have told you that even before I learned that book 11 is called "Drina Ballerina." I am positive that sooner or later, she will dance all the famous roles she dreams of. But beyond that.
Now of course, things like Amazon exist, making it easy to collect cheap used books on a whim. (Bwahahaha.)
And I'm enjoying them very much, in a soothing kind of way. In many ways, they aren't terribly good - although we mainly follow Drina, the narrative jumps heads whenever it's convenient to insert someone else's reaction. There's a lot of telling rather than showing.
And there's a certain degree of formula: Drina is forced into an unfamiliar setting and it is the WORST THING EVER. Drina gradually adjusts. Drina finds a friend and life gets better. Drina gets all the exciting opportunities and the mean girls are nasty about it. Drina is humble although her friends insist that she's brilliantly talented and has a bright future.
And yet, it's all charming. Drina's anxieties are easy to empathize with. She's loyal to her friends, and sticks up for classmates who are less fortunate than she is. She's dedicated and determined and insistent that she'll succeed on her own terms, not because she has a famous (though deceased) ballerina for a mother. In short, she's likable, and the whole exercise feels like reconnecting with an old friend and being pleased for her success.
But that's why I haven't been rating them - these are sweet and pleasant, but often obvious. They're excellent for little girls who love ballet, but not staples of children's literature.
I mean, obviously, Drina grows up to be a wildly successful ballerina. I could have told you that even before I learned that book 11 is called "Drina Ballerina." I am positive that sooner or later, she will dance all the famous roles she dreams of. But beyond that.
Now of course, things like Amazon exist, making it easy to collect cheap used books on a whim. (Bwahahaha.)
And I'm enjoying them very much, in a soothing kind of way. In many ways, they aren't terribly good - although we mainly follow Drina, the narrative jumps heads whenever it's convenient to insert someone else's reaction. There's a lot of telling rather than showing.
And there's a certain degree of formula: Drina is forced into an unfamiliar setting and it is the WORST THING EVER. Drina gradually adjusts. Drina finds a friend and life gets better. Drina gets all the exciting opportunities and the mean girls are nasty about it. Drina is humble although her friends insist that she's brilliantly talented and has a bright future.
And yet, it's all charming. Drina's anxieties are easy to empathize with. She's loyal to her friends, and sticks up for classmates who are less fortunate than she is. She's dedicated and determined and insistent that she'll succeed on her own terms, not because she has a famous (though deceased) ballerina for a mother. In short, she's likable, and the whole exercise feels like reconnecting with an old friend and being pleased for her success.
But that's why I haven't been rating them - these are sweet and pleasant, but often obvious. They're excellent for little girls who love ballet, but not staples of children's literature.
