I hate to be the bearer of bad tidings but, sadly, I did not become a fan of Ballet Shoes. I am disappointed to say that it took me three weeks to finally get to the end of this little book, and I just don't feel the love. It's the story of three girls who are adopted by an eccentric fossil collector. The girls all are given unusual (for the time) opportunities to develop their talents, and they struggle to help their guardian provide for them financially. Maybe it is so beloved because all three girls do seize-the-day, and that was a rare thing during the thirties when this book was written.

Sweet little book, perfect to read to little girls with a passion for dancing and acting, though a bit dated now.

Very lovely!
British children literature remains one of the best! So cosy and adorable.
Surprise queer (lesbian) (coded) characters and a general women and girls (and their dreams and aspirations in life) focused story that has really great feminist nuances.
Loved the insights into child work laws and theater in the 1930s (in London), especially stage and movie make-up history. Hehe. (That’s one of my favorite topics in life!)
I am interested in reading her other books, even though I will miss my Fossils!

Added to my “can’t-wait-to-have-a-daughter-and-read-through-this-book-chapter-by-chapter-and-have-long-conversations-about-it” book list. What a beautiful story!

*sighs dreamily*

when petrova said, "i wonder, if other girls had to be one of us, which of us they'd choose to be," i don't think she was aware that i'd be chasing the answer to that question—and making it my entire personality—for the majority of my childhood (and long afterward).

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the 75th puffin edition of of one my favourite childhood books is a prized possession <3

És la novel·la preferida de la protagonista d'una de les meves pel·lis preferides (You've got mail) i l'havia de llegir: malgrat que el context és força antic i és força dickensiana (orfes, pobresa, tos ferina) és super maca i tendra!!!

3.5

I heartily recommend this for little girls of reading age, especially those who like dance. There are numerous other books...Theater Shoes, Dancing shoes, Skating shoes, and more. Read Ballet before Theater. Enjoy with your girls.....This is the books that Meg Ryan mentions in the movie "You've Got Mail"

Ballet Shoes is a thoroughly enjoyable book about three girls who are willing to work hard and sacrifice to make their dreams come true. A wonderful story about family relationships and commitment. Set during the depression of the 1930s the reader gets a real since of what life for these girls, working on the stage to help pay the bills, would have been like.

After reading the book I picked up a copy of the DVD at the library. While the movie really is as charming as the book they did take some great liberties with the story line. Some characters were omitted or had their story changed in order to add a love story to the movie.

Should probably have read this 35 years ago!

I read it because someone mentioned that a character in my current work-in-progress reminded her of a grown-up Petrova Fossil and I was intrigued. Can I just say here that it is INEVITABLE that Petrova grow up and join the Air Transport Auxiliary--she is already buzzing around in planes at the age of thirteen in 1933 and it is clear that when she hits 20 in 1940, and has had her pilot's license for the past 4 years or so, she will have no other desire in the universe but to fly Spitfires for the ATA.

OK, that obviously has nothing to do with the plot of Ballet Shoes, but it is my comment!

I really enjoyed the verisimilitude of this rather wacky book--the premise of these 3 orphaned girls being brought up in a house full of an absent madman's rock collection, having to support themselves on the stage, would be utterly unbelievable without the installation of licenses and bread-and-butter and boredom and the occasional camping trip. A good example is the way they have to scrounge for new clothes--they pawn their watches and borrow a bit from one of the lodgers, then go out and buy yards and yards of organdie, whatever that is, and everybody in the house including the cook is impressed into producing a new dress by tomorrow morning. Well, somebody has got to "whip the frills"! Definitely a lost art. They even make their own sleeping bags when they go camping!

Sara tried to read this and found it a bit dull. The prose is definitely dated. It dates me, too, I suppose, that I find it much easier to read than most contemporary children's fiction.

Aww man. I always feel like crying when I finish this book.

Full review to come.

5 Words: Classic, Christmas, talent, family, dance.

This is one of my FAVOURITE books ever. I read it year on year, often more than once, and I never get bored. How could I?

Ballet Shoes follows the Fossil sisters and their journey through life as they try to get their name into the history books because of who they are.

It's a book that always makes me smile, that could cheer me up on the most miserable of days. And it has this kick-ass thread of girl-power throughout, a discreet hint of feminism that makes you root for Petrova.

And this edition? It's gorgeous. I think I have about 5 copies of this book and this one is by far the most beautiful. And Christmas-sy.