What an unexpected delight! The sophistication and sensitivity of different types of performing talent is so spot-on, even in comparison with adult books. And I teared up when funny-looking, middle-aged-at-ten Rachel had her day in the sun as an actress.

A book I read in my pre-teens, I recently came across it again in my early 50s. With British parents, I always identified with the characters in this book and it always gave me warm feelings. It’s one of those books that has always stuck with me, often coming to my thoughts but without me really remembering what book it was that I was thinking about. When I came across it in a Goodreads article, I downloaded it and listened to it on Audiobook. My poor husband had to deal with me walking around the house all day with my ear buds in or my speakerphone in my pocket while I relived my childhood. This is likely one of my favorite books of all time and I’m so glad I was reintroduced to it.

One of the"Shoes" books that I have somehow never read before. It's got all the hallmarks of a Streatfeild book-- talented orphans, a stage school, a cozy nanny figure with a cute nickname. Hillary is the antithesis of Posy Fossil--a talented but lazy dancer who doesn't care about ballet and just wants to be in the chorus, and Rachel is very much a Petrova Fossil character. Of course it all ends happily, but that's what you'd expect here, and you close the book with a contended smile.

Awful ending! So abrupt and did not round out the story but rather ended in the middle! Took forever to build to it and then ended just as a resolution could have begun. Feels like Streatfeild made characters so unlikeable she couldn't figure out what to do with them. Poor Rachel and Hillary are so disliked by their aunt there is almost no resolution that could be feasible! Also poor Uncle Tom who is so obviously closeted and needs to find a community of his own! 2.5 stars rounded up because I liked where the story was heading.

How did I find this great book for my daughter Tahnee to read?
In the movie "You got mail" Meg Ryan talks about Noel Streatfeild books!
Great read for grade 5/6 or even 7!

I didn't really like this book. I was intrigued by it becasue Kathleen Kelly in "You've got Mail" liked it. But not for me. The only part I liked was the fact that I was reading this with my daughter. And we both talked about how we didn't like the characters, didn't like the story line or all of the misunderstandings. And we didn't even like how it ended. I don't think we'll read Ballet Shoes after this. Unless we are desperate.

Not one I will read often I think, but I won’t turn away from a copy to own myself. It took quite a turn at the end for Hilary but thinking it over it makes more sense than her dancing in a chorus the rest of her active days. I loved Rachel’s ending but would have enjoyed seeing her more through the story as she is the heroine.

If you're an avid Dance Mom fan you'll love this book. Imagine Cinderella but the Evil Stepmother was played by Abby Lee Miller.

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Started this book right after "Ballet Shoes" by the same authour. "Ballet Shoes" was a good introduction to Noel Streafeild and "Dancing Shoes" was a stunning continuation. Rachel's frustration almost made me cry many times throughout the book and successfully had tears rolling later in the book.

Kid!me was right, this is hands down the best Noel Streatfield book. As a child, I related to Rachel SO HARD, and as an adult, I felt VERY CALLED OUT by her because OUCH THAT WAS ME AT AGE TEN, NOT ALWAYS IN A FLATTERING WAY.

There are plenty of similarities to Ballet Shoes here, and to other Streatfeild books - all the usual kinds of characters and attitudes and plot elements. It's the usual Streatfeild fare. It's frustrating reading about all these adults who refuse to ever listen fully to what a child has to say, to ever give them a fair hearing, to try to understand them. Is that reflective of real life or just a plot device to give the story more tension? From my own experience perhaps I'd be inclined to say it is the former, that too often adults don't want to listen, and either can't or won't view things through the eyes of a child - or won't treat their viewpoint with any respect or take it seriously, too ready to just brush a child's feelings aside as insignificant and unimportant. In spite of that frustration, on the whole it is a satisfying and engaging story - as usual for Streatfeild.

I have wanted to read these books since I first watched "You've Got Mail." These charming books were discovered by myself when Kathleen Kelly (played by Meg Ryan) recommended them to a Fox Books patron.
“I'd start with Ballet Shoes, it's my favorite; although Skating Shoes is completely wonderful.”

There are 11 shoe books in all. Age 7 and up. This is my first. I plan to read them all....eventually.

So cute. Great for kids. Clean book. These would be a great series for bedtime read aloud for girls. Such fun.

"When a dreadful thing happens to a person, as it has happened to you, there are two ways to take it. You can accept it and, because you know what it's like to be hurt very badly, let it make you a nicer person." pg 26

A nice book about little girls dancing, pride, hardship, and how life doesn't always turn out the way you think it might... but it can be a good life nonetheless.

This book did not fit any prompts this year for my Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge, but that is why I allow myself to count some books for more than one prompt.

This seems disloyal to lovely Streatfeild, but while mostly harmless this was really... not substantial. Character arcs= maybe 1/2 out of a possible 5.