To be honest, I found this one to be a little bit silly... nice to read, but the story wasn't very meaty. Simply, Selina has a new party frock and shoes, but it's war time, so whenever will she be able to wear them? So the kids organise a pageant so she can show off.

*** Warning: This review contains spoilers!! ***

I would give this book 2 1/2 stars if I could.

This book was quite different from the other Shoe Books that I've read so far, and I actually found it somewhat boring. Even though there are still books in the series that I haven't read yet, I think I'll take a break from them for a while.

One of the main characters, Selina, is a temporary orphan who lives with her aunt and uncle, who have six children of their own. Unlike the other Shoe Books, we don't learn right away why Selina is living with her cousins. This lack of information was a little annoying in the beginning, but rest assured, you do find out the reason eventually.

The whole premise of the book seemed more fitting for a short story than a full-length novel. Selina receives a lovely party dress and matching shoes from her godmother in America (the story takes place in England), but since there is no upcoming event to which she can wear the dress, all the children get together and plan a pageant, just so Selina can wear her dress. Right away, the whole idea of planning an event around one dress seemed silly. Just let her wear the dress around the house! But I suppose in those days, everything was proper and people didn't do things like that.

It was a cute enough story at first. Each of the older children took responsibility for writing and planning one act of the pageant. Unlike other Shoe Books, stage talent isn't a central theme. Sally does apparently have a talent for dancing, but it's not anywhere near the focus of this book.

Instead, this book shows the reader all the work that goes on behind the scenes of a big production. The kids need to reserve a venue (a nearby Abbey that is soon to be sold), write their acts, engage actors and dancers to participate, plan and run rehearsals, and manage costumes for the entire cast. Phew! It was a lot of work, and I did enjoy the way the children's parents really got involved. Still, for the most part, it didn't make for every exciting or compelling reading.

In fact, the whole production started to become rather unbelievable when Phillip, an injured soldier who produced plays before the war, and who grew up living in the Abbey, started to take an interest in the pageant. The children had put so much work into their acts, and then Phillip came along and usurped the entire production! I felt indignant on the children's behalf, even though they were all, eventually, quite happy with their roles in the pageant. As the production grew bigger and bigger, everything just seemed to get more ridiculous.

It wasn't until towards the end of the book that finally everything started to come together, and I accepted the grand nature of the pageant. Instead of just being an event at which Selina can wear her dress, the pageant was also a realization of Phillip's dream to put on a production at the Abbey, and it was a fitting farewell for the Day family, who were moving out of the Abbey after many generations of Days had lived there. And I admit, it was satisfying to see the entire community rally behind the production.

I really enjoyed the ending, particularly the final four or five chapters, and I was glad to feel rewarded for having invested all that time reading the previous chapters.

This book failed to provide an interesting read, and, to be honest, was extremely boring.

So far, this is my least favorite of the shoe books. It just doesn't seem to be written in quite the same way as the others. It was still a good book, and I really enjoyed the ending.

A charming book about a young girl living in England with relatives during WW2. She receives a very impractical gift from her godmother in America. It is a floor length cream organdie dress with a cream satin slip, a blue sash for the dress and a blue hair bow along with a pair of satin shoes. While she is delighted with them, she knows that there are no parties in war time and she will out grow it before there is an opportunity to wear it. So she and her cousins get together to decide how they can create an occasion for her to wear the dress. They decide on giving a pageant. They will each write a scene. The proceeds will go to charity. They end up with the entire community involved in the pageant. The end result exceeds their wildest dreams!

I enjoyed the book very much. I guess it's time to pass it on to my granddaughter! Shhhh! Don't tell her!

3.4 stars

A young girl is temporarily living with her cousins in the countryside during the World War II. She receives a gift from a relative in America of a beautiful dress and fancy shoes. It is war-time England. There are very few events/places for a young people to wear fancy clothes. The family decides to put on a pageant to provide an occasion for her to wear the dress.

I first heard of the “shoe” books from the movie, You’ve Got Mail.

A Noel Streatfeild that I never read before! Lovely story, that works up into a grand climax where everything turns out to be perfect, the usual family of children is very entertaining, each one with a unique personality, including a 5-or 6-year old who starts every sentence with, “My dear…”. I didn’t want it to end.

Only for Streatfeild completists

I love Noel Streatfeild!!! I love the Shoe books! I read all of them when I was a kid (or thought I had). I've even searched them out at used book stores and garage sales, so I can own copies.

Well, they've re-released some of them - and, lo and behold, I had never heard of "Party Shoes"!

My parents bought it for me for Christmas, and it's just as enjoyable as the rest of the books.

War-time England, large family with at least one very disagreeable sibling, something to do with the performing arts, money woes, and one big event that they all work together towards. It her milieu. =)

"Dancing Shoes" is still my favorite, but this was a fun, light, nostalgic read.

I thought this was a re-read because I thought I'd read all the "shoes" books. This one didn't seem familiar, though. It's the story of a party dress that arrives unexpectedly from the US and there's no event to wear it to. So, the kids dream up a pageant and it will be part of the costuming. But, with the help of a neighbor, the pageant grows to a much bigger thing.

Shoe Book series

3.5 stars. I always enjoy the Shoe books, but in this case I think Streatfield tried a little too hard. There were too many characters to really do any of them justice in the development department. Still, it was an enjoyable read.