Doone Penny is the youngest child in a large family of brothers and one sister. His mother, weary of having boys, is thrilled when she has a daughter at last. She adores her daughter Crystal and doesn't want another child, still less another boy, so when Doone turns up she is not pleased. She hopes that pretty, talented Crystal will fulfill her own dream of being a dancer. But it is Doone who has a real passion for dancing, and longs to learn ballet with Crystal. And it is Doone who turns out to have the great talent for dance, much to Crystal's annoyance. this is quite an entertaining story, though personally I found Doone a bit too good to be true - he's so talented, sensitive, good etc that I began to sympathise with Crystal, who finds him very annoying. Once Doone has overcome the initial objection to him learning ballet, there is nothing to stop his steady path to success. Not even a glimmer of uncetainty that he will be a star. crystal, with all her faults, is actually a more interesting character.

I loved this story of two exceptionally talented children born into a very nice but non-exceptional family. I enjoyed the ballet and the way every character came to life - Rumer Godden really can write unpleasant people well! - and I rooted for the right outcome for everyone. Upper middle grade, I suppose, wordy and very 1980s.

The best book I’ve ever read. The first book to make me probably cry at the age of 9. I love to reread it. Ughhhhh I just love it and it made me who I am today.

Great story of a young man who wants to be a ballet dancer at White Lodge, the school in England. For Ballet lovers only.

There's just something about books that feature ballet that somehow suck me in. Not sure how many I've truly read throughout my life but I always find it soothing. Even if there's a murder mystery or fairy-tale twist. I think it's just the sport in general because when you watch ballet.. it's kind of peaceful.

Or maybe that's me and I'm weird.

In Thursday's Children, you will meet Doone Penny. Now he's a boy with a slight obsession: Ballet. Of course there's some drama because his sister, Crystal, is the star of the family. I, for one, am all for sibling rivalry - it's healthy competition to me. I also felt bad for Doone because he the black sheep within his own family. It's not his fault that he was born a baby boy when his own mother wanted another girl. She should still love him equally.

Both characters definitely grew throughout this book. Out of the two, I really enjoyed getting to see Doone shine through ballet. Crystal was okay but she was definitely spoiled due to how her family basically said she was the best at every little thing. She definitely needed to be knocked down a peg or two to seem more relatable and likable.

In the end, it was hard to find this book but I am happy that I dove into it.

I enjoyed this book for the most part. The story is nice. The writing however, was all over the place. It waslike the author hasn't figured out what their writing style actually is.

There were also moments where I had to reread because it wasn't clear that it had changed scene or I wasn't sure who was talking when.

Also, I'm not 100 percent sure who the intended audience is. A lot of it read like a children's book but then parts of it felt like it was aimed at an adolescent or adult reader.

The ending was also ambiguous and anti-climatic.

It is probably above a 3 star book, but I didn't feel it was as strong as most of the books I've rated 4 stars.

Doone Penny may not roll off the tongue as easily as Billy Elliot, but Doone's story is much more compelling.

Novela juvenil sobre el esfuerzo y el genero humano, con esfuerzo y dedication se puede conseguir un sueño, en este caso una gran figura del ballet.

The copyright date on this book is 1984. This is the first Rumer Godden book that I read. I absolutely loved it. I got so caught up in the art world of ballet and piano. This is the story of Doone and his sister Crystal. Doone is full of talent and "went far". (Thursdays child has far to go.) This was a really good book.

THURSDAY’S CHILDREN is one of my favorite books by one of my favorite authors, Rumer Godden. Published in 1984, it’s available new as a paperback and used as a hardback, and I’ve worn my copy to tatters.

THURSDAY’S CHILDREN tells the story of siblings Doone and Crystal Penny, two aspiring ballet dancers who, while related, share wildly different backgrounds. Crystal is the shining star in her mother’s life—in fact, Mrs. Penny hopes to see her own dreams of being a famous ballerina come true through Crystal. Doone, born a few years after Crystal, is unwanted and unnoticed until—at six years old—he dances a small but memorable role in his first performance and catches the attention of noted members of the ballet community.

Against the odds and often in secret, Doone finds a way to learn and grow as a dancer—to the frustration of his sister Crystal, a spoiled, selfish, self-centered child. Crystal goes to great lengths in her efforts to sabotage Doone’s dancing aspirations, as she’s afraid his blossoming talent will outshine her own. In the end, and over the course of nearly a decade, both Doone and Crystal find their own way in the demanding, charmed world of professional dance.

THURSDAY’S CHILDREN is by no means a perfect book. At times, Doone is so patient, good, and tolerant that it beggars belief, and Crystal is often conniving, manipulative, and vengeful, a villain right out of a 1920s melodrama. Mrs. Penny could have served as the inspiration for generations of overbearing dance moms and her callous disregard of her youngest son’s wants, needs, and dreams is breathtakingly cruel. It contains some outdated, homophobic content (mostly expressed by Mr. Penny, a decent-but-narrowminded greengrocer).

But THURSDAY’S CHILDREN is not Mr. Penny’s story, nor is it Mrs. Penny’s story. It is Doone’s story and his courage, humor, and integrity inform every page. Doone’s character arc (and to a lesser extent, Crystal’s) continues to enchant me every time I read this dear, bighearted book. The details about life as a dancer are fascinating and Godden paints a vivid picture of what it takes to overcome the challenges inherent to formal ballet training. If you enjoy the world of dance and want to dive into a story where hard work, commitment, and decency are rewarded, THURSDAY’S CHILDREN is a great choice.

This is one of the books I can read over, and over. Obviously a great writer, but it is just a good story. I wanted this book to be be true.

I'm not quite sure if this is a book for youngsters or adults but I'm an adult and I love it. We read lots about girls whose ambitions are regarded as secondary to those of their male siblings but this is a reversal of the theme. Mrs Penney (Ma), a dancer in her youth, is determined to have a girl who will grow up to be a talented ballerina. After producing boy after boy, she finally gets the daughter she longs for, and calls her Crystal. Then by accident another boy comes along - rather a strange, elfin-looking little chap. He is not particularly welcome in this crowded family and during his early years his emotional needs are met mostly by an ex-circus performer called Beppo who works for the family.

From the start, Crystal is regarded as special. "When, in a family, one child has real talent, the rest have to make some sacrifice." proclaims Ma as she pays out for Crystal's clothes and dancing lessons and pushes her dancing teacher to showcase her darling daughter. Under this spoiling, partial treatment it is hardly surprising Crystal grows up selfish and egotistical, taking her privileges for granted.

At the same time, unknown to his parents, Doone is learning acrobatics with Beppo and developing skills that are laying his foundation as a dancer. He is dragged along to Crystal's dancing classes as they provide free baby-sitting for him and it is not long before the adults there recognise his desire to dance, and help him.

Much of the novel concentrates on Doone's struggles to be taken seriously by his parents. They are not villains, just busy people with mindsets about boys and dancing. Doone is not only as talented as his much-feted sister (possibly more so), but he is extremely disciplined and determined, two qualities that the spoiled Crystal takes a long time to acquire. Doone's efforts are rewarded by various people who recognise his potential and help him in various ways.

There is much interesting detail about the ballet world, but there is one incident in the book that I found unrealistic. Crystal, badly trained, swell-headed, and put on pointes much too early thanks to her pushy mother, is given promenent roles in a local competition. Ma expects her to win prizes and be commended for her performance. Instead the judges give her no points at all for anything, publicly humiliating her and Ma in front of all the contestants and audience. Whilst there is some satisfaction in the fact that Crystal gets her comeuppance, I can't imagine a situation where any judge would be so harsh. Crystal is only seven or eight years old at this point. A low mark together with some strong comments about the danger of being on pointes too early would have been punishment enough.

However, the author does not give up on Crystal. She has some hard lessons to learn, but she does mature, succeed with her dancing, and become a nicer person overall. Her struggles during adolescence are realistic, and sensitively portrayed. It is Doone, however, who shines for me as the hero in this book. He deserves his success. It is only sad that Beppo does not reappear to see it.