Dancing Shoes

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Summary: Dancing Shoes-Quite a Little Wonder!
Review: Dancing Shoes, By Noel Streatfeild, is a story about Rachel, and her adopted sister, Hilary. After Rachel and Hilary's mother dies, they two sisters are sent to live with their strict Aunt Cora, their quite uncle Tom, and their spoiled daughter Dulcie. Hilary, whos real mother had been a dancer on broadway, had a real talent for ballet, but was forced to quite her training, and miss her opportunity to attend the Royal Ballet School, when she went to live with her aunt. Aunt Cora owns a dance school, where many dance troupes are trained, known as Wintle's Little Wonders. Aunt Cora give the two sisters but no choice to attend dance classes, and is determined to make them into Wonders. Hilary quickly catches on to this different from of dance, which is very different from ballet, while Rachel does not. Rachel strongly believes that Hilary should continue with her ballet, but Hilary would rather be doing the tap dancing and acrobatics with the troupe dancers. Dancing Shoes is all about the two girls struggle with dancing, their aunt, and finding what they enjoy most.
I strongly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in dance. Once I began reading this story, I was hooked. Its a very cute story and very entertaining.

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Summary: "Dancing Shoes" will waltz away with your heart
Review: How can it be that a book about a dancing school in 1950s London would make such an impression on a klutzy American 12-year old in the late '70s and early '80s? A compelling story and appealing, cleancut prose have made "Dancing Shoes" a staple -- albeit dog-eared -- book in my library for more than 15 years.

"Dancing Shoes" started my long "pas de deux" with Noel Streatfeild's "Shoes" series. Streatfeild describes the day-to-day lives of Rachel and Hilary -- two orphans who find unexpectedly themselves living in a stage-training school with their brusque, stage-mama Aunt Cora -- in such a way that the reader can feel the warmth of the footlights and the pinch of their tap shoes. The plight of untalented Rachel among the dancing troupe of Mrs. Wintle's Little Wonders was very true to life, and her triumph over her spoiled cousin at the end of the book gives hope to all little girls who aren't so light on their feet. This and other "Shoes" books will be passed on to my own daughters.

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Summary: Absolutely brilliant
Review: I can't remember when I first read 'Dancing Shoes' - judging by the writing in the front cover, I must have been pretty young - but I have never stopped loving it. Though my copy is now dog eared and I practically know it off by heart, I read it about once ever four months.

It is the involved and moving tale of Rachel and Hilary, both ten years old when the book begins. Hilary was adopted by Rachel's parents when they were both four, and has always felt part of the family. She is a promsing ballet dancer (her real mother being one) but is lazy, and doesn't take the work seriously. Rachel, who is serious in everything she does, watches all of Hilary's lessons and keeps her working hard. Their father, a famous film star, died when they were seven. When the book opens, their mother has just died too, leaving them orphans.

They are taken to live with Rachel's aunt and uncle, Cora Wintle and Tom Lennox. Aunt Cora, or Mrs. Wintle as she is commonly referred to, runs a stage school for children called Wintle's Wonders. Throughout the book she is mean, oppressive, selfish and cold hearted torwards first Rachel, and then Hilary. Uncle Tom is an artist, and the opposite of Cora. He nurtures Rachel, who feels misunderstood and out of place in a dancing school, and tries his hardest to make things better. Their spoilt cousin Dulcie is a brilliant dancer, and thoroughly conceited. Pursey is the kindly and fat house keeper who becomes their mother figure.

'Dancing Shoes' focuses on Rachel's trials and tribulations, mainly trials though, and how she reacts to the situations and characters around her. Everything about it will pull you in and make you feel like you're really living her life. Although at times it is heart breaking, it is suitable for children and adults of all ages. The ending is very fitting, even though it is somewhat bitter sweet. Please, do yourself a favour and buy this for yourself, your daughter, grand daughter, neice, cousin, sister... whatever. It is fantastic!

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Summary: A MUST READ LOVABLE BOOK!
Review: I received this book when I was about 8 years old. I took one look at it and thought, "I am NOT going to read this. It's a BABY book!" I never touched the book again until 3 years later, when I was 11 years old, and decided just to try out the book. OMG! Was I wrong! This was not a baby book! The story of Rachel and Hilary Lennox and their lovable (in a villainy way)conceited cousin, Dulcie Wintle, is a charming book that every one (and I mean EVERYONE) will love.

Rachel and Hilary come to live with their Aunt Cora, who runs a dancing (ballet, acrobatics, musical comedy, etc.) school, when their mother dies. Aunt Cora is set on making them both "little wonders" but Rachel finds that she disdains it, having no talent for those types of things. Hilary, however, finds that she loves it, and has a real talent for it, too! But Rachel doesn't want Hilary to be a "little wonder," let alone love it! Hilary was going to go to the Royal Ballet School of Dancing before their mother died, and Rachel is set on making her go after her mother's last words for her were to make sure Hilary went on with her dancing.
Misunderstandings will get in the way, as Hilary grows more and more with the "bad" type of dancing, becomes competition with Dulcie, and Rachel comes to find that dancing may not be her thing, but that doesn't mean that stage is not...

Rating:
Summary: Dancing Shoes
Review: I think this book is really great and is one of my favorite books. Ten year olds Rachel and Hillary Lennox have to go live with their Aunt Cora in London after their Rachel's mother dies. Rachel is a worry rat who is always worrying about Hillary. Hillary is an oraphan whom Rachel's father adopts when Rachel was 6. Before their mother died, Hillary was doing ballet with Madame Raine. Madame Raine thought Hillary should go to the Royal Ballet School. Aunt Cora to Hillary's luck teaches a dancing school but Aunt Cora doesn't want Hillary because they had no realation. When Aunt Cora sees Hillary doing ballet on the front lawn she imeditley changes her mind and wants to take both of them. Rachel has a cousin named Dulcie. Dulcie is a spoiled brat and always gets her way. Her father Uncle Tom doesn't like that though. Uncle Tom was Rachel's mom's brother. A few days after their arrival Aunt Cora starts traing them to be Mrs. Wintle's Little Wonders. (Aunt Cora is also known as Mrs. Wintle) Read the book! you'll probably enjoy it!