Samantha-Ellen Bound (2015)The Silver Shoes series takes us into the heart of a dance school and the lives of individual dancers. This series delves into varying styles of dance and the personal challenges faced by individual dancers. Each book addresses a different dance style in detail.
Don’t be put off by the cover, which reminded me of the Billy B Brown series, suggesting the book is for younger readers. This is a year four and upwards read in terms of its content complexity. The year five students I showed it to said they would definitely pick it up off the shelves.
In Broadway Baby, book five in the series, Ellie dreams of becoming a musical star with the ‘triple threat’ of singing, acting and dancing. In her own studio she is comfortably the best singer. But when she goes to a local audition she realises that there are others who are as good, if not better than her. She also realises that she needs to be able to tap dance, something she hasn’t tried for years. Ellie has to find the fortitude to practise hard at something she is not good at, if she has any chance of getting the role she covets.
Whilst set in a dance context, this book deals effectively with general issues facing young people: how to manage friendships as you change and grow, and how to deal with the disappointment of not being the best at and what you do when you go out into the wider world and face stronger competition. Ellie learns that her rival for the lead role, the perfect Cadence Kohdean, doesn’t have to be her enemy.
In Lights, Camera, Action, book six in the series, Ash is a relative newcomer to the dance scene and has some insecurities about how well she dances. Some of the other girls feel threatened by her ability and constantly try to sabotage her. Ash has to learn how to deal with the sniping of other dancers as well as her fear of auditions, as she tries for a role in a music video of her hip hop idol. Again, this story is about resilience and perseverance. Ash learns that she has to manage the problems herself but can always rely on the support of her good friends. She realises that believing in yourself can pay dividends.
For those who dance, there are lots of technical dance details to enjoy, and for those who don’t, there is a useful glossary of dance terms at the back of each book. Dancing is the second most popular sport for Australian children so there will be many keen readers ready to enjoy this series.
Sarah McIntosh – Classroom Teacher, Wanniassa Hills Primary School, Canberra, ACT