Picture Books

Allen, Debbie. Dancing in the Wings.
Sassy tries out for a summer dance festival despite the other girls’ taunts that she is much too tall.

Anholt, Laurence. Degas and the Little Dancer.
In order to make money for her ill father, Marie van Goethen, an aspiring ballerina, models for Edgar Degas. The young girl becomes a famous ballerina but not in the way she imagined.

Auch, Mary Jane. Hen Lake.
Tired of the bragging of Percival the Peacock, Poulette convinces the other hens in the barnyard that they can outperform the boastful bird in a ballet she creates.

Edwards, Pamela Duncan. Honk! The Story of a Prima Swanerina.
After watching a ballet production from the ledge of the Paris Opera House, Mimi the Swan falls in love with ballet. She chasses and pirouettes everyday. When Swan Lake returns to the Paris Opera House, Mimi is thrilled, but swans are not allowed in the theater. Mimi uses her wit to enter, only to find herself in a production of her own.

Gauch, Patricia Lee. Bravo, Tanya.
Tanya who struggles and stumbles in her ballet class learns to dance on her own.

Gauch, Patricia Lee. Tanya and Emily in a Dance for Two.
When Tanya, the smallest and wiggliest girl in her ballet class, makes friends with a talented newcomer, they both learn something.

Gauch, Patricia Lee. Tanya and the Magic Wardrobe.
When Tanya’s mother brings her to see “Coppelia”, she meets someone who loves ballet as much as she does.

Havill, Juanita. Brianna, Jamaica, and the Dance of Spring.
Brianna and Jamaica overcome minor disasters to present a dance recital.

Holabird, Katharine. Angelina Ballerina.
Angelina, a mouse, dreams of becoming a ballerina.

Isadora, Rachel. Lili Backstage.
Lili explores the backstage of a ballet theater.

Isadora, Rachel. Lili at Ballet.
Lili dreams of becoming a ballerina, and attends dance class four afternoons a week.

Patrick, Denise Lewis. Red Dancing Shoes.
A young girl is given a pair of red shiny shoes in which she does the Twist, the Swim, and the Mashed Potato.

Samuels, Barbara. Dolores On Her Toes.
When her cat disappears just before tutu day, Dolores, with the help of her sister, realizes that Duncan does not want to be a ballerina.

Sís, Peter. Ballerina!
A little girl puts on costumes of different colors and imagines herself dancing on stage.

Stanley, Mandy. Lettice the Dancing Rabbit.
Lettice Rabbit must decide which life she wants, a ballerina’s or a bunny’s life.

Young, Amy. Belinda, the Ballerina.
Belinda, an aspiring ballet dancer, has not just one problem, but two big ones; her left foot and her right foot. Will Belinda the Ballerina abandon ballet fafter a trio of critics declares her feet are much too big for dancing?

Beginning Chapter Books

Bottner, Barbara. Bootsie Barker Ballerina.
Bernie and Lisa get even with Bootsie Barker, who is terrorizing their ballet class. 40 pp.

Cristaldi, Kathryn. Baseball Ballerina.
A baseball-loving girl worries that the ballet class her mother forces her to take will ruin her reputation. 48 pp.

O’Connor Jane. Nina, Nina, Star Ballerina.
Nina tells her friends that she will be a star in the ballet recital, and they misunderstand her and believe that she is the star of the show. 31 pp.

Chapter Books

Giff, Patricia Reilly. Ballet Slippers Series.
Rosie, an aspiring dancer, learns the ups and downs of life and ballet.

Hewett, Lorri. Dancer.
As sixteen- year-old Stephanie struggles to perfect her ballet dancing, her concentration is disturbed by the introduction of a new male dancer, her parents’ disapproval of ballet, and conflicts at school. 214 pp.

Southgate, Martha. Another Way to Dance.
While spending the summer at the School of American Ballet in New York City, fourteen-year-old Vicki Harris must come to terms with her parents’ divorce, her crush on Mikhail Baryshnikov, and the impact being an African American will have on her future as a dancer. 179 pp.

Tamar, Erika. Alphabet City Ballet.
Ten-year-old Marisol, who is part of a poor Puerto Rican family, realizes that pursuing her love for ballet may expose her brother to danger. 168 pp.

Yep, Laurence. The Amah.
“Amy thought she was going to dance the ballet “Cinderella” … but now she is actually living it”.
Twelve-year-old Amy finds her family responsibilities growing and interfering with her ballet practice when her mother becomes an amah (nanny) for Miss Stephanie. 181 pp.

Yep, Laurence. Ribbons.
Robin Lee, an aspiring ballet student, cannot afford to continue lessons when her Chinese grandmother emigrates from Hong Kong, creating jealousy and conflict among the family. 179 pp. The Cook’s Family is the sequel to Ribbons.

Ballet Stories

Coppélia as told by Margot Fonteyn and illustrated by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher.
A doll maker cleverly schemes to pass his most beautiful doll off as a real girl; however, he is outwitted by the townspeople he tries to deceive. Version includes “Storyteller’s Note on the Ballet”.

The Firebird as told by Robert San Souci and illustrated by Kris Waldherr.
Prince Ivan wanders into an enchanted garden, and with the help of the magnificent Firebird, rescues a princess from an evil sorcerer.

The Nutcracker Ballet as told by Vladimir Vagin.
One magical Christmas Eve, Clara receives a wooden nutcracker from her godfather. However, the magic really begins after midnight when the nutcracker transforms into a handsome young prince, and he leads Clara into the Land of the Sweets, a magical dream world of Dancing Delicacies.

Swan Lake as told by Margot Fonteyn and illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman.
A prince’s love for a swan queen overcomes an evil sorcerer’s spell in this fairy-tale adaptation of the classical ballet. Version includes “Storyteller’s Note on the Ballet”.

Newman, Barbara. The Illustrated Book of Ballet Stories.
Story, illustrations, and photos represent five classic ballets, The Nutcracker, Giselle, Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, and Coppélia. Glossary included.

Compiled by Rebecca Campbell, Children's Librarian, Boston Public Library, Charlestown Branch, 2003