Great for ballet fans, this was a beautifully told story that felt really authentic. There was a depth to it that I didn't expect and I loved all the detail of the dancing and the themes of friendship and ambition. Targeting a very specific audience, I think will be tremendously popular with dancers and it's always so lovely to see children's interests reflected in a book.

Let’s Shimmer and Shine on 1,2,3!

Yara loves ballet. She has loved it since she can remember but has never been to a ballet school, she is completely self-taught. When her parents settle in a new area, they enrol her at the community dance school run by Miss Diamond, Shimmer and Shine. There, she meets a group of children with varying abilities and strengths, plus one girl, Indu, who will be attending Yara’s new school with her.

When the dance school is threatened with closure by the haughty landlord, Dame Audrey Clougston-Willmott, Yara, Indu, Dante, Charlie, Momoka and Igor, the Ballet Besties, must all work together to find a way to change her mind and keep their school open. They decide to put on a performance of Sleeping Beauty, with Yara dancing the lead role of Aurora. At the same time, Yara is slipping behind at school because she doesn’t realise the importance of study, even if she does become a dancer. Her parents threaten to stop her from attending the dance school when Miss Diamond and the Ballet Besties need her most.

Can Yara bring her grades up enough to be allowed to dance again and can the Besties save the school?

Thank you to NetGalley and Bonnier Books for sending this eBook for review consideration. All opinions are our own.

This book was a really good book and a really good example that you need to carry on with your school work as well as doing stuff that you want to do and enjoy doing.
I really liked it when Yara gave a speech at the end of the show and this is a really inspiring story about how if you really put your heart into something you can make it happen!

What a lovely book this was. The story of Yara moving to a new town and finally being able to join a local ballet school when ballet is all she wants to do, it’s a dream come true for her. She makes new friends but neglects her schoolwork in order to improve her dancing and nearly has her dream taken away from her. With the help of her friends she manages to get back on track and balance ballet and school more evenly. When the landlady of the ballet school threatens to close down the studio, Yara and her friends save the day.
This book is great for young ballet lovers who will enjoy all the dance related content but it is also a story of friendship and working together. A truly delightful story