Ballet Shoes

Surprisingly engaging! Initially, with the way the 3 orphans are so casually acquired and adopted, the story lingered on the edge of syrupy. However, the down-to-earth narrative of 1930's London and the prosaic details of the girls' lives was charming.

Streatfield wrote an amazingly captivating novel of a close-knit home and an enlightened view of dance, stage and ambitions fulfilled for practical reasons. The ending was the only flaw, being rather abrupt and a little too pat, but it was very enlightening for its day in that one of the girls was so well-mentored in her wish to pursue the study of mechanical and aeronautical devices.

Originally published in 1936, this first "Shoes" book by acclaimed British children's author Noel Streafeild - the "Shoes" books are less of a series than a collection of wonderful children's novels, some related, some not, many of which were not "shoes" books at all, in their original British forms (Theater Shoes was originally Curtain Up, Dancing Shoes was Wintle's Wonders, Skating Shoes was White Boots, and so on) - is one that I have long been wanting to read. Thankfully, a book-cub to which I belong chose it for their June book-club selection, giving me that long-needed impetus!

The story of three young orphans - Pauline, Petrova and Posy Fossil - who are ostensibly adopted by Gum (Great Uncle Matthew), but are really raised by show more Garnie (Great Uncle Matthew's niece, Sylvia) and their nurse, Nana, Ballet Shoes has been described as one of the earliest "career novels" for children, as it follows its young heroines as they seek to make a living in the arts. Pauline, the eldest, begins working as an actress at age twelve (special license required), and Petrova soon follows. Posy, a dancing prodigy and the youngest, studies with Madame Fidolia, the headmistress of The Children's Academy of Dancing and Stage Training, where all three are pupils. As each of the three struggles to find her calling - Pauline is a talented actress, Petrova quietly longs to escape from the arts, and become a mechanic and aviatrix, and Posy is a born dancer - they also seek to help Garnie with the household finances, and to live up to the secret vow that they regularly renew, to get the Fossil name into history.

I really enjoyed Ballet Shoes, which impressed me with its ability to depict the lure of a career on the stage and in the arts, without succumbing to that lure itself. Most of the acting and ballet stories that I have read for young people are so in love with the world of the stage, and of ballet, that they lack (how to put it...?) perspective. Ballet (or acting) is the best and only thing - it is everything. Here, we see that other callings - such as engineering - are just as fulfilling and important. More! We see an acknowledgment that acting and ballet, in the larger scheme of things, are perhaps not that important. Or, put another way, that they are not the most important thing, historically speaking. I found that very refreshing, and was particularly struck by the fact that Petrova's calling is so mechanical, as this was an era in which girls were not encouraged in that direction.

All in all, a most entertaining tale, one that won me over with its engaging true-to-life characters (Posy was such a brat, but without being a monster), its satisfying blend of "making it big" and "keeping one's feet on the ground" (the girls are successful, but still have to worry about money) and its progressive view of the opportunities open (or that should be open) to girls. Somehow, despite my interest in it, Ballet Shoes had always seemed like one of those intensely "girly" books to me: you know, the pastel ones. But although it is very much a book with girl appeal, it is really an orphan tale, a career novel and a family story, all wrapped in one. I'm glad that I have finally read it! show less

One of my favourite books of all time. I've lost count of how many times I have read it. Dozens, probably. The three Fossil sisters are fascinating. Petrova is my favourite, of course, because she likes cars and aeroplanes, and then Pauline. Posy is completely amoral, but fun. I also really like the two Doctors, Dr Jakes and Dr Smith. I'm convinced that they are lesbians. The other boarders, Mr and Mrs Simpson, are lovely, and also essential to Petrova's subplot. The book is wholesome without being schmalzy. It's also realistic about poverty and the time before the establishment of the National Health Service in the UK. What I love about the book is that it's about a group of people caring for each other and being decent and kind. It's show more also very well written.
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It’s much much better than “Theatre Shoes” (which I think Ms Streatfeild must have written on the principle that she hit a winning formula with “Ballet Shoes”; I note that there are several other books with shoes in the title. “Ballet Shoes” is the original and best; accept no substitutes). show less

This is a delightful children's classic that stands the test of time, although it is set in London between the wars, when the queen was still Princess Elizabeth.

Sylvia's Great Uncle Matthew (Gum, for short) has disappeared off on his infamous travels, leaving behind three babies that he picked up while on his fossil-hunting expeditions. They are Pauline, Petrova and Posy, who call themselves Fossils, and make a solemn vow to make their name worthwhile by performing a service to their country, as (being adopted) their name belongs to no-one else, and is truly their own. Unfortunately, Gum - having no sense of time - has only provided enough money to last for 5 years, and Sylvia is eventually forced to take the children out of school and show more to take in boarders to make ends meet.

Even though they have to 'save the penny and walk', the girls have adventures. Their boarders help with their education, including helping them go to stage school, where they all have different attitudes and aptitudes.

Noel Streatfeild has captured the interaction between the adults and children beautifully, balancing stern Nana's proprieties against the children's youthful zeal. I found myself smiling almost the whole time I read this book. Although I could see it from a slightly different perspective as an adult, it captivated me as much as it had when I read it as a child myself. Part of its charm, I think, is that it captures the innocence of childhood in a bygone era.

An excerpt (the children, aged about 6, 8 and 10, are taken to meet Madame Fidolia of the stage school) :

Madame kissed her.
'You are the first compatriot of mine to come to my school. I will make a good dancer of you. Yes?'
Petrova scratched at the floor with her toe and said nothing; she daren't look up, for she was sure Pauline would make her laugh.
'And this is Posy,' said Sylvia.
Posy came forward and dropped the most beautiful curtsy.
'Madame,' she said politely.
'Blessed lamb!' Nana murmured proudly.
'Little show-off!' Pauline whispered to Petrova.

Very well worth reading, and very well worth going back to re-read. show less

A surprising and wonderful book. It starts off slowly, appearing a whimsical but typical tale. There is an unusual realism in the story of three girls living on the edge of poverty with the adults responsible for them. The details of their lives learning theatrical arts raises this above the general run. Each girl longs for different things, and the adults must try to balance teaching them how to survive with encouraging their joy in life. There is the unexpected thread of a girl wanting nothing more than to learn about cars and planes, and there is a seriousness around financial responsibility that I haven't often seen in children's books of this vintage. But none of that says what a lovely and fascinating story it is. Very glad I show more stumbled across it. show less

So funny that I just turned on the TV to see 'You've Got Mail' playing. Meg Ryan's character has a touching moment about Noel Streatfeild and 'The Shoe Books' in the film -- and I get her in that moment. :)

'The Shoe Books' were huge favourites of mine as a child (and, yes - I took ballet, so Ballet Shoes was my favourite). I haven't read this book in years and years (and years). At the moment, I am in a bit of a... I don't even know what - reading slump, I guess. So I thought I would revisit this novel. While me memory isn't terrific, I think I can see why the novel charmed me so much and captured my fascination. The 3 adopted girls are parent-less, there's a struggle for money, they're being raised and educated by a lovely team of show more women, in a bit of a patchwork of a home. As well, the girls were able to earn money through dancing and acting when they turned 12 and could be issued licenses by the city. Petrova was my favourite sister when I was a kid, and she still is today -- while technically capable with her dance and acting classes, her interests were really in cars and planes. She had a terrific mentor, could work in his garage, and she enjoyed encouragement and support from her 'family'. Definitely a little gender role busting for 1936!

While I don't know that this book holds up particularly well for me as an adult reader... I think fondly of how often I read these books, and how happy I am they existed for me to escape into as a child. So my rating is very much swayed by sentimentality. Sometimes, there's nothing wrong with that. :) show less

Unexpectedly terrific, which shows I'm bad at predicting what I'll like, sometimes. Ugh, I thought, some backstager about girls trying to make it in show business ... except that I love backstagers about girls trying to make it in show business. It's like grapes. I don't think I like grapes, but then you set a bowl in front of me, and after one I suddenly remember, yum, grapes.

Anyway, it's a weird (I like weird!) blend of absolute surrealist fantasy (at the beginning), as we meet a crazed rich explorer who travels the world and returns with three children. Then the story morphs into dead-straight realism, down to, by the shilling, how much it costs to make a new dress, and which character will sew the dress and which will sew the slip show more for underneath, etc. Lucky for me, both styles of story are very well written and in my wheelhouse as a reader, so I enjoyed the first chapters as much as the more prosaic sections (but how prosaic can "making it in show business" be? Not very.)

It's actually hard to make the theater interesting (shows are interesting, and if you love a show then documentaries or nonfiction about the show is interesting, but fiction about imagined shows is usually very tricky to pull off) yet Noel nails it. I'm reminded of Better Nate Than Ever crossed with Tempest Tost, say.

Characters are distinct and likeable, and I really couldn't put it down (or at least, since I listened on Audible, extended my neighborhood walks so I could hear more book).

(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s). I feel a lot of readers automatically render any book they enjoy 5, but I grade on a curve! show less