Ballet for Charlotte — Gabrielle Charbonnet

Gr 3-4-A quiet sequel to Snakes Are Nothing to Sneeze At (Holt, 1990). Charlotte, 10, plans to go to gymnastics camp with her best friend, Annabel, but her mother and grandmother have other plans for her-ballet classes every morning for five weeks. Each evening the girls compare notes about ballet positions, gymnastic routines, and their peers. They both struggle with physical skills and social relationships. Charlotte also attempts to understand her mother and grandmother as they share stories about when they were young. While Charlotte definitely does not love ballet by the end of the program, she does begin to realize that there is some value in trying something new. Similarly, Annabel is finally able to deal with her problems with the back flip. Carter's black-and-white illustrations, one per chapter, support the camaraderie of the story well. Accurate information about ballet and gymnastics is included without being distracting. Charbonnet does a wonderful job of character development; this book is more reflective than the first, but will appeal to young readers.-Mary Ann Bursk, Bucks County Free Library, Levittown, PA