Esther's Ever After: Teen Review: Someday Dancer

2012-08-08

Teen Review: Someday Dancer

Someday Dancer by Sarah Rubin
Release Date ~ August 1, 2012
Chicken House ~ Scholastic Inc.
ISBN-13: 9780545393782
ARC received from Scholastic Canada

Goodreads Synopsis
Casey Quinn has got more grace in her pinkie toe than all those prissy ballet-school girls put together, even if you'd never guess it from the looks of her too-long legs and dirty high-top sneakers. It's 1959, and freckle-faced Casey lives in the red-dust countryside of South Carolina. She's a farm girl: Her family can't afford ballet lessons. But Casey's dream is to dance in New York City. And if anyone tries to stand in her way, she's going to pirouette and jeté right over them!

Casey's got the grit, and Casey's got the grace: Is that enough to make it in Manhattan someday? Or might the Big Apple have something even better in mind? When she meets a visionary choreographer she calls "Miss Martha," Casey's ballerina dream takes a thoroughly, thrillingly modern twist!

When I was young, I used to want to be a ballerina. That idea was tossed out after about a month, but I'm still always amazed by ballerinas. When I read the synopsis on the cover, I got kind of excited to read this novel. It took me a little bit to become fully engrossed in the book, but I basically finished the entire book in one sitting.

Casey's Determined Nature:

One of the main drives in the book is how much Casey is determined to become a dancer in New York. She is willing to try anything to get a chance at her dream. I admired this because she still believes in dreams, and will stop at nothing to achieve hers. She is confident in her abilities, and she carries on, even if she is discouraged. She is a very hard worker, but she also had a lot of fun at the same time.

Mama and Gran:

Casey's mother and grandmother are two very different, but very influential people. Her mother is a very hard working and strict mother, while her grandmother is laidback and encourages Casey's dream. The three of them are very close. Gran become one of my favourite characters because she reminded me a lot of my own grandma. She offers great advice, and is one of the most gentle people I have read about. Her mother is a bit rough, and doesn't show just how much she cares about Casey much. I found their little family to be amazing to read about.

I think that Casey and her story is great to read because it teaches a lot of great lessons, such as working hard in order to achieve your goal, or the importance of keeping close family ties. I enjoyed this novel a lot, and I wish that it was longer.