Plum Fantastic (Sugar Plum Ballerinas, 1) - Hardcover

Whoopi Goldberg; Deborah Underwood

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1423111737 ISBN 13: 9781423111733

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2008

Synopsis

Alexandrea Petrakova Johnson does not want to be a beautiful ballerina, and she does not want to leave her friends in Apple Creek.  Unfortunately, that doesn't stop her ballet-crazy mother from moving them to Harlem, or from enrolling Al at the Nutcracker School of Ballet.

 
Life is hard when you’re the new ballerina on the block, and it’s even harder when you’re chosen to be the Sugar Plum Fairy in the school recital!  Not only is Al a terrible dancer, but she's also got a rotten case of stage fright!  Al's  ballet classmates are going to have to use all the plum power they’ve got to coach this scary fairy! 

About this title

About the Author:

Whoopi Goldberg is the author of the Sugar Plum Ballerinas books and ofWhoopi's Big Book of Manners, illustrated by Olo. She has won a Tony, an Emmy, and Oscar, and a Grammy, as well as two Golden Globes. In 2001 she was awarded the prestigious Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. Whoopi Goldberg has appeared in scores of films,and is a host on ABC'sThe View.
Whoopi Goldberg lives in New York and Vermont.Deborah Underwood's book credits includePlum Fantastic;Pirate Mom; and the forthcoming picture bookGranny Gomez and Jigsaw, illustrated by Scott Magoon. Her ballet career was cut short by a tragic lack of talent, but she can sing a mean aria and knows four ukulele chords. She lives in Northern California with her cat, Sports Fan. Visit her online at www.DeborahUnderwoodBooks.com.

Maryn Roos was always better at drawing ballerinas than being one. Beyond ballerinas, she has drawn everything from monsters to dancing ducks in dozens of books and several educational software programs, most recently forImagine Learning English. Maryn lives and draws, and very rarely dances, in Provo, Utah.

From School Library Journal:

Grade 2–4—Alexandrea has just moved from small-town Georgia to New York City's Harlem where her mother hopes to launch a costume-making business. The nine-year-old feels like she's in another world, except that Mama is still forcing her to take ballet, even though Alex dreams of becoming a speed skater like her idol Phoebe Fitz. The first day of class is made even worse, since her mother forces her to wear a wild creation—a tutu resembling a "pink puff pastry." When Alex is randomly assigned the coveted role of Sugar Plum Fairy in the school's summer performance, she is terrified and shunned by the other dancers. Practice doesn't help, and she seriously considers giving up the part. However, after seeing Phoebe Fitz on television talking about the importance of ballet, Alex determines to try her best. She enlists the help of other students, and as the girls progress with the dance moves, so do their friendships. Alex's voice is full of wit and determination. This fun easy chapter book develops at a good pace and creates a bit of tension and anticipation as readers follow Alex's efforts. Themes of self-confidence and the potential to achieve whatever you set your mind to are neatly woven into the story. Occasional spot art shows Alex and her new friends.—Bethany A. Lafferty, Las Vegas-Clark County Library, NV
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About this edition

• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 1423111737
• ISBN 13: 9781423111733
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 160
• Illustrator: Maryn Roos