Listen to the Nightingale

Charlotte, who has lived and trained in the world of ballet since she was adopted by the costume mistress of a famous dance company, must decide between comfort and professional discipline when she is offered a scholarship to a prestigious dance school.

Grade 5-7-- Ten-year-old Lottie is a poor but talented orphan raised by a maiden aunt. Through an innocent misunderstanding, she is presumed to be the owner of a valuable dog. Her refusal to return the lovable puppy to its rightful owners leads inevitably to dissembling. Her acceptance at a prestigious ballet school precipitates a crisis, since the boarding school does not allow pets. A blackmail attempt by another student ultimately brings the truth to light, but not before Lottie nearly starves while giving up most of her food to the blackmailer. This is a complexly plotted novel with a cast of over 50 characters. One subplot curiously involves the failure of Madame Holbein's Ballet Company, which tangentially continues Godden's adult title, A Candle for St. Jude (Viking, 1948; o.p.). Unfortunately, it will not have much interest for younger readers. The characters, while clearly defined, may seem a bit dated. Lottie herself, in her white gloves and her coronet of braids, is so thoroughly good as to be unrealistic. Her nemesis, conversely, comes from ``the boys will be boys'' school of malicious pranksters. The vocabulary is advanced; ballet terms, background, and setting are accurate, well integrated, and sure to please balletomanes. The audience, however, is problematic. Children interested in reading about a ten-year-old may have difficulty sticking with it. Still, readers who persevere will have the thrill of indignation at the many injustices that befall the sympathetic little heroine and the satisfaction of an old-fashioned happy ending. --Kate McClelland, Perrot Memorial Library, Greenwich, CT
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Only after Madame Holbein's death does 10-year-old Lottie understand her beloved dance teacher's advice to "listen to the nightingale" and make room in her life for other things besides ballet. Lottie's revelation begins when she serendipitously comes to own Prince, a King Charles Cavalier spaniel. But when the girl earns a place at a prestigious boarding school for dancers, she must give up the dog. The dilemma about the puppy is predictably resolved, but subsequent conflicts--including an act of betrayal, a case of blackmail and the heroine's sudden loss of energy--prove more surprising and complex. Besides her imaginative exploration of a young ballet student's character, Godden ( The Story of Holly and Ivy ; An Episode of Sparrows ) offers memorable portraits of Lottie's aunt, neighbors, teachers and acquaintances, among them Violetta, a child crippled by her own mother; prankster Salvador; and rich, spoiled Irene. Readers will willingly forgive the plot contrivances in exchange for Godden's expert narration, her beguiling setting and her heartening celebration of love and happy endings. Ages 10-up.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.