Flirty Dancing

February 1, 2015
In this debut, a shy girl finds herself thrown, literally, into the arms of her dream boy, the boyfriend of a girl who's bullying her.Bea may be shy, and she may not cope well when former friend Pearl mercilessly mocks her and sends her threatening text messages, but she can't help dreaming about Ollie. Pearl has become the queen bee of the school, leaving Bea hiding in the shadows. Even Bea's best friend, Kat, has entered Pearl's orbit. Sadly, Ollie appears to be on the verge of becoming Pearl's official boyfriend. When Bea reluctantly agrees to enter a televised dance contest Pearl is also in, she learns that Ollie will be her partner. The two learn jive dance from Ollie's big sister, Lulu, who owns a dance studio. Bea turns out to be a natural jive dancer, and her shyness melts away while she dances. She and Ollie get along well, but Bea's awareness of his relationship with Pearl keeps her from trusting him completely, threatening their success. Many of Pearl's pranks feel more appropriate to middle school than to high school, but McLachlan takes the bullying seriously. American readers may find a few British references unfamiliar, but they should have no difficulty accessing the story, particularly as it offers plenty of humor to leaven the bullying storyline. Spunky fun. (Fiction. 12-18)

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February 1, 2015

Gr 6-9-Bea Hogg leads a typical adolescent life. She yearns to embrace who she really is deep inside but lacks the courage to do so. Bea seems unable to take the lead on any part of her life. She meekly allows her so-called best friend to betray her and never even considers standing up for herself to the school bully. Things takes a turn when her grandmother arranges for her to be paired with the quietly handsome Ollie Matthews to perform a dance routine on national television. The preparation for the dance is the catalyst for Bea's coming into her own: she finds her voice to combat the bully and predictably wins the love of Ollie. The characters are somewhat two-dimensional: the mean-girl bully, the disloyal best friend, the shy but handsome dance partner, and Bea's irreverent grandmother. The plot is a little slow and predictable, with an obvious ending: the ugly duckling turns into a swan. Further, the protagonist isn't very empowered, and her good fortune seems accidental. VERDICT The plot-driven story is entertaining but lacks real substance.-Patricia Feriano, Montgomery County Public Schools, MD

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2015
Grades 6-9 Mean girls, dancing, and a cute boy kick off this new British-import series. Bea Hogg is quiet and shy, so when the chance to enter a new dance competition comes along, she is not sure she has it in her to enter. After her best friend ditches her for their friend turned frenemy Pearl, Bea's grandmother convinces Bea to try learning jive because her dance teacher just happens to have the perfect partner. Bea's partner turns out to be none other than school hottie Ollie, who is also Pearl's boyfriend. As Bea begins to learn that she has a real talent for jive, she sheds her shy self, stops worrying about her weight, and begins to gain the confidence to stand up for herself. While the details of the dance competition are not always lucidly executed, Bea's growth from wallflower is nicely developed. Bea is a relatable character, and the supporting cast of her goofy grandmother, excitable younger sister, and the crush-worthy Ollie make this an enjoyable read ideal for fans of Meg Cabot and Louise Rennison.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)