So, You Think You Can Hip-Hop

February 13, 2012
Best friends Julie, Alia, and Lucie take ballet classes together at a local dance studio where they prepare for their upcoming performance of Sleeping Beauty while dealing with their vain classmate, Carla, who thinks she should be the star of the show. The arrival of the new hip-hop instructor K.T. shakes things up—all the girls at school swoon over him and hope he’ll be in their ballet. Originally published in France, the book is presented in one-page mini-stories. Together, these multiple story lines build a cohesive whole as the dancers prepare for their live performance. Quick and witty pacing will keep readers on their toes while the character illustrations provide spot-on emotion and antics. Ages 7–12.

March 15, 2012
Grades 4-8 Miss Anne's ballet school has just started back after summer break when things get excitingthere's a new hip-hop teacher (and he's cute!) and all of the girls must compete for the lead role in a performance of Sleeping Beauty. Ballet students will certainly love the dance-specific jokes, but readers don't have to be dancers to appreciate the humor in this new series. There is plenty to enjoy as the students fall for their first crushes, learn difficult dance steps, try to eat healthy, and deal with mean drama queens. The story is a quick read, broken down into mostly one-page gags, but the engaging characters and silliness will leave readers eager for the next volume. Crip's cartoon art is accurate enough to please dancers but loose enough to keep things light. This volume has a wide potential audience, with content appropriate for a children's collection, and characters and romance that will appeal to young teen readers. Pair this up with Siena Cherson Siegel's more serious treatment, To Dance (2006), for a graphic-novel ballet double feature.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)