Belinda Begins Ballet

 Belinda Begins Ballet, By Amy Young

Belinda is a frilly little girl who is unfortunately born with oversized feet. As she grows older, they grow bigger and bigger until they are so big, she is selected by a teacher to be a clown in the school talent show. Belinda knows that her heart does not belong to becoming a clown because of her silly feet, but is waiting to discover her true calling. One night while she is rehearsing her humiliating clown act in the school gym, she watches an older girl in the talent show practicing a ballet routine and just like that, decides that that is what she needs to do. That being a ballerina is what her heart wants to do. She secretly practices and twirls in her bedroom, and at the talent show, while she is performing her clown dance, she breaks out of the costume and performs an amazing act in front of her peers. They applaud her and want to be just like her. 

I really like this book. It is also a part of a small book series based on Belinda and her many dancing adventures. This is a really good book for reminding students to follow their dreams no matter what obstacles may stand in the way. Even though it is geared at girls, it might be interesting for the teacher to do a gender related unit, where one day during story time a girl book is read, and the next a boy book. However, I think that the boys might even like this funny, motivating story as well...