#100 Dancing Through Fire

Anyone who has read even a little of this blog knows that I love to read. Dancing through Fire by Kathryn Lasky is a perfect example of why I love to read. I don't know anything about dance. I never took a class, never stood en pointe, and I never dreamed of being a prima ballerina. However, in this book, I began to experience a little bit of what it would be like.

Sylvie is 13 years old. She lives in Paris in 1870. She wants nothing more than to grow just 3/4 of an inch so she can be tall enough to move to the next level in the dance company. But this is not just a book about ballet. We soon learn about the dream Sylvie's mother had of being a prima ballerina but how she gave it all up when she married Sylvie's father (who died shortly after Sylvie was born).

Times are hard enough for Sylvie and her mother, who does laundry for wealthy women in Paris. But things get even worse when the war begins and it becomes impossible to buy food. Sylvie discovers that there are members of the ballet, including her own petite mere, who are involved in the war effort, and Sylvie begins to realize that her dreams can be more than just on the stage.

This book is one in a series of Portraits - books that are written about a famous piece of artwork. Kathryn Lasky wrote the story of Sylvie based on a famous painting by Degas. It's a wonderful way to learn about art and history, and to enjoy a great book!

Visit Kathryn Lasky's website here: http://www.kathrynlasky.com/KK/Home.html