About This Book
Reach for this book when your child has experienced a crushing rejection or failed to reach a high-stakes goal and has decided to quit their passion altogether to avoid further pain. It is a sensitive exploration of a young girl named Izzy who attends Silver Spires boarding school while nursing the heartbreak of not getting into the Royal Ballet School. The story focuses on the emotional process of separating one's identity from a specific achievement and learning to love an activity for its own sake again. It is highly appropriate for ages 8 to 12, offering a realistic look at how friends can provide the necessary bridge back to self-confidence. Parents will appreciate how it validates the weight of 'childhood' disappointments without being dismissive.
What Parents Should Know
Sensitive Topics
The book deals with failure and identity crisis in a secular, realistic manner. The resolution is hopeful but grounded: Izzy doesn't magically get into the Royal Ballet School, but she finds joy in dancing on her own terms.
