What Is This Book?

[mariposalabrown]

Does anyone remember an old young adult book about a poor girl who wanted to be a ballerina? All I remember is that while the other girls had elegant buns, her ratty hair only made a little ponytail that looked like a paintbrush. My mind keeps telling me that it is Tallahassee Higgins, and I know it's not, but it won't get off of that.

[dwanollah]

The only things I can think of are "Maggie Adams, Dancer" which I know is wrong, and a Cynthia Voigt novel...called... hm... "Comes a Stranger." I don't think that's it either.

[Deleted]

There's one called "Pink Ballet Slippers", about a girl whose mother is a cleaner for some rich family; the girl winds up going to class with the rich girl (I think; details may vary greatly). The whole theme is basically how the girl wants to dance and is too poor even for shoes. It's not quite YA, but it's not chapter book level either (~150 pages).
Even if that's not the one you're thinking of, it's a pretty great example of the genre. I keep thinking about finding it out of print but I only ever see it when I'm too broke to buy it.
ETA Dwan, "Comes a Stranger" was Mina from Dicey's Song getting told she was too "womanly" to stay at dance camp (message really being Queen Latifah can't dance Giselle, I think).

[ernestine]

Does anyone remember a children's picture book on manners that featured animals in the roles of teaching the manners? I particularly remember a picture of a huge dinosaur on a bus and someone was giving up their seat to her.

This is driving me crazy, as I want to get it for my kids for christmas. I don't think it's the Richard Scarry book (but Amazon wouldn't let me check inside. I'm pretty sure it's not though.) It might have been a Little Golden boook of some kind. I read it as a child in the 70's, but I have no idea when it was actually written.

[chonies]

ernestine, I don't think it has dinosaurs, but maybe what you're looking for is Polite Elephant by Richard Scarry? There were some related titles, as well. The hippo gets on the bus and someone gives up a seat for her. I have the most ridic soft spot for Richard Scarry ever and the bears wash their paws before dinner, etc.

[ernestine]

Thanks chonies that could be the book. The drawings look similar. But, I know there was a dinosaur on the bus, and I'm pretty sure that it had actual children interacting with the dinosaurs.

I love Richard Scarry too. His books were chock full of stuff to look at and read and do. Hours of fun and great for long car rides. If I can't find the right book, I will get that one. Seems a good substitute.

So, thanks!

[Margo]

bunny said:

Margo, are you thinking of the Silver Blades series by Melissa Lowell? There's one called Chance of a Lifetime, published in 1998, where "Tori" (maybe the Tara Lipinski character) goes to the Olympics. An Amazon search brings up tons of this series.

Thank you! That's exactly it, and there's even a book about a Russian skater coming to the USA, which I remembered. I've searched and searched and couldn't find these books. So now my obsessive-compulsive disorder is satisfied for some time.

[chonies]

There's also this but I don't recall if it's a full-service etiquette book. There are others by the author, too!

[tipsygrrl]

This is going to make me sound like a crazy lady, but does anyone remember a young adult book about a girl who had to go live with some distant relatives for some reason (maybe they were her aunts? maybe in an old school building?) and in the attic or some room she found and befriended two dolls who were "alive" or possesed by the spirits of the people who owned that house (school?) before and were killed in a fire?

She may have had a strange uncle named Buster (or that may be leaking into my memory from some other book...) and there may have been a scene near the beginning when she arrives at the aunts' house and eats a chocolate bar in front of them very quickly and appalls them with her poor mannners?

[Deleted]

Oh, I've definitely read that book, though unfortunately can't remember the title, tipsygrrl. I don't think it was YA, though, rather children's and also that it won some sort of award because I remember vaguely passing by it several times in the "award winning" kids' books section. I think somebody's name in the book was either Eleanor or Maggie, or maybe both. For some reason, I think the title might be something like "Behind the Attic Wall" or something similar by Sylvia Someone?? It was a creepy book and I didn't especially like it.

Yep, just checked it out: "Behind the Attic Wall" by Sylvia Cassedy, main character is named Maggie. I'm pretty sure this is what you're referring to.