Ballet Shoes for Anna

For Anna, everything takes second place to her burning desire to dance. Even the earthquake that destroyed her Turkish home has not made her think differently, only now she's stuck in a prim suburban household with an uncle who "doesn't approve" of dancing.

What can Anna do? Not only is there no one to give her lessons, but there's no money for them either, and, anyway, dancing's forbidden. Will she ever become the ballerina she longs to be?

About the Author

Mary Noel Streatfeild was most famous for her children's books including Ballet Shoes. She was born in Sussex, England, the second of three daughters of a local vicar. Her life is described in three semi-autobiographical novels: A Vicarage Family, Away from the Vicarage, and Beyond the Vicarage. Noel was considered the 'plain' sister in her family, but she shone in performances with her sisters for charity. Upon reaching adulthood she sought a career in theatre, and gained ten years of experience as an actress, working for the Charles Doran and Arthur Bourchier companies.

Her familiarity with the stage was the basis for many of her popular books for children, which are often about children struggling with careers in the arts. Ballet Shoes has a number of connections to other Noel Streatfeild books and short stories. What Happened to Pauline, Petrova and Posy is a short story in which we are told a little about the way things turne