Do you remember when the Meg Ryan character walked into Tom Hanks' FOX BOOKS store and the customer asked about the "Shoes" books, and a monologue about the wonders of Noel Streatfeild's "Shoes" books ensued, touching on Dancing Shoes, Ballet Shoes, and Skating Shoes, which is absolutely wonderful? That scene made me break down crying, because I had never heard anyone other than myself talk about these terrific books, and the fact that it is tragic that they are mostly out of print and hard to find. This book is a wonderful story of working hard for a goal, and accomplishing it, or at least getting on the road to achieving a reasonable, yet magical, goal. If you want a great book for your favorite elementary school girl, buy this one - then buy the other "Shoes" books (and get a copy of Tennis Shoes for your favorite boy too!)

this sweet story of two children who go to live with their uncle in the circus community is a look into a way of life many never see. as a child it fascinated me and as an adult i still have it on my list of "to reread books". if you can find it you will not be disappointed!

A gently rhyming book of the dreams of a rabbit, horse, ...fish, bird,...little boy, little girl etc. And the reiterated reminder "Think of the world as it can seem,
Towards such a world first comes the dream."

The world can become a better place, but first we must dream the dream. A very timely reminder from a book written over 50 years ago

Pauline, Petrova, and Posy are adopted by an absent older man and brought up lovingly by his niece and her former nanny in pre-war England. The girls attend a performing arts school, and the story tells about their successes and failures both on- and offstage. As they try on ballet shoes, literally and metaphorically, the girls deal with fears, ego, talent, persistence, opportunity, competition, ambition, respect, and being poor among well-off peers. Eventually each girl finds her own right path. Ballet Shoes was the best-loved book of my book-loving childhood, because I too was dance-crazy; because the three sisters were so different and so loyal; because so many kind adults helped them; because the "Britishisms" were so fun to read and learn; and because Noel Streatfeild's writing is good and plain, her characters are clear, and her plots are honest. Through this book, I learned that performing is work and joy; that everyone's different selves and lives deserve respect; and that independent women, and girls whose dreams are for themselves rather than Prince Charming, have good lives. This book may be especially good for poor children, for children with stars in their eyes, or for children growing up without blood relatives. Ballet Shoes helped me build an unshakable optimism, and I recommend it unreservedly.

As many before me have alreay stated, Streatfield's books were introduced me through my favorite movie, "You've Got Mail". When I was wandering through the library, looking for another book, I saw the name Streatfield. Having seen the movie so many times, I suddenly remembered that, in the movie, Meg Ryan loved these books. I never did find the other book, But Ballet Shoes was well worth it. I love it and I think that anyone who has children, or is young at heart, should read these books. I love them, and I hope to have the entire set soon.

Ballet shoes -- and all of Noel Streatfield's "shoes" stories -- were by far my favorite books as a child. My copy of Ballet Shoes is nearly worn out from being read so many times. The mix of fantasy and reality is perfect -- it sparks a child's imagination of what could, just maybe, happen to her. Interestingly, the "shoes" series was given a bit of publicity in the recent flick "You've Got Mail;" perhaps one of the movie's writers was a fan of Streatfield as well? In any case, I'd recommend this book to any child . . . and any adult wishing to relive childhood through the eyes of three orphaned -- but very lucky -- British children.

I read this book, and not only found it to be extremely interesting, but also educational. I am so sorry to know that it is out of print, that is a major loss of society. It is suspenseful, easy to understand, has a good plot line, and makes you think. It is a great portrayal of how a young boy in the USA deals with a major change in his life, and I would reccommend it strongly to any one of any age. I loved that book!

This was absolutely the best book! I homeschool my children and we are learning French. This book integrates french vocabulary words throughout. We kept a list of all the new words we were learning and by the time we got to the last chapter--which was completely in French, we could read and understand it. It was fabulous. The plot was very intriguing,keeping us on the edge of our seats. It was educational as well as entertaining. I just wish this author wrote more books on this order of integrating French into the English. What a painless way to learn a language!

"The Avion My Uncle Flew" is a classic, a book that I use in the classroom as a teacher, year in and year out. My students find it full of suspense, intrigue, history and humor. They also like to keep track of the French they have learned as they read-- which amounts to pages and pages. If you can't find it in print, I recommend that you scour your library shelves or ask your child's librarian if they have it somewhere in the school district to borrow. Johnny Littlehorn is a very realistic hero and fun role model. At the time that it was written, Homefront Americans took on patriotic roles to support our men and women fighting the Axis overseas, whether it was recycling, rationing, etc. Johnny Littlehorn gets to take a more active role while visiting his uncle in France, even though the war is over. Intrigue and spies go up against All-American Johnny, whose dream it is to have a three-speed bicycle with a lighting dynamo. Refreshing and fun.