"Every girl remembers her first trip to the ballet: the anticipation beforehand, the orchestra's first notes, the ethereal beauty of the ballerinas. This is a tale of one such girl who was caught up in ballet's mesmerizing spell and became one of the greatest ballerinas of all time.In a story drawn from her memoirs, Anna Pavlova describes her first visit to the ballet to see the "Sleeping Beauty." With simple, childlike language, she captures her love for her mother, the splendor of the ballet, and the moments that changed her life. The words are matched with paintings, pastels, and drawings of the French Impressionist Edgar Degas, to give this story all the magic of a fairytale.
Complete with short biographies of Pavlova and Degas, "I Dreamed I Was a Ballerina" will delight any child with ballerina dreams."
This is the story of Anna Pavlova's inspiration as a young child. Although this is a picture book for young readers, I enjoyed just as much as I would have at a younger age. The description of the theatre is as simple and beautiful as any. I connected with Anna and her passion for the ballet. Also, I thought the mixture of short passages by Anna and mezmoring works by Edgar Degas mixed wonderfully to give the book all the more atmosphere. I recommend this book to any ballet lover or young reader! I give I Dreamed I Was a Ballerina 5/5 stars.
"Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris - until she meets Etienne St. Clair: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home.
As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near - misses end with the French kiss Anna - and readers - have long awaited?"
What can I say? This book made my heart melt. All the gorgeous boys, the Parisian setting, and creperies around every corner made me want to book a flight to Paris instantly. Each character bounced of the page and came to life in my mind. I felt as though I could connect with Anna. Being left alone anywhere to fend for yourself is always tough to deal with.
The story begins with Anna listing all the reasons why she should not be shipped of to Paris. Good life, loyal friend, hot crush... you get the point. As her life in Paris progresses, she fills her senior year with memorable adventures and a special bond that could last a lifetime.
As I said earlier, the characters were very much involved in bringing the plot to life. Anna's close group of friends were each unique and quirky in their own way. I'm not evening going to begin gushing about Etienne St. Clair.
I hadn't been into much of the contemporary romance lit, but this book changed my thoughts completely. Stephanie Perkins is a brilliant writer and I look forward to reading more of her works in the future! No matter what genre you enjoy, go pick up this book if you haven't already, it's deffinitely worth reading! I give Anna and the French Kiss 5/5 stars.
"A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of very curious photographs. It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children , an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive."
First, let me start off with saying this book is not what it seems. Do not judge this book by it's cover! I waited for a ghost story that never came. Also, do not be misled by the book trailer, which also gives the story a ghostly atmosphere.
Aside from those aspects, this was quite an enjoyable read. My favorite part of this whole book were the antique pictures scattered throughout it. Each unique photograph went along with the story, which led to a clearer mental image of what was being described.
The setting was on an island off the coast of Wales. The weather there was a mix of fog, haze, rain, and stormy days, which made things much more intense. Imagine seeing a man you suspect could be dangerous from a distance, but all you can see is his silhouette due to the amount of downpour. Creepy right?
Jacob, Abraham Portman's grandson, is the main protagonist in the story. After an unfortunate turn of events, Jacob ventured off to the island his grandfather had always told fascinating stories about. The reason for his venture to foreign lands? To uncover the secret of his grandfather's past.
Although not fast-paced at times, it was a memorable read filled with mind-blowing pasts and dangerous secrets. I give Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children 4/5 stars.
