Lyrical, inspiring, and affecting text paired with bright, appealingillustrations makeReady to Flyperfect for aspiring ballerinas everywhere who are ready to leap and to spread their wings!Ready to Flyis the true story of Sylvia Townsend, an African American girl who falls in love with ballet after seeingSwan Lakeon TV.This nonfiction picture book is an excellent choice to share at home or in the classroom.Although there arent many ballet schools that will accept a girl like Sylvia in the 1950s, her local bookmobile provides another possibility. A librarian helps Sylvia find a book about ballet and the determined seven-year-old, with the help of her new books, starts teaching herself the basics of classical ballet.Soon Sylvia learns how to flyhow to danceand how to dare to dream.Includes a foreword from Sylvia Townsend, a brief history of the bookmobile, an authors note, and a further reading list.

 

 

This book is aimed at children in preschool-3rd grade.

This book has been graded for interest at 4-8 years.

There are 40 pages in this book. This book was published in 2023 by HarperCollins Publishers Inc .

Marsha Qualey is the author of many books for readers young and old. Though she learned to swim when she was very young, she says she has never tried any of the moves and spins Gracie does so well. Jessica Gibson is a self-taught illustrator born in Detroit, Michigan who has worked with various companies and publishers. Her heart-warming, whimsical illustrations have been featured in many picture books, magazines, and some galleries. She has a strong fondness for animals and nature, and a lot of her artwork reflects this.