Ellie in First Position

Written by Brian Freschi · Translated by Nanette McGuinness · Illustrated by Elena Triolo

A clumsy girl dreams of ballet, but can she convince her mom to let her dance?

4.0 Goodreads · 192 ratings

176 pages· ~500L

$13.99Save 4%

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Bookroo's summary

Ellie, a ten-year-old struggling to fit in at her new school, faces a dilemma. Her mom insists on sports for friendship, but Ellie fails at every attempt. Inspired by her cousin's ballet, she dreams of dancing. Can she persuade her mom to support her passion? As Ellie navigates new friendships, first crushes, and bullies, she learns resilience and self-love. Will she find her place on the dance floor and in her own heart? Discover a heartwarming tale of determination and dreams in this delightful graphic novel.

From the publisher

2024 Best Graphic Novels for Children by ALA - Top Ten Can a sports klutz reach her dream and dance? A charming and hilarious, slice-of-life, middle-grade graphic novel about ten-year-old Electra who refuses to give up her dream of doing ballet. On Texas Library Association’s LITTLE MAVERICK’S, Recommended Graphic Novels for Grade 3-5 list.After moving, Ellie feels lonely in her new class. Mom has a solution, the girl needs to join the school’s sports team to make friends. There is only one problem, no matter what sport she tries Electra makes an utter fool of herself. In the middle of her misery, enchanted by her cousin’s ballet performance, Ellie suddenly knows what she wants more than anything, dancing. If only Mom could agree. A page-turner, full of relatable conflicts, Ellie in First Position is a humorous, positive, and heartwarming story about resilience, self-love, new experiences, and friendship. By the end of the book, Ellie doesn’t only learn to accept herself and her family, makes new friends, and even has her first crush, but manages to deal with her bullies too. Fans of The Babysitters Club, Fancy Nancy, or the Stepping Stones series will love Ellie in First Position.

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