When her ballet-nut mother decides to take her costume-designing business from Apple Creek, Ga., to Harlem, Alexandrea Petrakova Johnson (“The closest I’ve ever been to Russia is Atlanta”) finds herself moving from a sleepy little small-town dance studio to the illustrious Nutcracker Ballet School. Much to her chagrin, Al, arguably the poorest dancer in the class, manages to land the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy in the upcoming recital. In order not to ruin the recital and embarrass herself, Al has to conquer the following problems: her trouble remembering the steps, her tendency to lose control when she spins and her terrible stage fright. Luckily, and unsurprisingly, she finds a group of friends who help her overcome all of these obstacles with a lot of practice and some creative solutions. Other problems, including Al’s mother’s difficulty finding clients for her business and her tendency to live vicariously through Alexandrea, reach quick and forced resolutions. Ultimately, though, an endearing multiethnic cast of characters and a positive message of the power of friendship make this one a keeper. (Fiction. 7-10)
