Alicia Alonso Dances On (She Made History)

by Rose Viña (Author) Gloria Félix (Illustrator)

Alicia Alonso Dances On (She Made History)
Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade

As a young girl in Cuba, Alicia Alonso practiced ballet in tennis shoes. Within a few years, she was in New York City, with a promising ballet career. But her eyesight began to fail.

When Alicia needed surgeries to save her vision, dancing was impossible, but she wouldn't give up her dream. She found the strength and determination to return to the stage and become a prima ballerina.

This is the true story of a woman who overcame her challenges, mastered her art, and inspired others to dance and dream.

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This attractive series shines spotlights on inspiring, deserving role models.--Booklist

School Library Journal

Starred Review

K-Gr 3—The inspirational life of ballerina Alicia Alonso is shared with young readers in this lovingly illustrated beginning biography. Readers are introduced to Alicia in Cuba in 1929, when she was a young girl chasing her dream of becoming a ballerina. Dance schools were extremely rare in Cuba, and soon Alicia had learned all she could and had to travel to New York to continue to pursue her dream. Alicia practiced for hours every day, but just when she was achieving her goal, she contracted an illness that threatened to take her eyesight. After a series of operations, it seemed Alicia's dream was further and further away. But through strength and incredible perseverance, Alicia not only became a prima ballerina, but also a prima ballerina assoluta, and traveled the world sharing an incredible gift that grew stronger even as she struggled with her sight. Short paragraphs and vibrant illustrations bring to life Alicia's dream and make this a perfect book to share with young readers, whether as an individual read or reading together. The illustrations excellently depict Alicia's dedication as well as the difficulties with her eyesight and will inspire readers to chase their dreams amid challenges and struggles. VERDICT Highly recommended for biography collections and nonfiction picture book collections for children.—Selenia Paz, Harris County P.L., Houston

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

 

Classification
Non-fiction
ISBN-13
9780807514542
Lexile Measure
770
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Albert Whitman & Company
Publication date
October 01, 2021
Series
She Made History
BISAC categories
JNF007000 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Biography & Autobiography | General
JNF053180 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Social Topics | Special Needs
JNF039020 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Performing Arts | Dance
JNF018030 - Juvenile Nonfiction | People & Places | United States - Hispanic/Latino
Library of Congress categories
Cuba
Ballerinas
Ballet dancers
Alonso, Alicia
Dancers with disabilities

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