Okay, I admit it: I was skeptical at first because, hey, celebrity writer, but she is either a really good one or had a really good ghostwriter and I really don’t care which because I loved SUGAR PLUM BALLERINAS. This book is about a little girl named Alexandrea whose mother is obsessed with the idea of her becoming a ballerina. Alexandrea would really rather be a speed skater, but likes ballet okay so goes along with the classes. Her mother decides they should move back to Harlem, where the mom grew up – they live in Atlanta now, where her dad’s family is, but he’s been dead since she was two. So they move back to Harlem and her mom enrolls her in this famous ballet school, and thanks to an unlucky draw from a hat Alexandrea is picked to star in the end-of-summer show. Problem is, she can’t do turns at all, AND has horrible stage fright – and her new friends, who can probably help her, are all mad because she got the best part in the show. What on earth will happen?

This book is so, so charming, AND the little girl is African-American as are some of her new friends but it is not remotely about that. It is just what we keep wishing for – a lovely little book about a black child where race isn’t an issue at all. Every child likes to read books about kids who look like them and guess what, publishers? Every child isn’t white. I hope this becomes a series.

It’s coming from Hyperion on October 21st (seemingly in both hc and pb) and is for 6-10; Alexandrea is 9.