Just Like Jenny

by Sandy Asher

Stephanie and Jenny have been best friends ever since they started ballet school together, but when Jenny, several years older than her 13-year-old friend, moves toward a professional career, Stephanie is left behind.

Genres: Young Adult

Paperback

First published January 1, 1982

About the author

Sandy Asher, a playwright and children's author, is probably best known for her young-adult novels and other prose works for young readers. Drawing many of the ideas and characters for her writings from her childhood memories, Asher has earned critical praise and numerous awards for novels such as Just like Jenny, Things Are Seldom What They Seem, and Everything Is Not Enough. In addition to fiction, Asher has also edited the story collections On Her Way: Stories and Poems about Growing up Girl and the award-winning With All My Heart, with All My Mind: Thirteen Stories about Growing up Jewish, which collect works that address many of the same adolescent concerns Asher confronts in her fiction.

Reviews

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book surprised me. It's unexpectedly complex and relatable. Stephanie is 13 and an eighth grader. Her best friend Jenny is two years older and they've been at the same dance school for years. It's much more than just about Stephanie looking up to Jenny and her dance ability though. There's school stuff and boy stuff and family stuff to round it out.

There's still disordered eating of the dance world and the line "There's nothing more pathetic than a fat ballet dancer." But there's also her mother's C-R group (consciousness-raising) and her saying,"Oh, oink!" when her husband is acting chauvinist. So points for that. And for references to West Side Story and A Chorus Line.

Plus the writing is quite good.

[Amanda Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is always enjoyable, it's like a comfort read for me.

[Carolynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Best friends Stephanie and Jenny are young ballet students but Stephanie lacks the confidence that Jenny has. After some apparent failures, Stephanie finds her own way. Not a bad YA book with a theme that is still relevant.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a kid, I loved ballet books.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book so much!!!