Dancing Queen is the latest book in Marci Peschke's chapter book series about spunky aspiring beauty queen Kylie Jean Carter. As the title suggests, the story focuses on Kylie Jean's newfound interest in ballet. Not only does she take lessons at the local community center, but she even plans to audition for a professional production of Swan Lake directed by Madame Girard! Kylie Jean desperately wants to dance the lead and be a part of a perfect production, but a few obstacles just might stand in her way. Kylie Jean will need her positive attitude and determination to be a true dancing queen!
Though this book, like the others in the series, focuses somewhat on Kylie Jean's goal of being a beauty queen, the story is by no means shallow. Kylie Jean might be into fashion, but she's not the least bit prissy. The very first chapter of this book shows her out in the garden, digging away in the dirt with her dress on. When challenged by her brother, she simply points out that wearing a dress doesn't slow her down. Nothing slows down this cheerful and optimistic little girl. When she doesn't get her way, she's not a brat, but tries to understand what went wrong. When there is a problem, she looks around for the tools needed to make things better. Beauty queen obsession aside, Kylie Jean is a great role model.
The writing in these books is very simple and straightforward, with no real frills. New chapter book readers will have no trouble settling into the rhythm of Kylie Jean's voice, and girls who love dancing, and dream of being prima ballerinas will love living vicariously through Kylie Jean's Swan Lake experience. A glossary at the back of the book provides opportunities for learning new words and reinforces the reader's understanding of the text. The very last page of the book lists some discussion questions that would be especially useful for classrooms or book clubs.