Dare You to Dance

by Rebecca Mock

From the award-winning illustrator of The Four Points series comes a heartfelt middle grade graphic novel about a small-town ballerina attending a prestigious dance workshop. Determined to push herself, she picks the best dancer in class to compete against—only to discover that what her rival really needs is…friendship.

Gracie is ready to take on the ballet world -- starting with the Young Dancer Summer Workshop in New York! It's a two week summer course, and while she misses her family in Ohio, she is ready to show this ballet school that she has what it takes.

Too bad none of the other students got the memo and now Gracie feels like she's already being left in the dust! Luckily, she knows the best way to get herself motivated is with a good rival and who better to pick than the star of the class, Sariah!

Except Sariah doesn’t seem interested in a fun competition with Gracie. In fact, she's so serious that it seems like she barely enjoys dancing at all? Can Gracie break through to Sariah and find the exciting rival she wants? Or is this rivalry, and Gracie's future in ballet, both doomed before it can even start?

Genres: Graphic Novels

224 pages, Paperback

Expected publication July 28, 2026

Reviews

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

Overall, I did not care for this book as much as I wanted to care for it. I loved the illustrations and they felt like dreamy watercolors from a dream. I have loved Rebecca Mock's other illustrations, so I'm not surprised I loved these. What I didn't care for was the developmental arc of our main character. She never really adjusts to living in NYC which is almost never addressed. Her aunt (who she is staying with) is almost never there so that feels inauthentic to me. Her 'rivalry' with this other dancer at the dance camp is entirely 1 sided until the last 10% of the book which was frustrating. I was more invested in the side issues with some of the other dancers vs the main character and what the book was trying to focus my attention on. I don't think this is a bad book by any stretch, just not one I will be sharing with my middle school students.

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC of the book.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is hard to be the new girl, in any situation, because you don’t know all the players. You don’t know who to trust, and who to hang out with. In her home town, Gracie is the best ballet dancer around. But in New York, she is a dime a dozen. Everyone there is good. And most everyone has been to this dance camp. Then she sees Sariah, and decides that is who she is going to be her rival, to do better than her.

But Sariah doesn’t want to play games.

Gracie makes a tentative friend with Sariah, and with Jazz, and even with the bullies, until she realizes what they are doing and saying.

This is a cute story, of finding her place, and experiencing the hustle and bustle that is New York City. I agree with Gracie, it is entirely too noisy.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. This book will be published on July 28, 2026.

[Ashley Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I scribed this question answer book review for my 8-year old daughter:

Who are the characters? And what do we know about them?

Gracie and Sariah are the main characters they are both dancers and they have a bet that their main dance teacher, Miss Margo, would give them the main solo out of the whole class

What lesson did you learn from the story?

To take risks, even when it’s scary.

How did the pictures make you feel?

They made me feel like I was actually in the story because the drawings were so good.

What did you think of the ending?

I liked the ending because it was funny.

Why should someone read this book?

If you like to read stories about competitions, this would be the book for you.

Thank you to Rebecca Mock, the publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC!

[Gretchen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher for this free eARC! All opinions are my own.

Small town girl Gracie travels to New York for a two week ballet class. While there, she meets her rival Sariah, the niece of a famous ballet dancer. However, Sariah doesn't want a rival because she thinks it makes her less serious about ballet. #DareYouToDance #NetGalley

[Tiffany Seward · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐ Middle Grade Graphic Novel | Ballet | Friendship & Growth

Thank you to Random House Children's Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Dare You to Dance is a fun, engaging graphic novel that pulls readers right into the dramatic, disciplined, and inspiring world of ballet. The story follows three girls who all dance for very different reasons:

Our main character dreams of having a true rival and wants to follow in the footsteps of her ballet role model.

Her best friend dances simply for the joy of it.

And her rival is driven by the desire to redeem a past mistake made by her predecessor.

As their stories intertwine, the comic explores themes of motivation, pressure, comparison, and what truly matters at the end of the day.

It's a thoughtful and encouraging message for young dancers learning to balance passion with well-being. The visuals bring the ballet studio to life, and the glossary of ballet terms is incredibly helpful, especially for readers who are new to the world of dance.

Overall, Dare You to Dance is a must-read for kids who love ballet, are beginning to dance, or simply enjoy stories about ambition, friendship, and finding your own path.