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Breaking Big
Will Robin’s big break kill his ballet career before it even starts?
Robin’s got everything it takes to be a principal dancer: the body, the feet, the strength and the passion. But he is better known for pranks than discipline, and everyone is shocked when he’s picked to understudy with the dance company. The choice makes sense though—Robin is cast as Puck, the annoying trickster fairy in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Then the principal dancer is injured—and Robin has to rise to the challenge. No one thinks he can pull it off—and Robin is beginning to fear they might be right.
Robin’s got everything it takes to be a principal dancer: the body, the feet, the strength and the passion. But he is better known for pranks than discipline, and everyone is shocked when he’s picked to understudy with the dance company. The choice makes sense though—Robin is cast as Puck, the annoying trickster fairy in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Then the principal dancer is injured—and Robin has to rise to the challenge. No one thinks he can pull it off—and Robin is beginning to fear they might be right.
144 pages, Paperback
First published March 15, 2016
1 person is currently reading
254 people want to read
About the author
Penny Draper
9 books27 followersPenny Draper is the award-winning author of numerous books for kids and teens. When she's not writing about disasters or dancers or gigantic lake monsters, she can often be found zooming around on her motorbike or standing on her head in yoga class. Before Penny started writing books, she told stories orally, working for many years as a professional storyteller. She shared stories at schools, libraries, castles, festivals, on radio and television and once from inside a bear's belly. But that's another story. Penny currently calls Victoria, British Columbia home. For more information, please visit www.pennydraper.ca.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 6, 2016
Breaking Big, by Penny Draper is the newest book from Orca Book Publishers, in the series that focuses on the 'Arts'.
The reader is introduced to the central protagonist, Robin Goodman, who is part of a student dance troupe where the dancers are scholarship recipients. Hailing from a strong athletically-minded family, Robin is none-the less supported by his family in his decision to join this strenuous art/sport.
I found this to be a very refreshing story about dance, where the central character revolves around a male dancer.
Ms. Draper's crisp, clear writing style reveals a well developed constructed storyline! I really liked how she all the dancers team-up and problem solve, despite their differences!
A totally absorbing narrative that had me smiling throughout the read and enjoyed to see a story revolve around a untraditional male dance figure!
Highly recommended!!
FIVE STARS!!!!
The reader is introduced to the central protagonist, Robin Goodman, who is part of a student dance troupe where the dancers are scholarship recipients. Hailing from a strong athletically-minded family, Robin is none-the less supported by his family in his decision to join this strenuous art/sport.
I found this to be a very refreshing story about dance, where the central character revolves around a male dancer.
Ms. Draper's crisp, clear writing style reveals a well developed constructed storyline! I really liked how she all the dancers team-up and problem solve, despite their differences!
A totally absorbing narrative that had me smiling throughout the read and enjoyed to see a story revolve around a untraditional male dance figure!
Highly recommended!!
FIVE STARS!!!!
April 4, 2016
I enjoyed Penny Draper's Breaking Big. I liked the fact that described a male dancer in ballet, breaking the stereotype. I liked the way it spoke to the complexities of friendships within the competitive environment of ballet. The characters were interesting and the pacing good.
August 17, 2016
My Rating: 3.25
This book was a fun, light read (to help me get through my usual summer reading slump). But there a few things I had issues with. Pretty much all of which was to due with the length of the book.
First off, I'm a theatre kid through and through, and I'm in a provincially recognized high school theatre group, so I can get, understand, and relate to a lot of the things around classes, rehearsals, the "holy shit two weeks to opening and I'm gonna fail" thing, and the indescribable feeling right before the production. With this I could relate to the characters in some ways.
But, due to the length of the novel, it was very hard to feel for characters. I didn't really enjoy the mc until around the dress rehearsal because I just didn't have enough time to get to know him. This book could have been expanded much more, it felt as though the whole production came together in, like, a week and a half. If it was longer the problems I had over characters, setting, and the rushing of events (which in turn caused some important bits to lose their meaning and impact on the reader. (I felt the same problems with the second half of "Followers" by Anna Davies and the first couple of chapters of "Hat Trick #1" by Jeff Adams.)
So in short, my only real complaint with the book was that I wanted 100 or so more pages, to really flush out the characters, the setting, and the problems Robin faced. Where every problem didn't seem as big because everything just happened so fast.
So, this was a great book by Penny Draper, I just wish it was longer! (and thanks again to Karen Upper for lending me the book !!)
This book was a fun, light read (to help me get through my usual summer reading slump). But there a few things I had issues with. Pretty much all of which was to due with the length of the book.
First off, I'm a theatre kid through and through, and I'm in a provincially recognized high school theatre group, so I can get, understand, and relate to a lot of the things around classes, rehearsals, the "holy shit two weeks to opening and I'm gonna fail" thing, and the indescribable feeling right before the production. With this I could relate to the characters in some ways.
But, due to the length of the novel, it was very hard to feel for characters. I didn't really enjoy the mc until around the dress rehearsal because I just didn't have enough time to get to know him. This book could have been expanded much more, it felt as though the whole production came together in, like, a week and a half. If it was longer the problems I had over characters, setting, and the rushing of events (which in turn caused some important bits to lose their meaning and impact on the reader. (I felt the same problems with the second half of "Followers" by Anna Davies and the first couple of chapters of "Hat Trick #1" by Jeff Adams.)
So in short, my only real complaint with the book was that I wanted 100 or so more pages, to really flush out the characters, the setting, and the problems Robin faced. Where every problem didn't seem as big because everything just happened so fast.
So, this was a great book by Penny Draper, I just wish it was longer! (and thanks again to Karen Upper for lending me the book !!)
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews