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Ballet One #4
Can David Do It?
David isn't very good in math. In fact, he's in special math, but he wants to be a whiz at something. Then his friend Ellie invites him to Ballet One for moral support. Is Ballet One the answer?
80 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1991
8 people want to read
About the author
Sandy Asher
58 books13 followersSandy 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.
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January 30, 2026
“Ballet #1: Can David Do It?” by Sandy Asher
The children’s book “Ballet #1: Can David Do It?” By Sandy Asher was released by Scholastic Inc. through their Little Apple Paperback series in 1991. The children’s book edition is illustrated by Mark Alan Weatherby.
Francine Sims (Franny) a high school senior and J.T Sims her collegiate brother have concerns about their third-grade brother David’s inability to understand basic mathematics principles associated with adding and subtracting single digit numbers like 4+5 or 7-3. Being smart enough to excel in an intellectual discipline like math or science is different than feeling smart enough to excel. His sister and brother excelled in math and sciences. Their excellence caused David to feel he was not smart enough to master the math and sciences disciplines. His teachers and advisers realized that David’s feelings would change if he would experience something that his brother or sister had never experienced. When they were told that David watched his next door neighbor and friend Ellie Bell’s ballet recitals; his siblings, parents, and teachers realized that ballet could help him overcome his negative feelings about about math and sciences. His parents, third grade schoolteacher, and siblings knew little about ballet. David listened to the discussion and told his teachers and parents that ballet could easily help him overcome his negative feelings about math. They all agreed and encouraged David to become a ballet enthusiast. “They said that “David needs his own place to shine” so that he can overcome his malaise over math and the sciences. David agreed to shine and made a commitment to learn the inner workings of ballet. While watching Ellie’s Nutcracker practices he learned the musical underpinnings of ballet. These ballet underpinnings include front and back side plies, tenders, petite, and betterment movements. He understood in detail the core features of musical ballet. When the book ends, David decides to join Ellie and her friends in a Nutcracker Ballet performing arts learning adventure; and he also was highly motivated to learn and appreciate the mathematical sciences. (P)
The children’s book “Ballet #1: Can David Do It?” By Sandy Asher was released by Scholastic Inc. through their Little Apple Paperback series in 1991. The children’s book edition is illustrated by Mark Alan Weatherby.
Francine Sims (Franny) a high school senior and J.T Sims her collegiate brother have concerns about their third-grade brother David’s inability to understand basic mathematics principles associated with adding and subtracting single digit numbers like 4+5 or 7-3. Being smart enough to excel in an intellectual discipline like math or science is different than feeling smart enough to excel. His sister and brother excelled in math and sciences. Their excellence caused David to feel he was not smart enough to master the math and sciences disciplines. His teachers and advisers realized that David’s feelings would change if he would experience something that his brother or sister had never experienced. When they were told that David watched his next door neighbor and friend Ellie Bell’s ballet recitals; his siblings, parents, and teachers realized that ballet could help him overcome his negative feelings about about math and sciences. His parents, third grade schoolteacher, and siblings knew little about ballet. David listened to the discussion and told his teachers and parents that ballet could easily help him overcome his negative feelings about math. They all agreed and encouraged David to become a ballet enthusiast. “They said that “David needs his own place to shine” so that he can overcome his malaise over math and the sciences. David agreed to shine and made a commitment to learn the inner workings of ballet. While watching Ellie’s Nutcracker practices he learned the musical underpinnings of ballet. These ballet underpinnings include front and back side plies, tenders, petite, and betterment movements. He understood in detail the core features of musical ballet. When the book ends, David decides to join Ellie and her friends in a Nutcracker Ballet performing arts learning adventure; and he also was highly motivated to learn and appreciate the mathematical sciences. (P)
Displaying 1 of 1 review