Just Dance

Starred review from June 26, 2017
In a characteristically subtle novel set in rural Wyoming, MacLachlan intertwines past and present as she explores the truest meaning of family, home, and fulfillment. Ten-year-old Sylvie Bloom’s mother, a soprano who once performed in grand European concert halls, now uses her musical talent to calm their farm animals (she reserves The Magic Flute for the chickens). Her voice also mesmerizes her daughter, son, and husband, who huddle by the bathroom door when she sings arias in the shower. Sylvie ponders, with some anguish, how her mother could have abandoned her glamorous former life: “It is hard to believe that loving my father is enough. It is hard to believe that Nate and I are enough.” Ironically, as fourth grade ends, the restless narrator longs for “something different” herself, which she finds in a summer job writing (in verse) the sheriff’s log in the local paper: “Not invited!/ A murder of crows/ sly/ sleek/ Eating the Bean field.” Sylvie’s close bonds with her brother and an array of supportive adults distinguish this memorable story, which showcases MacLachlan’s gifts for rich characterization, honest emotion, and deceptive simplicity. Ages 7–up.

July 15, 2017
A gifted wordsmith wonders if her opera-singer mom misses her career.Fourth-grader Sylvie Bloom lives with her parents and younger brother on a Wyoming farm. Her mother was once an internationally renowned soprano but now sings only to cows, chickens, and sheep. This summer, talented Sylvie is assigned by her teacher to compose a daily column about local events for the town newspaper, employing any writing style she chooses. Through her warm, witty, and sharply observed comments and poetry, Sylvie affects neighbors' lives and helps bring about important changes in her community. Meanwhile, an invitation for the whole family from a famous tenor, mom's former duet partner, to his upcoming concert makes Sylvie worry that her mother unwillingly sacrificed her career for her kids and regrets abandoning her glamorous past. Hints from several friendly, wise adults that she already understands her mother's motives but hasn't yet acknowledged them to herself make Sylvie uneasy. This is a sweet, folksy, leisurely paced novel with gentle humor about family closeness and a young girl who discovers that practicing and sharing one's talents is actually quite simple. Characters default to white. MacLachlan's economic writing is sure and knowing, and her characters are likable and fully realized. Some readers may wonder, however, why it seemingly never before occurred to Sylvie just to ask her mother about her decision to forgo the stage. A quiet tale about finding your own voice. (Fiction. 8-11)

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July 1, 2017

Gr 3-5-Ten-year-old Sylvie Bloom enjoys an idyllic childhood with her parents and younger brother on their Casper, WY, farm. But a nagging concern that her mother, once an international opera singer, will eventually find their life dull and leave to return to the stage is not relieved by her mother's obvious joy in her present life, as she sings to the livestock and dances spontaneously with her husband. A summer assignment writing the sheriff's newspaper column exposes Sylvie to his wisdom, the goings-on in the town, and the eccentricities of its residents, but she must confront her fears when her mother's former singing partner comes to town for a concert. This short, quiet, lyrical novel moves along swiftly and is sprinkled with Sylvie's touching poetry. Characters are lightly drawn but distinctive and endearing, particularly Sylvie's brother Nate. Along the way, readers will learn a bit about music, community, and family ties. VERDICT A good choice for empathetic young readers and most middle grade shelves.-Marie Orlando, formerly at Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2017
Grades 5-7 Almost fifth-grader Sylvie Bloom lives on a Nebraska farm with her father, her wise eight-year-old brother, and her mother, who used to be a world-famous opera star. But now Min sings to the chickens and cows, and while she seems in love with her life, Sylvie wonders how can a family be enough when she had fame in her hands? Now one of her mother's singing partners is in concert nearby, making Sylvie uneasy. But other things are on her mind, too. She's spending the summer with the sheriff, writing his newsletter, filling it with poetry, and, through the process, discovering herself. Written in MacLachlan's signature spare style, this is in many ways as much parable as it is contemporary fiction. Girls usually don't spend their days with middle-aged men (two, in fact), win the town's affection with haiku, or have seemingly no friends but idyllic families. Yet, MacLachlan's writing is so immediate that it draws readers in and holds them close. Every page offers something to think about, and when the book is closed, there's more to ponder.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2018
Ten-year-old Sylvie spends a summer writing the sheriff's daily newspaper log and worrying that her mother wants to leave rural Wyoming to be an opera singer again. Sylvie's observations for the newspaper, written as short poems, illuminate the beauty of ordinary people and events. Deliberate repetition creates a musical feeling while providing support for independent readers; this would also make a solid family read-aloud.

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)