Though this is not the best thing I've ever read aloud to my kids, I really do appreciate the entire series as s whole. It stars a number of young girls, early tweens I'd say, who take a ballet class together and have some adventures along the way. These girls have backgrounds very different from one another--from super tomboy to frilly girly girl--and are the best of friends.

My girls like hearing about Epatha the best. She's the working class Latina/Italian spitfire who always cracks them up with her antics. Add in the triplets who come from a well-off professional Black family. Terrel, the middle class Asian know-it-all. Al, lower middle class of a single mother. And more.

With kids of color of my own, I'm happy to have this alternative to the norm to share with them at bedtime. ( )