Ready to Fly: How Sylvia Townsend Became the Bookmobile Ballerina

More about the book

Lyrical, inspiring, and affecting text paired with bright, appealing illustrations make  Ready to Fly  perfect for aspiring ballerinas everywhere who are ready to leap and to spread their wings! Ready to Fly   is the true story of Sylvia Townsend, an African American girl who falls in love with ballet after seeing   Swan Lake   on TV.  This nonfiction picture book is an excellent choice to share at home or in the classroom.  Although there aren’t many ballet schools that will accept a girl like Sylvia in the 1950s, her local bookmobile provides another possibility. A librarian helps Sylvia find a book about ballet and the determined seven-year-old, with the help of her new books, starts teaching herself the basics of classical ballet. Soon Sylvia learns how to fly—how to dance—and how to dare to dream. Includes a foreword from Sylvia Townsend, a brief history of the bookmobile, an author’s note, and a further reading list.