At the Nutcracker School of Ballet in Harlem, young dancers learn to chassé, plié, and jeté with their Sugar Plum Sisters-but things don't always go to plan! As the girls encounter challenges both on and off stage, they'll need the support of their classmates to carry them through with aplomb.
Brenda Black prides herself on her logical and orderly mind. She studies anatomy books and idolizes Leonardo da Vinci. But things go haywire when her spoiled cousin Tiffany comes to visit. Fed up with Tiffany's bragging, Brenda snaps when Tiffany implies that Brenda is not cultured enough to know who Miss Camilla Freeman is-Miss Camilla Freeman, the very famous prima ballerina. Brenda tells Tiffany that not only does she know who Camilla Freeman is, but she happens to own an autographed pair of her toeshoes.
The problem? Those shoes actually belong to Ms. Debbé, the headmistress of the Nutcracker School! Brenda's anatomy books might get her into medical school one day, but they can't get her off of this ballet slipper-y slope-for that, she'll need the help of her Sugar Plum Sisters!
Illustrated by: Maryn Roos