(4) YA Recently heartbroken college freshman Harley has begun dating Cassandra, a student at the renowned local ballet school. He's heard rumors about the ballerinas but dismisses them as townie animosity--until some uncomfortable encounters with Cassandra's creepy colleagues. This eerie story is an awkward melding of ballet novel with horror that will appeal to only a small niche of readers.

Reviewer: Norah Piehl

(4) 4-6 Hot Topics in Media series. This series, aimed at middle-grade readers, explores controversial issues in the media, looking at both sides of a topic and including discussion questions to prompt critical thinking. The page design is uninspired, but photos and sidebars enhance the texts. Body Image offers the most interesting discussion of a topic not generally found at the elementary school level. Reading list, timeline. Glos., ind. Review covers these Hot Topics in Media titles: Body Image and the Media, Parental Guidance Ratings, and Banned Books.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(3) YA When Tessa's straight-as-an-arrow FBI father and her newly fashionable mother object to her relationship with the sophisticated Lucien, Tessa rebels and determines to follow her heart. But Lucien's dark side quickly proves too much to handle. Conway's adept use of the Buenos Aires setting tempts readers to imagine life as a wealthy ex-pat, and Tessa's conflict and choices are deeply felt.

Reviewer: Hannah Rodgers Barnaby

(3) 4-6 Fifth grader Anna and her best friend, Katy, suddenly encounter lots of changes. Most dramatically, Katy's family has to put her severely mentally disabled brother in an institution, causing Anna to feel hurt when Katy shuts her out. Conway describes, with sensitivity, Anna's anxiety about growing up. The story is sad but not overly so.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(3) YA Although Giselle's choreographer father died ten years ago, the aspiring ballet dancer has always felt closer to him than to her glamorous ballerina mother. A romance with thoughtful suburbanite Will forces Giselle to confront the truth about her father's illness and abusiveness. The cultured Manhattan setting; its sophisticated, well-drawn characters; and a strong plot elevate Giselle's story above run-of-the-mill ballet novels.

Reviewer: Norah Piehl