Up To This Pointe by Jennifer Longo - OPTIONAL

Longo, Jennifer Up To This Pointe, 368p. Random House Books for Young Readers, 2016. $17.99. Language: (60 swears, 3 “f”); Mature Content: R ; Violence: PG ; 

Harper Scott is a ballet dancer. She lives, eats, drinks, sleeps and breathes ballet. Along with her best friend Kate, her life goal is to become professional ballerina with the San Francisco Ballet Company. When life doesn’t turn out the way Harper plans, she flees (actually lies her way) to the McMurdo Ice Station in Antarctica to Winter Over. Flung into a world that is literally dark, Harper is forced to reevaluate her dream and learns she’s not just a dancer, but a Scott, capable of doing remarkable things. 

I really enjoyed Harper’s journey. While both stories (San Francisco and Antarctica) are not interwoven seamlessly, the reader has a sense of Harper’s acceptance of change, while pursuing her desire to dance. The mature content rating of R is for excessive language, sexual discussions and innuendo and mentioning of drug usage. 

HS– OPTIONAL. Reviewer: aw