Nutcracked

Starred review from June 15, 2017
There's magic onstage and off in this production of The Nutcracker. Unfortunately, there's little call for applause. Georgie, a blonde white girl, wins the coveted role of Clara, the girl who helps defeat the Mouse King and travels to the Kingdom of Sweets with the Nutcracker prince. The magic begins when Georgie holds the antique Nutcracker doll used as a prop in her hands. He has been under a spell for 200 years, and this is the final time he can call for help before he is imprisoned forever. Georgie is determined to do what she can. As she says: "I believe in magic." Rehearsals follow with visits to the Nutcracker's mysterious otherworld, easily entered and easily left. A new friend, Noah, who's black and who is not in the ballet, helps her and is able to travel in and out of the magic as readily. Georgie juggles concern for her sick grandfather, a busy rehearsal schedule, and a messy friendship with a former BFF who has not been cast. She also uncovers a connection between the E.T.A. Hoffmann classic tale, her teacher, and the Nutcracker doll. It's a holiday package all conveniently tied together, with too little delving into its elements to satisfy. Fans of ballet will be disappointed by the lack of detail, and fans of magic will be as disappointed by the smoothness of the spells. (Magical realism. 10-12)

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May 1, 2017

Gr 5-8-Ever since she was five years old, Georgie has dreamed of playing Clara in The Nutcracker. Now that she is a sixth grader, she and her best friend Kaitlyn are auditioning for the upcoming ballet, hoping they will each get the lead part in one of the two casts performing the ballet. The first time Georgie holds the antique Nutcracker doll, a 200-year-old Prussian heirloom belonging to her ballet teacher, she finds herself in the giant room of the Nutcracker story. Oddly, when she returns to real life, it turns out that she was dancing the whole time, and she gets the part of Clara in the second cast. Kaitlyn is so bitter, she stops speaking to Georgie. Unsure of what to do, Georgie confides in Noah, a boy from her reading class, and she steals the Nutcracker doll from her teacher's office. When Georgie returns to the magic world, Noah is transported with her, appearing in the costume of a toy soldier. Georgie must figure out how to rescue both Noah and the Nutcracker and in the process save her damaged friendship with Kaitlyn. While there is a lot going on in this middle grade fantasy novel, Adrian manages to make both the magical and real-life challenges of Georgie relatable and compelling as she navigates the everyday struggles of broken and new friendships, annoying siblings, and family stresses. Some of the other characters are not as well developed, but Georgie is a strong and believable character, and her relationship with her parents is endearing. The conclusion is quick but satisfying, although some elements of the fantasy plot are left a little vague. VERDICT This engaging title will appeal to fans of fantasy or ballet.-Ashley Larsen, Pacifica Libraries, CA

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 4, 2017
Adrian (Tunnel Vision) further blurs the line between reality and fantasy in The Nutcracker, developing a backstory for the enmity between the Mouse King and the Nutcracker. After Georgie Reynolds wins the role of Clara in her town’s annual production of the ballet, she is magically transported to Drosselmeyer’s toy workshop whenever she dances while holding the production’s heirloom nutcracker during rehearsals. There, she meets a living version of the Nutcracker, who asks Georgie for her help. Repeated eerie visits to this obscure realm make for a somewhat slow buildup to the finale, but the electric showdown is worth the wait. Georgie’s real-world interactions with family and friends (her grandfather recently had a stroke, and Georgie is trying to repair a rift with her best friend Kaitlyn, who also wanted to play Clara) add warmth and depth to this atmospheric interpretation. Ages 8–12. Agent: Kate Schafer Testerman, KT Literary.

August 1, 2017
Grades 3-6 Since age five, Georgie has dreamed of being Clara in The Nutcracker. Now in middle school, she gets her chance; but the thrill of landing the part is tainted when her best friend isn't cast, and their friendship fractures as a result. Nevertheless, Georgie excitedly attends the ballet's almost daily rehearsals, yet a strange thing occurs whenever she holds the nutcracker doll: she is transported to another time and place, where the Nutcracker needs her help. Georgie learns that for 200 years, the Nutcracker has fought the same fight, but with her help, this year should end his repetitive battle with the mice. Unfolding through gripping action, Georgie risks losing her role to help the Nutcracker. In her first-person account, Georgie relates how she learns to make and restore friendships, endeavors to rescue the Nutcracker, and aspires to perform her dream role. Adrian's fantasy draws upon her personal experience playing Clara, and the result offers a great new look at the annual family tradition of seeing The Nutcracker ballet.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2018
During Nutcracker rehearsals, Georgie is magically transported to a fantasy world. The Nutcracker Prince has been captured by the Mouse King; and Georgie must free him not just from prison, but also from a spell that forces the toys to reenact their battle every Christmas. Real-world subplots concerning Georgie's family, her changing friendships, and the origins of her special Nutcracker toy add depth.

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

November 1, 2017
During each rehearsal for her role as Clara in The Nutcracker, Georgie finds herself--like the ballet's heroine--magically transported to a fantasy world. The Nutcracker Prince has been captured by the Mouse King; and Georgie must free him not just from his prison, but also from a spell that forces the toys to reenact their battle every Christmas. Narrative parallels to the ballet's plot somewhat undercut the potential for suspense in this fantastical story line, but real-world subplots concerning Georgie's complex family life, her changing friendships, and the origins of her special Nutcracker toy add emotional depth. An engaging adventure for believers in magic as well as for fans of the ballet. katie bircher

(Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)