• Age: 9 to 12
• Grade: 4 to 7
• Reading age: 9 to 12

With a coveted apprenticeship up for grabs, Nova isn't sure she'll make it in the big leagues, and now she's not even sure she wants to.

Seventeen-year-old Nova Abbott grew up dancing barefoot in the backyard with her aunt Ivy, whose dreams of becoming a professional ballerina were cut short by cystic fibrosis. Nova is invited to attend a prestigious ballet school's summer intensive program. She is a bit overwhelmed by New York City: the bustle of people, the talent of the other dancers, the demands of the instructors and being separated from her beloved aunt, whose health is deteriorating rapidly.

This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for middle-grade readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don’t like to read!

Katherine Richards' profile page

• Commended, CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens

Katherine Richards has an MA in Creative Writing from Bath Spa University in the UK. She trained in classical ballet at the International School of Ballet for fourteen years, dancing in productions such as The Nutcracker, Les Sylphides and Coppélia. Nova in New York is her first novel.

&quotAccessible and genuine…An authenticity that serves the reader well. Excellent.&quot

Resource Links