• Age: 8 to 12
• Grade: 2 to 4
• Reading age: 8 to 12

After losing her mother, Clara tries to get used to her new life -- shopping for clothes with dad; Tess' chocolate chip cookies (instead of the sugar cookies Mama made); and more responsibility with her little brother Calvin. Hardest of all, Clara doesn't know how to tell her Dad that dance is just not for her. Mama was a great dancer. But, with the help of her good friends and caring teacher, Clara learns how to grow up without leaving the memory of her mother behind.

Fry Reading Level - 3.2

BETH POLLOCK lives in Toronto, Ontario. She has written three books in the Streetlights series. Her Streetlights novel The Next Step was chosen as a Resource Links Year's Best in 2009 and The Witch of Bloor Street was chosen as a Resource Links Year's Best in 2011.

www.bethpollock.ca

Beth Pollock's profile page

• Commended, Year's Best - Resource Links

"Short, simple sentences are infused with the quirky logic and concerns that plague the minds of eight-year-olds all over Canada. The Next Step is a bittersweet read with an inspiring young protagonist that young female readers will love."

Canadian Review of Materials