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Title details for Taking Flight by Elaine DePrince - Available

Taking Flight

From War Orphan to Star Ballerina

by Elaine DePrince
Michaela DePrince
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
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1 of 1 copy available
Michaela DePrince was known as girl no. 27 at the orphanage, where she was abandoned at a young age and tormented as a "devil child" for a skin condition that makes her skin appear spotted. But it was at the orphanage that Michaela would find a picture of a beautiful ballerina en pointe that would help change the course of her life.

At the age of four, Michaela was adopted by an American family, who encouraged her love of dancing and enrolled her in classes. She went on to study at the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at the American Ballet Theatre and now dances for the Dutch National Ballet.

In this engaging, moving, and unforgettable memoir, Michaela shares her dramatic journey from an orphan in West Africa to becoming one of ballet's most exciting rising stars.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    October 13, 2015

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781494598228
      • File size: 164890 KB
      • Duration: 05:43:31

  • Languages

    • English

  • Levels

    • Lexile® Measure: 940
    • Text Difficulty: 4-6

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Allyson Johnson narrates Michaela DePrince's autobiographical story with a sophisticated intensity. From the terror of DePrince's war-torn childhood, to the confusion of life in America, and the challenges in becoming a well-respected black ballerina, Johnson invokes the strength and determination of Michaela's dream. The story begins in Africa, with young Mabinty-turned-Michaela the least favored child in the orphanage after her parents die as a result of the civil war in Sierra Leone. When her American mother adopts her and her best friend, life begins anew for Michaela. Never wavering from her desire to become a ballerina, Michaela struggles to fit into the cutthroat ballet world. Listeners will be struck not just by Johnson's performance but also by Michaela's perseverance in the face of adversity. E.A.B. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from August 11, 2014
      A compelling narrative of the journey of an African orphan whose hard work, emotional strength, and supportive adoptive American parents helped her build a life as a professional dancer, 19-year-old Michaela DePrince’s memoir, coauthored by her mother, holds many stories. Chapters on Michaela’s early childhood in Africa present a powerful portrait of family love and affection set against horrific images of the violence enacted by rebels in Sierra Leone in the 1990s. Later chapters offer a close look at the ups and downs of adapting to life in America for the four African girls Elaine DePrince and her husband ultimately adopted. The book’s strong thread is Michaela’s lifelong passion for ballet and her candid depiction of the physical and emotional struggles of becoming a black classical ballerina. There is plenty of ballet detail for dance lovers to revel in, and the authors achieve a believable, distinctive teenage voice with a nice touch of lyrical description: “I... learned that pain, like the green of the jungle leaves, comes in many shades.” Photos not seen by PW. Ages 12–up. Agent: Adriana Dominguez, Full Circle Literary. (Oct.) ■

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • Lexile® Measure:940
  • Text Difficulty:4-6

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