Another inspiring bio by Rebel Girls, this one for middle grade readers on visually impaired Cuban ballet dancer Alicia Alonso. The story empowers girls of differing abilities to pursue their dreams, no matter the obstacles, just as Alicia did in real life.

Rebel Girls’ books always engender hope and the illustrations by female artists are always gorgeous. Highly recommended!

5 of 5 Stars

Pub Date 18 Aug 2020

Thanks to Rebel Girls and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.

#RebelGirlsSeries #NetGalley

This is another great entry to the Rebel Girls series of chapter books. Alicia Alonso is an inspiring dancer that persevered in the face of many challenges. Her story is told in an accessible way and with fun illustrations. As always, thank you, Rebel Girls!

An uplifting historical children's introduction to the famous Cuban ballet dancer, Alicia Alonso, with beautiful illustrations to accompany the story of her life.

This is a great book, and great series, about the determination that Alicia Alonso had in becoming a well-known ballerina. Born in 1920 in Cuba, ballet was not the cultural norm, but Alicia knew from a young age that she wanted to be a ballerina. Her first big role was as Giselle and the descriptions of the ballet are truly wonderful. Her family figured it was a passing phase, but ballet was her life. That was something that was not accepted by most, especially not her family. But Alicia followed her heart and stayed with ballet.

Even more than her family not supporting her at first, when Alicia was 19 she found that she had a detached retina and was going blind. That still didn't stop her from dancing. She had to find ways to make it work and was loved enough by her fellow dancers that they helped make it possible.

Rebel Girl stories are really great tools to let kids know of women who wouldn't back down from a challenge and lived their own perfect lives. They are written just right for the 8-12 crowd that they are intended for.

I always loved ballet stories growing up (and still do now), so this was a lovely read - a true story, of Alicia's journey from dancing around her living room in Cuba, to dancing on stage in New York City, and the problems with her eye health which nearly put all her dreams to rest.

This Rebel Girls book follows Alicia Alonso as she overcomes obstacles - from her family's disapproval to a career-ruining health condition - to become a world-famous ballerina, choreographer and dance teacher.

The book follows Alonso's life story quite well - although the time jumps are somewhat confusing at times - and the illustrations accompanying the text are absolutely lovely. The language is clear and age-appropriate but doesn't shy away from more technical terms in the areas of dance and theatre. All in all, an inspiring true story for middle graders.

Thanks to Rebel Girls for the ARC!

This novel is based on the life of Alicia Alonso, one of the most wonderful ballerinas from Cuba. People could see how talented she was since childhood, but her life wasn't easy. At some point, it seemed like she would never be able to dance again after losing her sight. How could she dance without seeing the stage? But her love for the dance was bigger than her fear. She practiced a lot and never gave up on her dream. And by doing that, she was able to help others too.

The Rebel Girls books are intended for children, but I always read them when I have the chance. They always bring inspiring, positive messages. I love how they tell stories about women from all around the world, exploring the different aspects of our cultures and presenting them to the children. For example, some words from "Alicia Alonso takes the take" were written in Spanish.

And also, the illustrations are absolutely beautiful.

Such a brilliant little book! Alicia Alonso had a memorable mention in the first volume of "Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls". This book is on similar lines but instead of a hurried one-page snippet, it depicts Alicia's dreams, her hard work, her struggles with her vision and her determination to overcome the problems. I admired how she wished to be seen as a dancer and not as a blind dancer.
Her life is inspiring to every little girl out there who wishes to be in a career that is not considered "appropriate" by the family. Highly recommended, like every other book in the Rebel Girls series.

As someone who has spent parts of my professional life in the world of ballet, I am always looking to expand my arts education and share it, and this book would be a welcome addition to the library of any young person with an interest in dance. Alicia Alonso was an extraordinary woman and Rebel Girls has done a stellar job of telling her story with realism and sensitivity. I will absolutely be recommending this book and look forward to what's next from Rebel Girls!

Thank you for the advance copy of this book, to both NetGalley and Rebel Girls.

A wonderful book that introduces readers the life and work of ballerina Alicia Alonso. It is written in an accessible, engaging style that is well-suited for younger readers, and accompanied by colorful illustrations. It imparts an encouraging message about pursuing your passion, and included are some fun exercises that relate to the story. This is one book within a series, and I really loved the format - I think these books would have been something I really enjoyed when I was younger!

It is difficult to find true inspirational stories of real women with disabilities. I loved the little learn the movement sections. Alonso is a truly inspirational woman that everyone should know about.

I enjoyed Alicia Alonso in the rebel girls series the characters illustration are vibrant and have beautiful vibrant colours which bring life in the characters in Alicia Alonso s life. Out of rebel girls series part this story is my favourite and tells us the story in such a simple language that you just can't leave the book. The book is light and emotional which makes you realise the power of Alicia Alonso s story. A book which is colourful and takes you on a journey of a rebel girl which is unforgettable.

I love the idea of these books about women who worked hard and rebeled to get to where they wanted to be, and it is fun to learn about women who were famous in their time, but are now largely forgotten. And although this book was well-written, I found myself getting a little bored, as I waited for something to happen.

Not to say that Alicia's story is not inspiring, it is. To dance what she danced, while going blind, is truly amazing. I just found the story of how she got there seemed to be drawn out a bit much.

However, it is a good way to introduce her, and a good way for kids to get interested in people and their lives.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

Alicia Alonso Takes the Stage is one of the books in a series published by Rebel Girls. It's a more in-depth look at the life of an influential woman in history, someone who persevered in spite of obstacles and proved herself in a certain field. Alicia Alonso was a famous Cuban prima ballerina who became well-known all over the world. Her grit and work ethic were obvious when she became visually impaired.

The story follows Alicia from her childhood in a prominent Cuban family in Havana, through her dance classes as a teen and young adult, to her marriage to Fernando Alonso, and her first opportunities to dance ballet on big stages in the US. It is simply told, but it captures the essence of her character and focuses on the positive aspects. It's just as encouraging and inspiring for an adult as it is for a child. What's great about these stories is that they're not just for girls. In this story, for example, Alicia Alonso's husband was a ballet dancer as well. That's so cool for boys and girls to see, I think.

At the end of the book there is some information about ballet, a few techniques and prompts to immerse the (young) reader into the world of this art.

The book beautifully accompanies the episode on theGoodnight Stories for Rebel Girls podcast, episode read by Yuan Yuan Tan, a prima ballerina with the San Francisco Ballet.

Hello, unfortunately I can't read this book on my kindle. The pages are not in order and it is jumping all over the place!!

Yet another gorgeous book by Rebel Girls highlighting the lost women of history alongside charming illustrations that really bring the story to life!

As always, I adore these Rebel Girl stories and support their aim's of uplifting women's stories across the globe.
I think these books are fantastic across the ages - I'm always learning something new (and embarrassingly, often have never heard of the female protagonist). But by young readers are learning alongside me, so we can discuss everything together.

The text of this book is aimed at an upper primary/middle grade reading age, although some younger reader's would be fine. Chapters are only a few pages long and are always accompanied by bright illustrations.

Alicia Alonso's story is a fascinating look at passion and dedication. What an amazing life and legacy. Another wonderful addition to this series.

Another book in the Rebel Girls series highlighting Alicia Alonso's story and life. Told with beautiful illustrations that aid in the story telling. The book provides a detail enough description of Alonso's life, and adds some fiction to make the story flow. Good to add to a historical fiction collection.

Alicia Fonso Takes the Stage is a middle grade novel about Alicia who dreams of being a dancer. It was a quick fun book to read and anything is possible. I would have like the story to flow a little bit better.

Thank you #netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love the Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls books, and I think these illustrated novels will be a fun addition to those stories. This was a quick, light read, and also very informative. I think they hit on all the important parts of Alicia's life, and I can see how she will be a role model for many girls and boys that are interested in dance.