Be sure to get the UK edition with this title, though-the US version ( Movie Shoes) is abridged. It’s a lovely book that has memorable characters and some of Streatfeild’s best atmospheric writing. She has to learn how to deal with a difficult co-star and manage her temper, or risk losing the role and her one chance of importance. Once in the picturesque town of Santa Monica, Jane (to her immense surprise) is cast as Mary Lennox in a major film production of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s classic story. The Painted Garden follows ten-year-old Jane Winter, a middle child who has a tendency to get into trouble, as her family moves from rainy England to sunny California not long after World War II. One of Noel Streatfeild’s favorite books was The Secret Garden, and this novel she published in 1949 is a clever retelling of that story. So without further ado, here’s a list of three books I’d love to share with you: Having been a Streatfeild fan since the age of nine, I’m delighted whenever I get the chance to introduce readers to some of her lesser-known stories.

And to be honest, I’m always excited when I see people talk about reading any Streatfeild book, because although some of the Shoes books achieved considerable popularity here in the USA, they just never quite attained the same status as other classic children’s novels. And I’ve spent a large part of the past week immersed in these stories of dance, family and dreams.When you hear someone talking about Noel Streatfeild books, chances are they’ll mention one of her most successful stories, usually in the Shoes series: Ballet Shoes or Theater Shoes (UK title- Curtain Up) or Skating Shoes (UK title- White Boots). I loved it so much I raced down to Borders to buy Skating Shoes (which is, fortunately, no longer out of print). Then, recently, I found a vintage edition of Theater Shoes on Etsy, and started reading it the day after it came in the mail.

I found a copy of Dancing Shoes, under its original title of Wintle’s Wonders, for $1 at Brattle last fall, but had somehow never got around to reading it. (Then I saw the BBC film adaptation with Emma Watson, and loved it too.)

It was several years before I picked up a used copy of Ballet Shoes in Oxford, and of course I loved it. I’d never heard of Streatfeild or the Shoe Books before I saw You’ve Got Mail (and watched poor Kathleen Kelly struggle to control her tears as she helped a bookseller at Fox Books find the right book for a customer). Although Skating Shoes is completely wonderful-but it’s out of print. I’d start with Ballet Shoes first it’s my favorite.

Noel Streatfeild wrote Ballet Shoes and Skating Shoes and Theatre Shoes and Dancing Shoes.

Streatfeild shoe books