Whether you are a ballet lover wanting to share your passion with your younger kids or you have a pre-teen who cannot read enough books with a ballet storyline, I have composed a list of 21 fantastic ballet reads.
From fictional ballet books with stunning illustrations to gripping autobiographies of ballerinas, the title below will be a hit for anyone with a ballet obsession.
1. Fancy Nancy
Fancy Nancy is a favorite with younger children. In the book, Fancy Nancy: Budding Ballerina, she shares her passion for dance and all things ballet by teaching her family all the new ballet terms she has learned.
Learn more: Amazon
2. Angelina Ballerina
Another ballerina fan favorite is the Angelina Ballerina series. The series follows her experiences from ballet class to her dream to be a principal dancer. On her journey, Angelina Ballerina from her ballet teacher Miss Lilly and gains a few life lessons as well.
Learn more: Amazon
3. Bunheads
Bunheads is a beautiful ballet book about a young girl overcoming her anxiety over becoming a dancer. Additionally, the book will educate your child about diversity in the dance world. With excellent illustrations, it offers exposure to ballet to a new demographic.
Learn more: Amazon
4. Ballet Shoes
One of the favorite books on ballet is a classic tale by Noel Streatfeild. It tells the story of three adopted sisters. One of the sisters is found in a box of ballet shoes and is destined to be a great dancer.
Learn more: Amazon
5. Tallulah's Tutu
The Tallulah series follows an aspiring young dancer. Each book is beautifully illustrated by Alexandra Boiger. Readers experience her passion for dance and ballerina's dreams as she goes dancing class and performs in her first dance production.
Learn more: Amazon
6. Ella Bella
Ella Bella hopes to be a beautiful ballerina. In the first book in the series, she opens a magical music box on stage, transporting her to Sleeping Beauty's palace. In another book, she and Cinderella journey to save the day.
Learn more: Amazon
7. Pinkalicious
Another favorite is the Pinkalicious series. For beginning readers, Pinkalicious: Tutu-rrific is a great start for little ones interested in ballet. It's a ballet story in an easy-read format with exquisite illustrations.
Learn more: Amazon
8. I Wear My Tutu Everywhere
Young Tilly is like many young girls everywhere who love ballet shoes and beautiful tutus. She wears her favorite tutu everywhere. If she wears her tutu everywhere, she risks ruining it. One day at the playground, she realizes this might be a mistake.
Learn more: Amazon
9. Anna Pavlova
Children with a passion for dance will enjoy the true story of Anna Pavlova. This biography follows young Anna from her first rejection at nine to becoming one of the best ballerinas performing in one elite ballet after another.
Learn more: Amazon
10. Alicia Alonso Takes the Stage
Nancy Ohlin's fiction ballet book chronicles Alicia's life. One of many fiction ballet books out there, it offers a diverse perspective as she moves from a young girl in Cuba to a hard-working prima ballerina who is losing her vision.
Learn more: Amazon
11. Girl Through Glass
For young adult readers, Sari Wilson shows the beauty of dance, but also the darker nuances of the ballet world. Leaving behind a chaotic home life, Mira finds comfort through the difficult and demanding ballet studio schedule as she tries to bring her dreams to life.
Learn more: Amazon
12. Boys Dance!
Looking for encouraging books for your boys in dance class? Check out this offering created with the American Ballet Theater. With first-hand input from ABT's male dancers, it offers another perspective of the ballet world, encouraging young boys to pursue dance.
Learn more: Amazon
13. Life in Motion: An unlikely ballerina
American ballerina, Misty Copeland tells her story in one of the better autobiographies of ballerinas. She shares her childhood dreams and trials navigating the ballet world as a woman of color to become one of the world's most famous ballerinas.
Learn more: Amazon
14. Swan: The life and dance of Anna Pavlova
For fans of Anna Pavlova, the Swan by Laurel Snyder is another chronicle of her ballet career. Another portrayal of the life of one of the world's elite prima ballerinas was crafted to inspire a love of ballet in a new generation.
Learn more: Amazon
15. Hope in a Ballet Shoe
Another gritty look into the world of ballet through one of the less well-known autobiographies of ballerinas. An aspiring ballerina, she is a survivor of the war in Sierra Leone, who struggles with past traumas and navigating her ballet career as a dancer of color.
Learn more: Amazon
16. 101 Stories of the Great Ballets
A no-nonsense look at the actual ballots themselves. For people with a new interest, the book exposes you to ballet and the stories that are told through the movement and grace of the dance. The book allows readers to experience the ballets told scene by scene.
Learn more: Amazon
17. Technical Manual and Dictionary of Classical Ballet
One of the best-selling books on all aspects of ballet technique. From basic steps to pronunciation, this book is a goldmine of information with excellent illustrations.
Learn more: Amazon
18. The Pointe Book: Shoes, Training, Technique
The Pointe Book is more than just a book about ballet slippers. It offers information on ballet classes, dance studios, and ballet schools with input from ballet experts. The text offers new information on male dancers en pointe and dance tips for preparing your pointe shoes so they are ready for you to dance.
Learn more: Amazon
19. Teaching Ballet Creatively
Beginning ballet teachers will find tips and tricks for working with young ballet girls and boys. The book offers a myriad of games and creative ballet movement ideas to get your little beginners learning techniques and having fun in your ballet classes.
Learn more: Amazon
20. A Ballerina Cookbook
Although this text is not one of your run-of-the-mill books about ballet, Sarah L. Schuette's A Ballerina's Cookbook is sure to be a hit with any little girl who is a true ballerina at heart. Engage in quality time while cooking up ballet-themed foods like Tutu Toppers.
Learn more: Amazon
21. Who Was Maria Tallchief?
This read highlights the achievements of Maria Tallchief who is considered to be America's first major prima ballerina, dancing for many companies, including the American Ballet Theatre. Tallchief is also notable for being the first Native American ballerina.
Learn more: Amazon
18 Best Children’s Books About Mental Health for Anxious Children