Across the Floor

by Natasha Deen

Overview

Luc Waldon always figured he knew what his passion was: football. He lives it, he breathes it—and he thinks he has what it takes to go all the way to the NFL. So when his football coach orders him to sign up for contemporary-dance classes to improve his game, Luc's less than thrilled. When he realizes that dance might actually be his true passion, he faces a tough decision. Is he willing to leave behind the field and a real shot at professional sports, and disappoint his parents, his coach and his teammates, in order to pursue a new dream?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781459809208
Publisher:	Orca Book Publishers
Publication date:	08/30/2016
Series:	Orca Limelights Series
Pages:	144
Product dimensions:	4.75(w) x 7.25(h) x 0.38(d)
Lexile:	710L (what's this?)
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Natasha Deen loves stories: exciting ones, scary ones and, especially, funny ones! As a kid of two countries (Guyana and Canada), she feels extra lucky because she gets a double dose of stories. Natasha is the author of many books including the Lark Ba series in the Orca Echoes line, Depth of Field in the Orca Soundings line and In the Key of Nira Ghani which won the Amy Mathers Book Award and was nominated for the Red Maple, MYRCA and R. Ross Arnett Awards. Natasha lives in Edmonton.

Editorial Reviews

"Luc is flawed though self-aware enough to be identified with."

Resource Links

2016-06-22
Learning contemporary dance isn't the most conventional route to earning a varsity football spot, but for Luc Waldon, it's his only shot.After biracial (black/white) Luc, a talented high school athlete, sustains a devastating knee injury, his coach orders him to take summer dance classes as a strength-building exercise. Since he dreams of winning a college football scholarship and hopefully playing in the NFL, Luc will do anything to retain his spot, but what he assumes will be an easy solution to his problem turns out to be far more challenging than expected. Deen (Sleight of Hand, 2015, etc.) is clearly in her element writing about dance, and every leg extension and muscle strain feels achingly authentic, as does Luc's initial cluelessness, providing readers with an excellent introduction to dance terminology. She intertwines Luc's journey as a dancer with a plot detailing his struggle to convince his workaholic father that time spent in the studio and away from the family lawn business is a worthy sacrifice. While the narrative zips along too quickly for some characters to become fully actualized, racial and sexual diversity is seamlessly integrated into the text. Dance is the central focus of the book, and deep reverence for the art form emanates from every page. Sure to satisfy beginners and seasoned dancers longing to relive those first steps that made them love the craft. (Fiction. 10-14)

Kirkus Reviews