Books about dance for 8+

When Yara​’s dance school is threatened with closure, she and her ballet friends stage a special performance, which they hope will save the day. The first in a series, this heartwarming, illustrated chapter book is ideal for ballet enthusiasts.  

Loosely based on the history of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, this heartfelt story brings the magic of the ballet to a whole new audience.

Can Lizzie get her grandad from Glasgow to Blackpool in time for a tea dance at the Tower Ballroom? A heartwarming story about looking after your family, even with the odds stacked against you. 

First published in the 1930s, this classic story of three very different girls who work hard to master their talents has captivated children’s imaginations for decades

A stunning, joyful, coming-of-age story, set in Nigeria, that vibrates with the same energy as the city of Lagos itself.

When Bela wins the Dance Starz talent show, she earns a full scholarship at the Bollywood Academy – but fellow student Monica is determined to stop her in her tracks.

This funny, engaging, body-swap adventure explores fandom, friendship and empathy via an unmissable dance competition, viral videos and throwing away the school rule book. 

Aya is a Syrian asylum seeker, looking after her mother and baby brother in the cold, unfamiliar city of Manchester – but she is also a talented ballet dancer. Children who love stories of performance and friendship will enjoy this book. 

During his week’s holiday, Sam had expected football on the beach but instead finds himself ballroom dancing, holding a funeral for a canary and hatching a plan to help Tess meet her father; a father who doesn’t even know she exists.

It’s Luton, it’s the holidays and there is a heatwave. Low on friends, ten year old Leo is passing the long, lonely summer practising the thing he loves most – dancing. Then he meets his new next-door neighbour – confident and chatty, Richa is everything he isn’t but the two instantly become friends.

This accessible narrative non-fiction book tells the true story of dancer, actress and war hero Josephine Baker. She was born into a life of poverty and segregation in America in 1906 before eventually becoming one of the biggest Black stars of the time.

Maddy was born to dance. As the youngest daughter of a famous ballerina and a world-renowned choreographer, she has been training since the age of four. This sweet story, told from Maddy’s point of view, is mysterious, exciting and highly enjoyable.

Thirteen year-old Summer has always been passionate about dancing, but when the chance to audition for a place at a prestigious ballet school comes her way, she feels sure her dreams are about to come true.

Michaela takes the reader with her from the joys and struggles of her early life in Sierra-Leone to the challenges and delights of her life in America.