Three children are forced to live with their grandmother during the war while their father is away in the Navy. They are sent to the Children's Academy for Dancing and Stage Training. Their grandmother and grandfather and all their aunts and uncles and cousins are actors and actresses, so their grandmother expects them to inherit this family talent. Sorrel, the eldest girl, is given a scholarship for dramatic acting, but she doesn't know if she really deserves it, or is it just her family fame that makes everyone expect great things from her. Mark, the only boy in the family, has a good singing voice, but he wants to be in the Navy like his father when he grows up. He hates the Academy, and wishes he could go to a proper boarding school. The youngest girl, Holly, is happy with her dancing classes, but she feels out of place because they are poor. All the other children have nicer clothes and fancy cases for their tap shoes. But these three siblings will have to find their own place in the theater despite their difficulties.

I love the characters in this book! They are all so imaginative and they have really cute games of pretend. Mark is especially imaginative, and if you can get him imagining something fun, then he enjoys even dance class. Sorrel feels like she is responsible for everyone, like a typical eldest child, and especially because there is a war on, she works really hard to protect her siblings.

The writing has such a sweet charm! The story is interesting and funny. I love this series of books!

Rachel and her sister Hilary are left as orphans, and they have to live with their Aunt Cora who runs a dancing school. Hilary likes dancing, but Rachel is terrible at it. Rachel is determined that Hilary ought to learn proper ballet and be admitted to the Royal Ballet School someday, but Hilary just wants to goof around with her friends in tap class. The star of the dancing school is their cousin Dulcie who is spoiled rotten and makes their lives miserable. Rachel wishes that she could convince Hilary to outshine everyone with her ballet skills, maybe then Dulcie would realize that she's not the only star of the show.

I love this sweet story! There are so many layers to the characters, and Rachel is especially complex. She is always misunderstood and pushed into the background because she is quiet and reserved. It's really interesting to see how she interacts with people who take the time to get to know her better, and they discover that she is intelligent and kind and very talented in her own way!