This second Sugar Plum Ballerinas book has Brenda, the scientific one, in the lead role. Trouble begins when she tries to impress her wealthy cousin by "borrowing" the shoes of a famous ballerina from her dance teacher. Though the ending stretches credulity, reward and punishment are doled out in a satisfying way. Bubbly black-and-white drawings illustrate the story. Glos.

Gr 2-4 Nine-year-old Brenda Black is a budding ballet dancer and wannabe doctor. She eagerly reads anatomy textbooks, and her hero is Leonardo da Vinci. Though she and her mother have little money, they love each other and enjoy a strong bond. When Brenda's rich cousin comes to stay, she feels an urge to find something to hang over Tiffany's head (even though Tiffany seems to have everything a girl could want). Brenda and her friends hatch a plan to "borrow" their ballet teacher's prized ballet shoes, autographed by a famous prima ballerina, to show them off to Tiffany. The plan goes awry when Tiffany's pooch chews them to shreds, and the Sugar Plum Sisters must fix the unfixable. Fast paced and entertaining, with unique, multicultural characters and positive messages about friendship, honesty, materialism, and forgiveness, this book is sure to take center stage on young readers' lists. Amanda Moss Struckmeyer, Middleton Public Library, WI