Mean girls, dancing, and a cute boy kick off this new British-import series. Bea Hogg is quiet and shy, so when the chance to enter a new dance competition comes along, she is not sure she has it in her to enter. After her best friend ditches her for their friend turned frenemy Pearl, Bea's grandmother convinces Bea to try learning jive because her dance teacher just happens to have the perfect partner. Bea's partner turns out to be none other than school hottie Ollie, who is also Pearl's boyfriend. As Bea begins to learn that she has a real talent for jive, she sheds her shy self, stops worrying about her weight, and begins to gain the confidence to stand up for herself. While the details of the dance competition are not always lucidly executed, Bea's growth from wallflower is nicely developed. Bea is a relatable character, and the supporting cast of her goofy grandmother, excitable younger sister, and the crush-worthy Ollie make this an enjoyable read ideal for fans of Meg Cabot and Louise Rennison.

Shy outsider Bea pairs up with Ollie, the apparent boyfriend of her nemesis Pearl, to audition for a British dance-competition show. Pearl and her crew step up the bullying, but Bea manages to find confidence and support as she and Ollie progress through the auditions. The stereotypical characters have a lot of room to grow in this comical story with heart.

Gr 6-9 Bea Hogg leads a typical adolescent life. She yearns to embrace who she really is deep inside but lacks the courage to do so. Bea seems unable to take the lead on any part of her life. She meekly allows her so-called best friend to betray her and never even considers standing up for herself to the school bully. Things takes a turn when her grandmother arranges for her to be paired with the quietly handsome Ollie Matthews to perform a dance routine on national television. The preparation for the dance is the catalyst for Bea's coming into her own: she finds her voice to combat the bully and predictably wins the love of Ollie. The characters are somewhat two-dimensional: the mean-girl bully, the disloyal best friend, the shy but handsome dance partner, and Bea's irreverent grandmother. The plot is a little slow and predictable, with an obvious ending: the ugly duckling turns into a swan. Further, the protagonist isn't very empowered, and her good fortune seems accidental. VERDICT The plot-driven story is entertaining but lacks real substance. Patricia Feriano, Montgomery County Public Schools, MD

British heroine, Bea Hoggpossibly one of the greatest heroine names, everslowly emerges from a cocoon of low self-esteem. "Best friend" Kat ditches her to join a TV dance competition with mean girl Pearl, Bea's former best friend. Pearl is always hanging over hunky Ollie Matthews, aka The Hug (for his arms and embrace any girl presumably wants to find herself wrapped up in). When Bea's beloved grandmother coaxes her into taking jive dance lessons, she winds up partnered with Ollie, creating further drama amongst the girls. Shy Bea keeps repeating her Shakespearean mantra, "Though she be but little, she is fierce," and slowly gets over her fears that Ollie is just being nice to herhe certainly would never be interested in heras the competition intensifies.It is a joy to watch as Bea finds her ferocity, even if her constant self-doubting makes her not the most fun person to be around for roughly three-quarters of the book. The reader will enthusiastically agree with Bea's friends who urge her to get over Kat and Pearl. McLachlan offers a story that is relatively predictable yet still enjoyable, an amiable escape. Readers will determine their ability to tolerate McLachlan's general tone from the opening sentence"A small naked person is licking me." The small person is Bea's three-year-old sister, Emma. Readers have all known a Bea. Readers have all been a Bea. If reading her story inspires other Beas to shine, well, then, so much the better.Matthew Weaver.