Nutcracked

Gr 5–8—Ever since she was five years old, Georgie has dreamed of playing Clara in The Nutcracker. Now that she is a sixth grader, she and her best friend Kaitlyn are auditioning for the upcoming ballet, hoping they will each get the lead part in one of the two casts performing the ballet. The first time Georgie holds the antique Nutcracker doll, a 200-year-old Prussian heirloom belonging to her ballet teacher, she finds herself in the giant room of the Nutcracker story. Oddly, when she returns to real life, it turns out that she was dancing the whole time, and she gets the part of Clara in the second cast. Kaitlyn is so bitter, she stops speaking to Georgie. Unsure of what to do, Georgie confides in Noah, a boy from her reading class, and she steals the Nutcracker doll from her teacher's office. When Georgie returns to the magic world, Noah is transported with her, appearing in the costume of a toy soldier. Georgie must figure out how to rescue both Noah and the Nutcracker and in the process save her damaged friendship with Kaitlyn. While there is a lot going on in this middle grade fantasy novel, Adrian manages to make both the magical and real-life challenges of Georgie relatable and compelling as she navigates the everyday struggles of broken and new friendships, annoying siblings, and family stresses. Some of the other characters are not as well developed, but Georgie is a strong and believable character, and her relationship with her parents is endearing. The conclusion is quick but satisfying, although some elements of the fantasy plot are left a little vague.