First published 2011
Jessica discovers that the Nutcracker School of Ballet might lose its lease, threatening the classes she treasures with her Sugar Plum sisters. Walking home from ballet practice, she spots an abandoned kitten and brings it to safety. The local animal shelters cannot accept new animals for several weeks, leaving Jessica scrambling for a temporary home. She decides the ballet school could house the cat until a permanent solution emerges. This plan creates a dangerous complication. The school already struggles with its landlord, and harboring an unauthorized pet could provide grounds for immediate eviction. Jessica must find a way to care for the helpless kitten without destroying the dance studio that means everything to her and her friends. Her rescue mission puts her in an impossible position between compassion and loyalty.
Genres: fiction, family-life, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, heartwarming, whimsical
Tropes: found-family, impossible-choice
Setting: Nutcracker School of Ballet
145 pages · Kindle Edition · Little, Brown Books for Young Readers