Ready to Fly
Picture Book Read Aloud
book summary
Ready to Fly is the true story of Sylvia Townsend. Sylvia, a young African American girl, falls in love with ballet after watching Swan Lake on TV. Unfortunately, in the 1950s, most ballet schools would not allow an African American girl to attend classes. Sylvie did not give up on her dream. She checks out books from the book mobile and learns everything she can about ballet.
Sylvia’s 4th grade teacher notices her talent and passion for ballet and provides the encouragement Sylvia needed to begin teaching ballet to other girls in the neighborhood. After lots of practice, the girls perform together at the school’s talent show. It was there that Madame Sawicka, a dance teacher from Russia, notices Sylvia’s talent and invites her to join a ballet class.
suggested teaching point
On page 11, discuss the author’s word choice and use of an idiom with students.
Sylvia said that she could feel her “wings growing one feather at a time”. Sylvia does not literally have wings. In this case, the author is using an idiom to help explain the story in more detail to the reader. When authors say that people are spreading or growing their wings, they are experiencing something new for the first time. It means that the people are becoming more confident and learning something new. Make a connection. Think about a time when you were growing or spreading your wings
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