Instructions for Dancing

Gr 8 Up–After her parents’ divorce and father’s remarriage announcement, Evie Thomas is struggling to believe that true love exists. As a result, she decides to donate all her romance books to the little free library. There, a woman insists she take the book Instructions for Dancing, which is from the local La Brea Dance Studio. Soon after, she see how the relationship of a couple in the park will end. Thinking this is a fluke and encouraged by a friend to return the book, she takes it to the studio, only to find herself dragged into taking a class. There, she meets a sweet, elderly Black couple and the owner’s son, X, whom she ends up partnering with for a dance competition. Soon, she starts thinking she might have feeling for X. Does true love really exist? Narrator Bahni Turpin does a great job of bringing the author’s unique characters to life. Her narration is spot-on when relating deadpan humor, teen angst, and Evie’s newfound ability. The characters are realistic and full of nuance and bring Evie’s world to life. The cast is diverse; most main characters are Black.