Showing titles in Music & Performing Arts

The only thing Charlotte loves as much as ballet is Christmas. So, when she gets the opportunity to play Marie in the New York City Ballet's The Nutcracker, she leaps at the chance. Dancing takes practice - hours of adjusting her arms and perfecting her jumps. With the help of her Trinidadian and Filipino families, encouragement from her sister, and a view of her mom and dad in the audience, Charlotte finds the strength to never give up.

The King of Rock 'n' Roll lives! And he's Josh's dad. When 13-year-old Josh finds out that he has to stay with his dad in Chicago for a few months, he's not too thrilled. But when he arrives at the airport, he's simply devastated. His father - who used to be a scatterbrained but pretty normal shoe salesman - has become...Elvis. Well, a sideburn-wearing, hip-twisting, utterly embarrassing Elvis impersonator. Josh is determined to keep his dad's identity a secret, but on his very first day at his new school, a note appears on his locker.

You probably know Adele as the powerful, Grammy Award-winning soul singer of hits like "Rolling in the Deep" and "Set Fire to the Rain." But did you know that she was almost expelled from the BRIT School for Performing Arts, wrote her first single, "Hometown Glory," in just ten minutes, and has an alter ego named Sasha Carter?

Eleanora's journey into legend took her through pain, poverty, and run-ins with the law. By the time she was fifteen, she knew she possessed something that could possibly change her life—a voice. Eleanora could sing. That remarkable voice led her to Harlem nightclubs, the Apollo Theater, and a place in the spotlight with some of the era's hottest big bands. Billie Holiday sang from somewhere inside her that made it seem as if she had lived each lyric, and in many ways she had. This unique talent is what made Billie Holiday more than a singer. She was an artist.

How does a little boy from the London suburbs named Reginald Kenneth Dwight grow up to become one of the biggest pop stars of all time? A lot of talent and a lot of personality! Elton John, as he would later call himself, started playing piano at the age of three. Although he was trained to play classical music, Elton's real love was rock and roll.

Eleven-year-old Lena Daniels never thought she’d get the chance to star in a movie. Headstrong and determined, she has her life planned out to the minute. But when her best friends Savannah and Emma tell her about an audition, she knows there’s nothing else in the world she’d rather do. And now that she’s gotten her wish, Lena finds that being in the spotlight is harder than it sounds. Lena tackles tough choices, learns the value of perseverance, and keeps her hopes high. And she knows her faith and family will keep her feet on the ground and her eyes on the stars.

Ray has trouble at home, and he has trouble at school - until he’s permanently excluded and ends up sleeping on the floor of a record shop. What happens to a boy like Ray? If he’s lucky, maybe he gets a chance to shine. The story of three boys who aren’t easy. They don’t fit in. They seem to attract trouble. But they know what they want, and they’ve got the talent to back it up.

The filming of an underwater TV show goes awry when the crew gets interrupted by a shark. Poor Shark, he wasn't trying to scare them, he's just misunderstood! Then he's accused of trying to eat a fish. Will Shark ever catch a break? After all, he wasn't going to eat the fish, he was just showing it his new tooth! Or was he? Explosively funny, extraordinarily clever, and even full of fun shark facts, this surprisingly endearing story gets to the heart of what it feels like to be misunderstood by the people around you.

Aretha Franklin was a musical and cultural icon whose legacy spanned six decades! Born in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1942, Aretha got her start singing in front of her father's Baptist congregation and found minor success as a gospel singer. She then set her sights on becoming a pop-music artist and used her powerful voice and impressive skills on the piano to get a record deal. Aretha released her first of many celebrated albums at the age of 18. In 1987, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, making her the first female artist to grace the prestigious list.

Shai Williams was born to be a star (or a veterinarian - and maybe a dentist). She attends a special elementary school for the performing arts, and her grandma Rosa and aunt Mac-N-Cheese are both actresses. So Shai is shocked when she doesn't get the lead role in the third grade musical. Instead the part goes to the new girl, Gabby Supreme, who thinks she is better than everyone else. To add insult to injury, Ms. Gremillion has now asked Shai to help Gabby with the role.

Meet Willam, Harold, and Lew Christensen, three small-town Utah boys who caught the ballet bug from an uncle in the early 1900s. They performed alongside elephants on vaudeville and even put on a ballet featuring gangsters at a gas station. Russian immigrants shared the story of The Nutcracker with them, and during World War II, they staged their own Christmastime production. It was the beginning of a delightful holiday tradition. Follow along and learn how The Nutcracker came to be performed all across the United States from these truly humble beginnings.

Did you know that Oprah Winfrey was not always rich and successful? She started from nothing and yet she worked hard to achieve her dreams. Hers is a story that will inspire young children to dream and work tirelessly toward that dream. Get to know the real Oprah Winfrey. Listen to this book today!

John Lennon’s mom called him “Stinker” because he farted so much! Paul McCartney’s car was wrecked by chickens! George Harrison once had his friend’s parent sign his bad report card! Ringo Starr’s grandma thought he was possessed by witches! Wait! What? Siblings Paige and Turner have collected the most unusual and surprising facts about these rock stars, from their childhoods and early days as musicians to the formation of the Beatles and their skyrocketing journey to become the greatest band in the world.

The friendly piano is thrilled when a young musician named Katie first presses its keys. As Katie and the piano become daily companions, her musical skills grow and grow. Together, they play beautiful music to match her every mood. But when Katie moves away for college, the piano is left behind, untouched and silent. What happens next helps the piano - and young listeners - see learning as a never-ending cycle and music as a lifelong source of joy.

There's no business like show business! And for the Awesome Possum Family Band, they're about to get their big break! The youngest possum wants to join in the music making but doesn't know his talent.

This is the story of Sunny Park, a seventh-grade student at Ranchito Mesa Middle who loves the K-pop band Supreme Beat, hanging out with her cool grandma, dancing when no one is watching, snacking on shrimp chips, and being there for Bailey, her best friend since third grade. When Bailey decides that she and Sunny should audition for the school dance team in a ploy to parent-trap Bailey’s divorced mom and dad, Sunny agrees even though the thought of performing in public makes her pits sweat. After all, she’d do anything for Bailey.

In her debut book, Misty Copeland tells the story of a young girl - an every girl - whose confidence is fragile and who is questioning her own ability to reach the heights that Misty has reached. Misty encourages this young girl's faith in herself and shows her exactly how, through hard work and dedication, she, too, can become Firebird.

Moxy’s back, and ready (kind of, sort of) for her big piano recital! In this hilarious third installment about everyone’s favorite ’tween procrastinator, Moxy Maxwell is set to make her Piano Debut, playing a duet of “Heart and Soul” with her little sister, Pansy. It’s too bad she has no time to practice. Between costume fittings, trying on her crown, warming up her voice, and putting on her stage makeup, Moxy can’t possibly worry about the actual performance.

King Rat is causing havoc in Enchantia again, by playing around with the Big Clock and making time whizz by. Cinderella finds herself always going to the ball, but never meeting her prince! Can Delphie help?

In Day Dreams and Movie Screens, 11-year-old Lena Daniels’ summer of Hollywood starlets and movie filming alongside her favorite singer, Mallory Winston, is over. But just as she begins to wonder if her summer was all just a dream, her world is turned upside down when she finds out she's hitting the road on a two-week bus tour to further promote the film. While traveling across the country with Mallory and her band, Lena experiences adventures and challenges she never expected, while learning to step outside of her comfort zone and follow the path God has for her life!