In this story, Ella's kindly ballet teacher Madame Rosa is preparing her class to dance in Tchaikovsky's immortal "Swan Lake, "and as Ella learns the story and listens to the music she is transported in a dream into "Swan Lake's" setting. There, she meets Odette, a beautiful princess who is transformed into a swan by an evil sorcerer. This beautiful volume's story is enhanced with James Mayhew's color illustrations. A brief passage at the back of the book recounts the life of Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and his creation of the music for this famous ballet.

    Thelma always seems to get Frances into trouble. When she tricks Frances into buying her tea set, it's the last straw. Can Frances show her that it's better to lose a bargain than lose a friend?

    . . The silliness is right on target for tickling young readers.--Booklist. Pilkey's endearing stories are perfect for beginning readers.--Publishers Weekly.