Cover of A Dance Like Starlight

A Dance Like Starlight

by Kristy Dempsey

Assigned across 1 curriculum list

On reading-award lists:Golden Kite Award

A Dance Like Starlight by Kristy Dempsey is assigned in US schools at grades k–5. It appears across 1 curriculum reference, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

This page shows where A Dance Like Starlight is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.

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Grade range
Grades K–5
Pages
36
Reading time
about 40 minutes (est.)
First published
2014
Genre
Children's
ISBN-13
9780698152915

New to these terms? Reading levels by grade

More formats & details

Other formats on Amazon: Kindle · Audiobook

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About this book

A story of little ballerinas with big dreams. Little ballerinas have big dreams. Dreams of pirouettes and grande jetes, dreams of attending the best ballet schools and of dancing starring roles on stage. But in Harlem in the 1950s, dreams don’t always come true—they take a lot of work and a lot of hope. And sometimes hope is hard to come by. But the first African-American prima ballerina, Janet Collins, did make her dreams come true. And those dreams inspired ballerinas everywhere, showing them that the color of their skin couldn’t stop them from becoming a star. In a lyrical tale as beautiful as a dance en pointe, Kristy Dempsey and Floyd Cooper tell the story of one little ballerina who was inspired by Janet Collins to make her own dreams come true.

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Why widely assigned

This Children's title, typically at grades k–5. Written in the 2010s; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Where this book is assigned

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Common questions

What grade level is A Dance Like Starlight?
A Dance Like Starlight is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades K–5. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
How long does it take to read A Dance Like Starlight?
It takes about 40 minutes to read A Dance Like Starlight (36 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 40 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign A Dance Like Starlight?
A Dance Like Starlight appears on reading lists for Golden Kite Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is A Dance Like Starlight banned in schools?
A Dance Like Starlight does not appear in PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. No documented multi-district removals on record, but individual districts may challenge titles locally.

Why this book is on this list

How we classify

Each dimension below is sourced from a public reference. The full framework is documented on the classification standard page.

Lexile measure
Not classified — this book has no published Lexile measure.
Grade band
Grades K–5 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 1 curriculum on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence
Not yet documented in a state-level framework on this site.
Removal / banning records
No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
Seasonal / contextual tags
Tagged for: read-aloud.

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