Misty Copeland has lived a fascinating life. Life in Motion tells the story of her unlikely beginnings with ballet. Starting out at the Boys and Girls Club wearing gym clothes instead of a leotard, she danced with other students much younger than she. Later, Misty moved to a ballet school where she left her family and lived with her teacher there. We learn about the difficulties of making it in a professional company and even hear about how she met and became friends with Prince.
In addition to her ballet stories, the book talks about race, what it’s like growing up not knowing your father, and how money effects the opportunities we all have. Life in Motion addresses these issues in a way that young readers can understand, bringing them up as real life factors, but not hammering on any one of them.
Misty talks about how she’s dealt with injury, criticism, and self doubt. Things that all of us will face at some point in our lives.
Overall, this is a great book and a great introduction to biography for young readers. Recommended for reading grades 3-7. Available on amazon and from the Salt Lake County library.
