August 26, 2025 by Knopf Books for Young Readers
E ARC provided by Netgalley
Milo Castillo is dreading the school winter formal because every time he has tried to dance, it has ended in disaster. He shares this fear with his friends Al from The Tryouts and Viv from Picture Day, as well as his parents, but everyone thinks he should still just try to do his best. His dad was a champion dancer when he was Milo’s age and encourages him to just enjoy himself. He tries, but when he has another disastrous experience at his friend Ollie’s Bar Mitzvah party, where he not only wears a suit to a beach themed party, but is also put in the spotlight to dance and freezes, he’s ready to give up. His abuela Dalia is moving in with the family, since the friend with whom she has been living since her husband’s death is getting married, and since Milo and his grandmother are very close, she offers to help him. Another chance to get better comes when a local dance studio partners with the school to offer lessons to the students, but Milo’s “curse” also puts the kibosh on that opportunity. Milo’s brother Max is away at college, but sometimes video chats with him to give him advice. Dalia steps up to help, and drives Milo and his friends out to a performance by a band that helps inspire Milo to “feel” the music and enjoy dancing. Of course, the grandmother is NOT supposed to be driving without an adult in the car, as she has become less reliable in navigating around town in her vintage car, Carla. When Milo finally feels better about his skills, he prepares for the dance, even wearing his father’s jacket from dance competitions in his youth. The original tie is missing, and Dalia is determined to pop out to get another one. Milo sees her leaving and decides to go with her, after texting his parents that she is driving. The weather is bad, and there are a lot of geese on the roads, and Dalia managed to drive off the road and get Carla stuck. Luckily, his parents arrive soon, and everyone is able to get to the dance, which ends up being a good time for all involved.
Strengths: Since I became grandmother, I’ve been having a lot of conversations with students about what they enjoy about their own. Dalia is a great character with a fascinating backstory and a fabulous car. Even though Milo’s household is upended with her move, they are all glad to have her, and her problems are fairly minimal. Since I had to take my father’s car away from him a few years before he died at the age of 88, the progression of this part of the plot rang very true. Younger readers will be more interested in Milo’s idea that he has a curse, and his embracing of dancing. It’s fun to see different characters from earlier books explored, and I’m curious to see if we will learn more about Ollie in the next book.
Weaknesses: I didn’t quite understand the objection to the Snowball Soiree theme of the dance, and felt I was missing something about the weather in Brinkley Middle School’s town. Also, there are a ton of geese where I live, and I’ve never had a problem with them in traffic.
What I really think: Miller’s Click series or Chmakova’s Berrybrook Middle School saga. I’d love to see more graphic novels with boys as the main characters, especially if they also involve sports.
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