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| | | Elementary Teacher Resources | Home » » » Dancing on the Edge | | | | | | | Description: | | Miracle McCloy has always known that there is something different about her: She was pulled from the womb of a dead woman--a “miracle” birth--and Gigi, her clairvoyant grandmother, expects Miracle to be a prodigy, much like Dane, the girl’s brooding novelist father. Having been raised according to a set of mystical rules and beliefs, Miracle is unable to cope in the real world. Lost in a desperate dance among lit candles, Miracle sets herself afire and is hospitalized. There Dr. DeAngelis, a young psychiatrist, helps her through her painful struggle to take charge of her life.
| | | Product Details: | | | Author:
| Han Nolan | | Hardcover:
| 256 pages | | Publisher:
| Harcourt Children's Books | | Publication Date:
| October 01, 1997 | | Language:
| English | | ISBN:
| 0152016481 | | Package Length:
| 8.2 inches | | Package Width:
| 5.7 inches | | Package Height:
| 0.9 inches | | Package Weight:
| 0.8 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 69 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
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 good bookMay 15, 2008
i read it a few years ago, it's a little weird but i really liked it a lot
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 An extraordinary story of survival and mental illnessMay 13, 2007
Kids ages 12 an older will find an extraordinary story of survival and mental illness in DANCING ON THE EDGE, which features the life of one Miracle, who finds dancing is the only thing which lends meaning to an isolated life with her grandparents. When her grandmother forbids her to dance, Miracle's desperate act confines her to a mental hospital in this story of a troubled young woman's search for meaning.
I love this book!May 07, 2007
I'm in seventh grade, and had to choose any book for a book report. I am a dancer, mainly ballet, so when I saw this book at the bookstore, it caught my eye. I only have 24 pages to go, and so far, I'm LOVING the book! Right after I finish writing this, I'm going to finish the book! I recommend this book to everyone, because it isn't really about ballet, or even dancing very much. I give this book FIVE STARS!
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 Well worth the readApr 11, 2007
Award-winning author Han Nolan again captures our full attention in Dancing on the Edge.
Not many people can claim to have been born after their mother was killed in a car accident, and not many people can claim that their father was a child novelist prodigy at age 13--but Miracle McCloy can.
But when Miracle's father, Dane "melts away," as Grandmother Gigi puts it, and the neighbors begin making trouble for the small family due to Gigi's involvement in the occult, Gigi and Miracle leave town and move in with Gigi's ex husband, Granddaddy Opal. For the first time in Miracle's life, thanks to Granddaddy Opal, she gets a chance to be a child and pursue her own interest, dancing.
Yet all of the problems with the adults in her life and her inability to face reality cause Miracle to follow in Gigi's footsteps in the occult, leading her to practice on her classmates. But when a student accuses Miracle of being fake, she sets herself on fire and ends up as a patient in a mental hospital. Inevitably Miracle learns through her psychiatrist, Dr. DeAngelis, the coping methods to change her life and stop living in the past.
Dancing on the Edge is a powerful novel filled with a bevy of unique characters and difficult topics that challenge the reader to stick with this book. While I enjoyed Miracle, Granddaddy Opal and Gigi, I also felt that much of the true intent of the story was lost on the quirkiness of the characters. There never seemed to be a person of reason in Miracle's life until Dr DeAngelis and by then, Miracle has spent most of her life, and a better part of this book, in the shadow of her parent's past and her eccentric family members lifestyles.
All that set aside, Dancing on the Edge is worth the read. You can't beat Ms. Nolan's writing ability in facing issues such as mental illness, suicide and the occult.
Armchair Interviews says: Lots of life's challenges all in one book.
Thoughtful and elegantFeb 13, 2007
Every teenager should read this book, adults should not be fooled or harbor denial that teens don't know about these things... and this story will give them a hopeful perspective. For those of you concerned with issues involved, this book is a breath of fresh air compared to the unresolved atrocities of war and human suffering kids are routinely exposed to on the news - which of course usually offers no constructive resolution or hope. This book teaches that we are not alone, asking for help is OK and that hope does exist and can be found from within.
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