This is the first book in the Michelle Kwan Presents Skating Dreams series, and it includes a letter from Michelle addressed to you, in which she tells you a little bit about herself. All the books in the series include a full-color postcard of Michelle, plus her answers to real e-mails from her fans. There is an address where you can write to her, too.

In THE TURNING POINT, you'll meet 10-year-old Lauren Wing, a girl who loves to skate. She's training and practicing for the Regionals competition for novices, and she's looking forward to moving up, to become a junior-level skater, and then a senior-level skater. And maybe someday she can try out for the Olympics. In her dreams! But in her everyday life, Lauren just concentrates on skating her best in the Regionals competition.

Unfortunately, it's hard for Lauren to concentrate on her program when her cat gets lost. Her parents, her brother, her sisters, and all her friends help her look for him. They put up flyers. But they can't find him, and Lauren really misses him. To make things worse, another skater, Erica Claiborn, says nasty things to Lauren just before she has to skate in the competition, trying to make her goof up. The absolute worst thing, though, is when Lauren finds out --- just before she goes onto the ice --- that a world-famous skating coach, Eve Perry, has come to watch the competition. Lauren is scared to death!

She skates very well in her first routine, but in the second one she falls down. Erica wins first place. Lauren tries to be a good sport about it, but falling down was not something she wanted to do in front of Eve Perry! She'll never get to the Olympics that way.

Then something happens. Something that will change Lauren's life forever. If it works out. If she can do it. Will her parents go for it? Do dreams come true? Read this book to see if Lauren can find her cat, and if her skating dreams become a reality.

   --- Reviewed by Tamara Penny