Rosswood, Eric. Place to Dance: How Richard Lamberry Brought Change to the Ballroom, A. Vincent Chen, Illus. Addl. Creator Richard Lamberry. Charlesbridge, 08/2026. [32]pp. Nonfiction. Trade $17.99. 978-1-62354-648-9. GRADES Kindergarten–4. HIGH ADDITIONAL.
Since he was a small child, American Richard Lamberry loved to dance, and he became an expert ballroom dancer and instructor. As an instructor, he could dance both the man’s and woman’s parts and was frustrated that he could not compete with a male partner. In the 1990s, he joined the Gay Games to compete in the ballroom dance division and went on to advocate for same-sex ballroom dance couples in other competitions around the world. The digital illustrations are colorful and adeptly show the movement of dance. This factual story told using a picture book format is easy to follow, with three pages of back matter adding more details, sources, and color photos of Lamberry dancing with male partners. This uplifting true story will give hope to young readers who will see an example of how one person can change customs and practices to be more inclusive, especially for the LGBTQ community.
Penny Peck—San José State University iSchool