It's always a risky thing, reading a book that you're too old for and that you didn't grow up with. Nostalgia hides many faults, and reading aloud makes any book charming that's enjoyed by the person read to, but not many children's books stand the test of being read by an adult, to an adult.

That is so true. The way you wrote this - and the rest of your thoughts on Ballet Shoes - corresponds exactly to my experience with the book. :)