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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
If you're going to advertise as being suitable for fans of Dahl and Barrie, you had best deliver. This novel, though pleasant enough of a read, in no way merits placement alongside such giants. A forgettable, if inoffensive, story.
An amazing story about love, loss, friendship, and magic...truly delightful!
A sweet story about the power of magic, imagination and family.
Excellent children's fiction and a fun read for adults as well.
I finished it in the midst of a migraine, which is probably the equivalent of 6 stars for me. I really wanted it to be like the Night Circus for kids, and maybe it would be if you're 10? I hated Aunt Gertrudis more than most antagonists, which is why I needed to finish it asap!
Yay, this is my kind of story. Okay, so it's probably not the best piece of writing I've ever read. But I love this type of story with a neat kid at the center of it with a best friend who is not at all like him and who has great imagination and the magic of being a kid. I wanted so much for Circus Mirandus and all it stands for to be real. :) I definitely identified with Jenny and I love that she eventually opened her mind because of her love for Micah--a true friend indeed. I definitely did not like Micah's aunt, but I felt sorry for her, especially at the end when she had the chance to take a different course. It made me hurt for her and people like her who are so unbending, they cut themselves off from the good things life has to offer.
This is a very quick read and I'm so excited that I just got my notice from the library that the second book is in, waiting for me, so I can find out the next chapter in Micah's life!
If you like fantasy with humor, whimsy and a little bit of real-life drama ("evil" great aunt) then you should definitely check this one out.
Special thanks to #CassieBeasley, #NetGalley, and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is a very quick read and I'm so excited that I just got my notice from the library that the second book is in, waiting for me, so I can find out the next chapter in Micah's life!
If you like fantasy with humor, whimsy and a little bit of real-life drama ("evil" great aunt) then you should definitely check this one out.
Special thanks to #CassieBeasley, #NetGalley, and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
See multiple earlier comments about being a sucker for circus stories and magic.
This title on is the 2016-17 Texas Bluebonnet Award list. I enjoy books that use multiple points of view, and the main narrators of this book are Micah and his Grandpa Ephraim, who has been taking care of 11 year old Micah since his parents died. Grandpa Ephraim has always been a wonderful story teller, and has told Micah for years about Circus Mirandus, and magical world of entertainment that he found as a child, and visited again as a young man. Grandpa Ephraim is very ill, and his sister Gertrude comes to take care of him and Micah, but she becomes very angry anytime Circus Mirandus is mentioned. Grandpa is able to share with Micah a new story, regarding a miracle that a member of the Circus owes him, and Micah sets out to find this magical circus with the help of his friend Jenny, in hopes of saving his grandfather before it is too late. I recommend this book for grades 3 through 6. The audio version was well done, and is available on OverDrive.