Advanced
Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.
Title details for Long Road to the Circus by Betsy Bird - Available

Long Road to the Circus

by Betsy Bird
David Small
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
1 of 1 copy available
In the tradition of award-winning, illustrated novels Pax and The One and Only Ivan, Long Road to the Circus is a girl-empowering, funny, and fast-paced historical adventure by award-winning writer and librarian Betsy Bird.
Twelve-year-old Suzy Bowles is tired of summers filled with chores on her family farm in Burr Oak, Michigan, and desperate to see the world. When her wayward uncle moves back home to the farm, only to skip his chores every morning for mysterious reasons, Suzy decides to find out what he's up to once and for all. And that's when she meets legendary former circus queen Madame Marantette and her ostriches. Before long, Suzy finds herself caught-up in the fast-paced, hilarious world of ostrich riding, a rollicking adventure that just might be her ticket out of Burr Oak.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    October 5, 2021

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9780593415405
      • File size: 143910 KB
      • Duration: 04:59:48

  • Languages

    • English

  • Levels

    • Lexile® Measure: 810
    • Text Difficulty: 3-4

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      August 30, 2021
      In this spirited historical adventure set in 1920, tenacious 12-year-old narrator Suzy Bowles longs for a life beyond her farm in small-town Burr Oak, Mich., and finds purpose under the tutelage of a former circus queen. Using a colloquial first-person narration, Bird (The Great Santa Stakeout) effectively portrays Suzy’s longing for a larger life, and her curiosity as she follows her recently returned, purportedly “deadbeat” uncle Fred to his secret job with the nearby Madame Marantette, a former circus performer who is attempting to train her ostrich Gaucho to pull a carriage alongside a horse. Tension and comedy escalate as Suzy volunteers to ride cantankerous Gaucho, and Madame invites Suzy to weekly teas for lessons in comportment. Caldecott Medalist Small’s expressive, humorous b&w illustrations infuse the narrative with further personality. All characters cue as white, and an author’s note chronicles the life of the actual Madame Marantette who inspired the novel. Ages 10–up. Author’s agent: Stephen Barbara, InkWell Management. Illustrator’s agent: Holly McGhee, Pippin Properties.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • Lexile® Measure:810
  • Text Difficulty:3-4

Loading