Book Review of 'Circus Mirandus' by Cassie Beasley

Circus Mirandus

Premise:

Do you believe in magic?

Micah Tuttle does.

Even though his awful Great-Aunt Gertrudis doesn’t approve, Micah believes in the stories his dying Grandpa Ephraim tells him of the magical Circus Mirandus: the invisible tiger guarding the gates, the beautiful flying birdwoman, and the magician more powerful than any other—the Man Who Bends Light. Finally, Grandpa Ephraim offers proof. The Circus is real. And the Lightbender owes Ephraim a miracle. With his friend Jenny Mendoza in tow, Micah sets out to find the Circus and the man he believes will save his grandfather.

The only problem is, the Lightbender doesn't want to keep his promise. And now it's up to Micah to get the miracle he came for.

Delightful and Charming

Micah Tuttle has heard the stories of Circus Mirandus many times, from his Grandpa Ephraim, who raised him. He’s always believed the stories, but finally, he has proof. Circus Mirandus is real and Grandpa Ephraim had visited it before. The Man Who Bends Light promised Grandpa Ephraim a miracle, but now he doesn’t seem keen on keeping his promise. Micah sets out with his friend, Jenny, to find the circus and The Man Who Bends Light, who Micah believes can save his dying grandfather. 
The ending was perfect and the book was filled with a diverse cast of characters. One of my many favorite parts of this story was the ticket collector at the gate of the circus, and his evaluation of the “tickets”. The descriptions in this book were lyrical and funny at times. For example, I enjoyed reading about the circus manager who looks a bit like Santa, "if Santa Claus had a buzz cut and sharp eyes and liked to wear his sleeves rolled up to show off his biceps." And the conversations between a cheeky parrot named Chintzy and The Man Who Bends Light were always amusing. 
Once Grandpa Ephraim becomes too sick to take care of himself, Micah’s sour aunt, Aunt Gertrudis (Ephraim’s sister), comes over to take care of him. From the moment she arrives, she doesn’t let Micah near his grandfather because she thinks his stories are nonsense. While Aunt Gertrudis is cruel and adamant in her refusal to believe in Circus Mirandus, it’s hard not to feel sympathetic after hearing her sad story. This book has a sequel, “The Bootlace Magician”. This book is for 4th-8th grade and is plot-driven. Each chapter is approximately 9 pages long. The theme of this book could be friendship. On a scale of one through five, I would rate this book 5 stars.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

- Candria

Get a copy of this book at https://amzn.to/3r70A12 

Like my review at Goodreads!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Book Review of 'Furthermore' by Tahereh Mafi

Image
Premise:  Alice Alexis Queensmeadow 12 rates three things most important: Mother, who wouldn’t miss her; magic and color, which seem to elude her; and Father, who always loved her. Father disappeared from Ferenwood with only a ruler, almost three years ago. But she will have to travel through the mythical, dangerous land of Furthermore, where down can be up, paper is alive, and left can be both right and very, very wrong. Her only companion is Oliver whose own magic is based in lies and deceit. Alice must first find herself—and hold fast to the magic of love in the face of loss. Enchanting and Enthralling This fantasy story will capture you in it’s masterpiece and will hesitate you let you out, narrating a tale about Alice Alexis Queensmeadow, a social-outcast girl devoid of color and magic that eludes her, living in a town that uses color as currency and revolves and is run by colorful magic. With clear white hair and extremely pale skin, she is completely colorless except only for
Read entire post »

A Poem: The Sea

Image
The Sea The deep sea can sparkle like a gem, It can be calm, with whirling eddies, But the sea can also cause mayhem, The sea is large, it will not empty. The sea can be colorful, Different colors or hues,  The sea’s colors are wonderful, Aqua, turquoise, indigo blues. Full of different creatures, Possibly ones we’ve never seen, With a camera, the scenery, it captures, Seafoam blue or seafoam green. Stretching far across the horizon, More farther than anyone dreams, It’s then that I am enlightened, That the world is bigger than it seems.
Read entire post »

Book Review of 'The Thief Lord' by Cornelia Funke

Image
Premise:   Two orphaned children are on the run, hiding among the crumbling canals and misty alleyways of the city of Venice. Befriended by a gang of street children and their mysterious leader, the Thief Lord, they shelter in an old, disused cinema. On their trail is a bungling detective, obsessed with disguises and the health of his pet tortoises. But a greater threat to the boys' new-found freedom is something from a forgotten past – a beautiful magical treasure with the power to spin time itself. Touching and Mysterious      This riveting book will make you want to inhale it in “as few sittings as possible”. This book is about two orphaned brothers who run away. Their aunt, Esther Hartlieb, was willing to adopt the younger brother and send the older one to boarding school. However, not wanting to be seperated, they ran away to Venice, Italy since before her death, their mother told them it was the most beautiful place on Earth and would often describe it to them. After they rea
Read entire post »