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    The Children's Book Review

    Circus Mirandus, by Cassie Beasley | Book Review

    Elizabeth VaradanBy Elizabeth Varadan3 Mins Read Ages 9-12 Best Kids Stories Chapter Books Mysteries
    Circus Mirandus By Cassie Beasley
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    Elizabeth Varadan | The Children’s Book Review | January 6, 2016

    Circus Mirandus By Cassie BeasleyCircus Mirandus

    Written by Cassie Beasley

    Age Range:  9-12

    Hardcover: 304 pages

    Publisher: Dial (2015)

    ISBN-13: 978-0525428435

    What to Expect: An intriguing adventure that opens up the world of magic, miracles, and the possibility of other dimensions.

    Ten-year-old Micah Tuttle has always been entranced by Grandpa Ephraim’s tales of Circus Mirandus, a magic circus where the improbable is possible. No tale is as wondrous as the one about The Man Who Bends Light and his ability to make dreams reality.

    Now Grandpa Ephraim is ill, and Great-Aunt Gertrudis has come to take care of him. Hearing these stories revisited makes her furious. Micah is all but banished from Ephraim’s room.

    To go back in time: Grandpa Ephraim was mysteriously called to the circus when he was ten, longing for his father to come home from the war. Enraptured by the Lightbender’s illusions, Ephraim showed him a magic trick of his own, a special knot. (Tying and untying knots was—and is—a Tuttle talent.) Impressed, the Lightbender promised Ephraim a miracle, a miracle Ephraim decided to save for the future.

    “The crowd seemed larger than it had before, and he worried that they might not all fit. But somehow, the inside of the black tent was much more spacious than its outside. It swallowed them whole.”

    The future has arrived. Grandpa Ephraim sends the Lightbender a message saying he needs the miracle now. He entrusts his message to Micah and a chatty parrot named Chintzy. Despite meddling by Great-Aunt-Gertrudis, the magic world of Circus Mirandus opens up for Micah and his friend, Jenny, a friend as pragmatic as Micah is trustful.

    The author’s graceful storytelling weaves the narrative thread back and forth, giving plausibility to other realms and other dimensions, where illusions can be as true as you want them to be. Skeptical Jenny and hopeful Micah are perfectly balanced as past and present intersect, bringing about the Lightbender’s miracle in unforeseen ways. Grandpa Ephraim is endearing, both as an old man and a young boy.

    Circus Mirandus is the kind of story one revisits again and again—a classic to be enjoyed by all ages. It will appeal to circus lovers everywhere and middle grade readers who like their mysteries spiced with mystery, magic, and the unknown.

    Add this book to your collection: Circus Mirandus

    Available Here: 

    Text, logoBuy on Amazon

    About the Author

    Cassie Beasley is from rural Georgia, where, when she s not writing, she helps out on the family pecan farm. She earned her MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults at the Vermont College of Fine Arts. Circus Mirandus is her first novel.

    CassieBeasley.com | Twitter | Facebook

    Circus Mirandus, written by Cassie Beasley, was reviewed by Elizabeth Varadan. Discover more books like Circus Mirandus by following along with our reviews and articles tagged with Middle Grade Books.

    What to Read Next:

    1. The Stone Lions by Gwen Dandridge | Dedicated Review
    2. A Snicker of Magic, by Natalie Lloyd | Book Review
    3. That One Time Lauren Oliver Interviewed H.C. Chester About Curiosity House
    4. Top 3 Mystery Novels set in London | Selected by Carina Axelsson, Author of Model Undercover: London

    *Disclosure: Please note that this post may contain affiliate links that share some commission. Rest assured that these will not affect the cost of any products and services promoted here. Our team always provides their authentic opinion in all content published on this site.

    Books About Grandfathers Cassie Beasley Grandparents Magic
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    Elizabeth Varadan
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    Elizabeth Varadan writes for children and adults. Her middle-grade mystery, Imogene and the Case of the Missing Pearls (published June 15, 2015), is set in Victorian London and she is currently working on Book Two. Varadan loves to read and write about the Victorian Era and blogs about the many things she uncovers in her research. Visit: elizabethvaradansfourthwish.blogspot.com and victorianscribbles.blogspot.com

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