Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley-- An All New Sequel is Coming!!

Circus Mirandus

Goodreads Description:

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.

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD


Note: I was provided a copy of Circus Mirandus by Penguin Random House as a #PRHPartner to read and spotlight this book.

Reading books with my son has really opened me up to Middle Grade books.  I didn't realize how spectacular these books could be before, but the more I am exposed to them, the more impressed I get.  This book came to my attention when Penguin Random House approached me to consider reading this well-loved Middle Grade Fantasy book from 2015 & it's BRAND NEW SEQUEL coming out October 1st!!

Here is what I liked about this one:

• The cover of the hardback is SO COOL.  It has a cutout in the dust jacket (where the top hat is) and when you take it off, it reveals its own little fantasy land.  I could have lived without the deckled edges though-- personal preference, but I'm just not a fan.
• In my mind, I just kept coming back to the way this book has the magic of Roald Dahl books. And the villains.  I love a good meanie in kids books.
• I liked that this book is really about grief and loss.  Most kids will lose at least one grandparent as they grow up, so I think they can totally relate to the quest that Micah is on to try to save his grandfather.  I also liked that his grandfather is the one raising him.  It's always refreshing to see different types of families.
• The Illustrations.  I wouldn't say there are a lot of them, but the ones that are there are rather childish in the best ways.
• Jenny.  She became Micah's friend and is there to help even if she herself doesn't believe in what Micah is talking about.  Her belief that he believed seemed to be enough for her & I loved that.  She was my favorite person in this book.
• It's not a fast-paced book, but I was okay with that.  The story moves along evenly and I think it's underrated when a book doesn't need to over-do the action to tell the story.

OVERALL: I think this is a must-read for 3-5th graders.  It has classic written all over it.

Look for Book 2 in stores October 1st!

The Bootlace Magician

Micah Tuttle--magician in training--lives and works at Circus Mirandus alongside his guardian, the ancient and powerful Lightbender. 

The circus is a place filled with dazzling fire shows, stubborn unicorns, and magicians from every corner of the world. And Micah is doing everything he can to prove he belongs there. When a dangerous enemy from the past threatens his new home, Micah will have to untangle the mystery of his own potent magic, and he'll have to do it fast. With trouble this deadly on its way, every magician will have to be ready to fight. Even the youngest.