This was a fun, magical book (as books about circuses ought to be), and while I enjoyed it completely as a grown woman, I also can’t wait for my kids to get a bit older so we can reread it together.
“[I]t was a ridiculous, amazing thing to do, and once in a while, it’s good to be ridiculous and amazing.”
Micah Tuttle has lived with his grandpa since the death of his parents, and it’s been wonderful — his grandpa Ephraim tells him the world is full of magic, and 10 year old Micah believes. He especially loves stories of Circus Mirandus, a traveling show that Ephraim stumbled across as a child, where the performers like the Birdwoman and the Man Who Bends Light made real magic for children. The Man Who Bends Light even promised Ephraim a miracle, which he has held onto all this time. When Ephraim becomes very ill, he tries to cash in his miracle — and Micah is determined to make sure it happens.
This book reminded me of Neil Gaiman’s novels for younger audiences (Coraline, The Graveyard Book) — entertainment for kids that doesn’t talk down to them, and will delight any adult that has to read it aloud. Wonderful magic with tough lessons and a mostly happy ending. Your kid will like it, but I bet you will, too.