Long Road to the Circus

Readers will find Suzy an engaging protagonist, feeling simultaneously thoroughly contemporary and classic in a story whose narrative arc is well-crafted . . . A wonderful character piece

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. (Oct.)