The Traveling Circus

by Marie-Louise Gay (Author)

The Traveling Circus
Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade
"Charlie and his family are about to embark on another trip, to another out-of-the-way place off the beaten path. This time they are heading to an island in Croatia--an incredibly beautiful country that lives in the shadow of war and conflict. Even for a seasoned traveler like Charlie, Croatia is a very different experience: the language is unfamiliar and half the words have no vowels, goats are a traffic-calming device, and red cliffs loom like fortresses over an impossibly blue sea. Still, Charlie and his little brother, Max, manage to find adventure wherever they go."--Amazon.com.
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School Library Journal

Gr 2-4--Family adventures begun in Travels with My Family (2006) and On the Road Again (2008, both Groundwood) continue for Charlie, younger brother Max, and their parents. This time they are off to Croatia after Charlie discovers an old postcard under the stove. With a dreamy, artistic mother and a slightly spacey father, Charlie and always-hungry Max are free (sometimes unbelievably so at the ages of roughly 12 and six) to engage in zany, episodic encounters with the local environment and personalities. Fascinated by a language with almost no vowels (they head to the island of Krk), Charlie narrates fishing attempts gone wrong, labyrinths with scary hermit "minotaurs" in the center, goats used as traffic control, and war-torn villages. Charlie's voice and humor lighten even the darker moments, and his interaction with, and eventual appreciation of, even the quirkiest characters will guide young readers by example. VERDICT While the picaresque format precludes either a complex plot or any significant character development, this fun romp, with a lovable narrator and enhanced by Gay's charming pencil drawings, is recommended for children graduating from beginning readers to chapter books.--Katherine Koenig, The Ellis School, PA

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

..".sprinkled with humor, moments of discovery, and an appreciation for the beauty and diversity of less-lauded destinations. ...a good choice for those new to chapter books or for struggling readers." — "School Library Journal"
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781554984206
Lexile Measure
600
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Groundwood Books
Publication date
April 01, 2015
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV039090 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | New Experience
JUV030050 - Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | Europe
JUV031010 - Juvenile Fiction | Performing Arts | Circus
Library of Congress categories
-

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