Around this time last year, I posted about a mini-trend of circuses in YA and middle grade. This trend appears to be going strong. There were at least two circus books nominated for the Cybils last year, and one of the most hyped middle grade titles I’ve seen recently, Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley, also revolves around a circus. Most of the circuses featured in the novels are magical in some way, or surrounded by magical people. I wasn’t ever much of a circus kid (I’m not an animal person and clowns are creepy), but I expect that circuses are magical for a lot of children, so it makes sense that they would hold real magic on the page.

Penguin was kind enough to invite me to meet Cassie Beasley, debut author of Circus Mirandus, at a dinner several weeks ago. She has a charming Southern accent and talked about her writing and path to publication with a group of librarians and booksellers. Her book is a middle grade story about a boy, Micah, whose grandfather is dying. He had always told Micah fantastic stories about a magical circus he had visited as a boy, and now Micah intends to find that circus and claim the miracle that his grandfather said was owed to him by a man called the Lightbender. Beasley incorporates not only Micah’s quest (as he teams up with a girl his age, Jenny, who very firmly does not believe in magic), but also flashbacks to his grandfather’s visit to the circus and the people he met there. It makes the story seem bigger, and kids should enjoy putting the pieces together and seeing how Micah’s grandfather’s adventures mirror his own.

Circus Mirandus is perfectly suited for a middle grade audience, encouraging kids to believe in magic while also not shying away from the hard realities of life (adult readers will know that no matter what Micah does, he will not be able to stop his grandfather from dying). There’s great friendship between Micah and Jenny, who each have their own strengths. A few of the ancillary characters are underdeveloped or flat, particularly the more villainous ones. I wanted to know more about the bird woman, Victoria, who caused such destruction; Beasley did hint at the dinner that there might be more on her in a future book.

I’m giving away a signed review copy of Circus Mirandus, which will be published on June 2. I think it will be a real winner with middle grade readers who dig light fantasy. Enter to win in the form at the end of the post; I’ll choose a winner May 20. I’ve also rounded up a few other circus books that have been published since I last wrote about them. I don’t think this is a trend that’s going away (a lot of them feature high-wire walkers, which I think is interesting). Descriptions are from Worldcat unless otherwise indicated.

Girl on a Wire by Gwenda Bond
Sixteen-year-old Jules Maroni’s dream is to follow in her father’s
footsteps as a high-wire walker. When her family is offered a
prestigious role in the new Cirque American, it seems that Jules and the
Amazing Maronis will finally get the spotlight they deserve. But the
presence of the Flying Garcias may derail her plans. For decades, the
two rival families have avoided each other as sworn enemies.

Diamond Thief by Sharon Gosling
By day Rémy Brunel is a daring circus acrobat, by night she is an
equally talented jewel thief currently assigned to steal a famous
diamond in Victorian London–but when the theft goes wrong she finds
herself allied with a young policeman as they try to find the elusive
gem.

Shadowplay by Laura Lam
The circus lies behind Micah Grey in dust and ashes. He and the white
clown, Drystan, take refuge with the once-great magician, Jasper Maske.
When Maske agrees to teach them his trade, his embittered rival
challenges them to a duel which could decide all of their fates. People
also hunt both Micah and the person he was before the circus the runaway
daughter of a noble family. And Micah discovers there is magic and
power in the world, far beyond the card tricks and illusions he is
perfecting. A tale of phantom wings, a clockwork hand, and the delicate
unfurling of new love, Shadowplay continues Micah Grey’s extraordinary
journey.

Carnival of Secrets by Melissa Marr
A centuries-long war between daimons and witches sets the stage for
three teens caught up in a deadly struggle for power and autonomy in the
exotic and otherworldly Carnival of Souls, the mercantile center of the
daimon dimension.

Weight of Feathers by Anna–Marie McLemore (forthcoming September 15)
For twenty years, the
Palomas and the Corbeaus have been rivals and enemies, locked in an
escalating feud for over a generation. Both families make their living
as traveling performers in competing shows—the Palomas swimming in
mermaid exhibitions, the Corbeaus, former tightrope walkers, performing
in the tallest trees they can find. Lace Paloma may be new to
her family’s show, but she knows as well as anyone that the Corbeaus are
pure magia negra, black magic from the devil himself. Simply touching
one could mean death, and she’s been taught from birth to keep away. But
when disaster strikes the small town where both families are
performing, it’s a Corbeau boy, Cluck, who saves Lace’s life. And his
touch immerses her in the world of the Corbeaus, where falling for him
could turn his own family against him, and one misstep can be just as
dangerous on the ground as it is in the trees. [description from Goodreads]

The Mermaid’s Sister by Carrie Anne Noble
Clara discovers that her sister is becoming a mermaid, and realizes that
no mermaid can survive on land. Desperate to save her, she and her
friend load the girl in a gypsy wagon and begin a journey to the sea.
But no road is straight, and the trio encounters trouble around every
bend. And always, Clara wonders if she herself will become a mermaid.