The Circus in the Woods

Publishers Weekly

In his first novel for young readers, sportswriter and NPR host Littlefield (Champions: Stories of Ten Remarkable Athletes) creates a nostalgic family story with a dreamlike mystery at its center. Now an adult, narrator Molly recollects the annual August childhood trip that she and her family made to the same Vermont lodge, with its hearty breakfast pancakes, serene lake and morning camp led by a beatific woman, Snow. One summer, Molly wakes in the night and, drawn by the sound of calliope music, discovers a circus dancer deep in the woods. Later she also discovers acrobats, a lion tamer and a gypsy fortuneteller, Nell, who returns to her nursing career when Molly's father slips into a coma due to a bee bite. The circus, familiar to Snow, turns out to be a place of suspended time for people whose journey into adulthood is too painful. With its shifts in perspective Molly alternates her perspective between that of adult and child the narrative often reads more like an elegy to childhood and simpler times than a story with the kind of immediacy that will hook children. However, sophisticated readers may well be sustained by the lyricism of the writing. Ages 10-up. (Oct.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Children's Literature

Molly and her family have been spending their summer vacation in the woods of Vermont for as long as she can remember. The day camp leader there, Snow, is the kind of person that can make even a nervous child like Molly's little sister, Kip, feel happy and loved. One evening, the mysterious music from a calliope draws Molly into the forest. She stumbles upon a strange circus, complete with a young dancer, acrobats, lions and Nell, an old fortuneteller. The circus seems to exist in a different place and time from the rest of Vermont—from the rest of the world. It takes Molly several visits over the course of her young life, and a near tragedy in her family, to understand and appreciate the meanings behind the fortuneteller's prophecies. The author's deft manner of spinning the narrative into a nostalgic memory or Molly's sudden realization of a universal truth is something you don't often see in young adult literature. Littlefield is a master storyteller in every sense of the word, making you in turn feel suspenseful, nostalgic, or breathless at the sheer beauty of his prose. 2001, Houghton Mifflin, $15.00. Ages 10 up. Reviewer:Christopher Moning

VOYA

I thoroughly disliked this book. It had way too much unnecessary information. The characters were not that special or interesting, and the plot was not involving. It didn't even make that much sense. It went on a long time about a trip the family took, which had nothing to do with the story. The writing style was okay, but I wouldn't read another book by this author. This book needs a rewrite or to be thrown out altogether! VOYA CODES:2Q 2P M J (Better editing or work by the author might have warranted a 3Q;For the YA with a special interest in the subject;Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8;Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9). 2001, Houghton Mifflin, 208p, $15. Ages 11 to 15. Reviewer:Alyssa Ratledge, Teen Reviewer—VOYA, December 2001 (Vol. 24, No. 5)

School Library Journal

Gr 6-8-Partly a fantasy but mostly a coming-of-age novel, this is the story of Molly, who vacations with her family almost every summer at the same lodge in Vermont. When she is 13, she is drawn by calliope music into the woods, where she finds a mysterious circus and its fascinating performers. When her father is stung by a bee and goes into a coma, her experiences with and acquaintances in the circus troupe help her marshal the strength to help him. This is a slow and dreamy tale, and the meditative tone of the narrative may not appeal to readers who were hoping for an action-packed fantasy. (Molly is now a college student looking back at her childhood.) The story skips around a bit in time and place, and it isn't always easy to tell how old Molly is in any given chapter. Her younger sister comes alive, as do Snow and Nell, two vivid older women who become very important to the narrator. This book won't jump off the shelves by itself, but those who read it will be rewarded by a lyrical look at childhood, growing up, and family.-Eva Mitnick, Los Angeles Public Library Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.