My Father Is a Clown

by Diane Kolb

Twelve-year-old Maggie Pendleton is caught up in the excitement of World War II. She sees every man in uniform as a hero. How can Maggie admit to her classmates that her father is a circus clown when all the kids have fathers fighting in the war? Adding to her disappointment is her father’s fall into alcoholism as the circus begins its tour of 1944. Maggie and her best friend, Cassie, a mentally challenged little girl with a heart of gold and a passion for elephants, try to straighten out their lives amid the spectacle of the Big Top. Only after a tragic fire does Maggie understand that courage is not determined by the uniform you wear, but by what is in your heart, and that uncommon heros are often found in unexpected places.

115 pages, Paperback

Published May 28, 2003

Reviews

[Terry]

The story is well written, nicely weaving historical data and factual information about circus life with a pre-teen's story about figuring out life in the "big tent." Our teen reviewers were in agreement for this one.