Sideshow: Ten Original Tales of Freaks, Illusionists and Other Matters Odd and Magical

by Deborah Noyes (Editor), Aimee Bender, Matt Phelan

Freaks, magicians, psychics, and the passing strange take center stage in ten original tales by top YA authors and graphic novelists.

Molly is a bearded girl who joins the circus, only to fi nd that her former tormentor faces a far hairier plight. Tia claims that her lamented mom is a three-thousand-year-old mummy, but is it really an act? Cody sets out to foil a pop psychic, but the shocking result is not what he planned for. And Tiffany’s grandma sees something wild in her future, but is the girl prepared for the powerful shape it will take? Whether the sideshow touts a two-headed rat or a turn-of-the-century American jargo, whether the subject discovers an odd kind of miracle or learns that the real freaks are outside the tent, these stories and graphic tales are by turns humorous and insightful, edgy and eerie, but always compulsively entertaining.

Genres: Short Stories, Fantasy, Anthologies, Young Adult, Horror, Fiction, Science Fiction

240 pages, Hardcover

First published July 14, 2009

About the author

Deb writes for adults and children and is also an editor and photographer. She lives in Massachusetts with her family.

Reviews

[Brandi Rae Fong · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was beginning to think that I really just don't like young adult short stories collections at all. Of the last two that I have read, one I hated; the other I felt only lukewarm about, and that one (Gothic! Ten Tales of Terror, which was also edited by Deborah Noyes) had stories by some of my all time favorite authors! However, I have finally found a young adult collection where I actually enjoyed every story in it

In Sideshow: Ten Original Tales of Freaks, Illusionists and Other Matters Odd and Magical popular authors such as Vivian Vande Velde, David Almond, Margo Lanagan, Cynthia Leitich Smith and others explore the strange and varied spectrum of "freaks and marvels" that originally gained popularity through traveling circuses and carnivals (Noyes does address in the introduction how these exhibits have shifted from being popular to being seen as "cruel and exploitive"). There are stories that you would expect to be in a collection like this, ones of a Bearded Lady, a dwarf, a psychic and a swami, but there were also ones that delved a little deeper into the odd side of things. Cecil Castellucci tells a story about learning to keep alive a feisty family heirloom. Annette Curtis Klause melds together carnivals and Egyptian history in "The Mummy's Daughter."

While all of these stories were enjoyable, I think my favorite part was the inclusion in the collection of several comic style stories, most notably Matt Phelan's story of a Jargo* act gone wrong.

This is a great collection for anyone with an interest in the culture of carnivals or who likes their stories a little odd and creepy.

*A Jargo act was one where two men dressed as either a horse or giraffe.

[Orrin Grey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Deborah Noyes has edited two of my very favorite spooky anthologies of all time, and so when I saw that she had a new one coming out, this time focusing on sideshows, I was very excited to get my hands on it. Unfortunately, I didn't like it quite as much as either Gothic! or The Restless Dead. Not that it's bad. It is almost unfailingly good, but its highs are never quite as high as those of the other two books.

The most unusual thing about Sideshow is that (like a couple of other YA anthologies I've seen recently) it's a mixture of prose stories and short comics. You won't see me laying the blame for my (slight) disappointment at the feet of the comics, though, as one of them is my favorite story in the book, Matt Phelan's wonderful "Jargo!"

[Books and Literature for Teens · Rating 5 out of 5]

From magical shapshifters to bearded girls and other illusive creatures, Sideshow is a stunning and whimsical collection of stories is sure to bring the circus freak out of anyone.
I really enjoyed reading this collection of short stories, even if some of them were just a touch too "odd" for me-still, I can't help but think how Candlewick publishes some of the neatest books. My favorite story was The Bread Box by Cecil Castellucci, a bizarre yet charming tale of a living family heirloom, or The Bearded Girl for it's unusual message of acceptance. My favorite comic was Jargo! end of story. It was funny and enchanting-the perfect way to end a truly a magical book.
Complete with eerie and intriguing stories alike, fans of fantasy, paranormal fiction, and all things unusual will certainly be delighted by Sideshow. Circuses, fairs, carnivals, and magic shows have captivated us for hundreds of years; why not bring the hidden side of the circus to life!
"There are some strange things in this world...."

Published: July 2009
Age Group: YA, ages 13+
Recommend? Yes

Courtesy of BLT Reviews: booksandliteratureforteens.blogspot.com

[Mauoijenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book turned out way better than I had hoped. I really enjoyed the ten short stories by ten different author's based around the "sideshow" freaks and odd ones. My favorite story has to be the one about the bread starter. I gave me the creeps. The graphic novel stories that were in here were a surprise and fun to read. I enjoyed the last story very much also. What a great way to end the book. Highly recommend this one!!

[Kathryn Grace Loves Horror · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, but not my favorite of Noyes' collections (that would be Gothic). I liked Annette Curtis Klause's The Mummy's Daughter and Cynthia Leitich Smith's Cat Calls, but both would have benefited from being longer.

[Allison Renner · Rating 4 out of 5]

LOVE this collection of sideshow speculative/magical realism stories. Some are short fiction and some use graphic panels, and all are so amazing. Totally transports you to the carnival in drastically different ways.

[Ali · Rating 1 out of 5]

absolutely wretched

[Hester Rathbone · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have high standards now for short stories, having spent so much time reading the "Best Of" series. Apparently, this has ruined me for other short story collections. I thought this book was okay, the stories in it were fine, but they didn't move me. I doubt any of them will stick with me. Even now, I have trouble thinking of just one that will stick in my head or that I'd want to re-read. In my world, when you read a good short story, you should immediately want to put the book down and step away from it. It's like reading a good poem - you don't want to interrupt the immediate enjoyment and awe of reading something moving and powerful by going on to read something else. You want to give it time, let it marinate. With this, it was like eating slightly stale potato chips - I didn't necessarily want to put it down forever and walk away from it, so I kept going, but I knew in the end it wouldn't really give me a huge sense of satisfaction.

[Steven R. McEvoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the last few years I have become a huge fan of anthologies. I usually pick them up because I know an author or two in the collection, but usually find a few new authors to look into deeper. This book was no different. I picked it up for three reasons: first, it was from Candlewick and I have yet to read anything from them that was not enjoyable. Second and third, Cecil Castellucci and Cynthia Leitich Smith both had stories in the collection, and I have read almost all of their respective works.
...
Read the rest of the review my blog Book Reviews and More.

[Ariel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bought this book through a Library rummage sale. it was a discarded book. I'm auctually pretty suprized by it. I thought it was going to be as crappy as the book "Blood Roses" in the way that it was a compendium of short stories in one big book. Turns out it was only halfway the case with this book. Some of the stories were pretty interesting, like "Those Pyschis on TV" or "The Bread Box" what I didn't think was needed was the comic book stories, like "Jargo". Personally, I thought those were pretty stupid, and if anything they were a way to get the book finished quicker. Overall, this book was better put together than "Blood Roses" and I enjoyed the stories.

[Mrs. Nelson's · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of short stories is unlike anything else out right now. It focuses on the bizarre - "freaks, illusionists, and other matters odd and magical". There's the bearded girl who embraces her facial hair, a psychic's tale with a "haunting" twist, the bread box that keeps on giving, and more. A variety of wonderful authors contributed to this anthology, including Aimee Bender, Cecil Castellucci, and Vivian Vande Velde. This is a must read for anyone attracted to the freakish!
--Review by Lauren

[Maree Kimberley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some brilliant stories in this collection of short stories themed around freaks and magic edited by Deborah Noyes. There were no bad stories but some absolute stand outs. The best of the bunch for me was The Bread Box by Cecil Castellucci, which is one of the most original short stories I've read in a long. long time. A stellar collection of tightly written, entertaining and evocative short stories aimed at young adults but a great read for all lovers of the short story form (especially those who have a thing for the freaky and bizarre).

[Phil Ford · Rating 4 out of 5]

If sideshows or just weird stories interest you, this is a good one to breeze through in an afternoon. Ten original short stories and comics about bearded girls, fortune tellers, and mummy girls. Each story is well written and engaging, although kind of predicatble in that Twilight Zone way. My favorites: "The Bearded Girl" (Aimee Bender), "When God Came to Kathleen's Garden" (David Almond) "Jargo!" (Matt Phelan) and "The Bread Box" (Cecil Casellucci), though every one of them are unique (and odd) in their own special way. More fiction like this would be great. A sequel?

[Ralph Calhoun · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ordered Sideshow from the library thinking I was getting a book about Vietnam, Cambodia and American Policy during the 1960's and 70's. When this showed up I knew it was too thin for what I had ordered. BUt I read it anyway and enjoyed it. For me the written stories were better than the three graphic stories. I especially liked the first story "The Bearded Girl." Having four daughters I could see the everyday in the freakish. So I've now ordered the other Sideshow from Amazon, wonder what will show up?

[Hans · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 overall - 100% spot-on with the theme. Most of the stories are good for a quick read. I picked it up to read something else by Danica Novgorodoff. My favorites were:
--Cecil Castellucci's "The Bread Box"
--Matt Phelan's "Jargo!"
--Annette Curtis Klause's "The Mummy's Daughter"

This book was a bit of a cheat on my 2015 reading challenge (e.g. because it had both female and male authors), but again, this was the way that I could explore more from Danica Novgorodoff, so I picked it up.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection of short stories is unlike anything else out right now. It focuses on the bizarre - "freaks, illusionists, and other matters odd and magical". There's the bearded girl who embraces her facial hair, a psychic's tale with a "haunting" twist, the bread box that keeps on giving, and more. A variety of wonderful authors contributed to this anthology, including Aimee Bender, Cecil Castellucci, and Vivian Vande Velde. This is a must read for anyone attracted to the freakish!

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sideshow is a collection of scary, bizarre, and often cheesy stories from various authors. The protagonists range in form: a mummy's daughter, a ghost, a psychic cougar, and more. I like that some of the stories are in comic strip form. The wide variety of content is what made this book interesting, but it wasn't a fantastic read by any means. While the stories had a way of drawing me in at first, the endings proved to be anticlimactic and disappointing.

[Rhi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked some of these stories a lot, but overall, the collection was disappointing. Some stories were great, but some had very little business in the group. I want to like it more but it just didn't do it for me, I'm sad to say. I skipped the two graphic novels because they aren't really my thing, so I can't comment, but the other stories were okay.

[Marj · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sideshow is an excellent collection of short stories and graphic-novel style stories. Stand out stories were Aimee Bender's "The Bearded Girl", Matt Phelan's "Jargo", and Cecil Castellucci's "The Bread Box." This collection manages to be creepy, strange, sad, and humorous. Fun to peruse or read through, but not the best to read out loud.

[Cathy Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great opportunity to read some gifted YA authors doing what they do best--telling stories. Hard to say which tale I liked best; they were all so freaky, which, of course, was what made this collection such a fun read.

[Nurshafiqa · Rating 3 out of 5]

some of the stories were really entertaining, some were thought-provoking, which i like.

oh and the comics made a great addition to this book!one of the comics got me spooked and i couldnt sleep for hours.

a good read.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

At Reading Rants:

http://www.readingrants.org/2009/09/1...

[Loren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun and quick read with stories and comics by some great YA authors. I'll buy it for my library. All those kids wanting scary/freaky stories will love it.

[TheSaint · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. Had to have some reading interspersed with Don Quixote. But I really couldn't devote much attention to it, nor did the stories compel me much.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this collection more than I was prepared for--a fast read filled with twists, freaks, and good times.

[Cynthia Egbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love short stories and these are well written stories. I did not love all of them but a few of them were supreme. I do recommend it!

[Alicia Weaver · Rating 2 out of 5]

No wonder this one has been sitting on my shelf fora few years. The stories were just strange. And not in a good way.

[Syntha Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

As one might expect from the title, some of these stories were really weird, fascinating and delightful.