Book Summary: Circus Mirandus

Eleven year old Micah Tuttle delights in his Grandpa Ephraim’s tales about Circus Mirandus, a magical circus just for children. However, when his grandpa’s illness brings the elderly man near death, he tells Micah the truth: the circus is real.  Grandpa needs a miracle and he knows where Micah can find it for him - at Circus Mirandus. In her tale of unconditional love, magic, and miracles, debut author Cassie Beasley creates a breathtaking story of devotion and love between a boy and his grandfather, proving that the fine line between magic and reality is simply a need to believe.


I recommended Circus Mirandus for ages 9-12.

The Story

While fifth grader Micah Tuttle has always been captivated by his Grandpa Ephraim’s stories about Circus Mirandus, it’s a shock to learn from his grandfather that Circus Mirandus is real.  When Grandpa Ephraim becomes sick and is near dying, he tells Micah the stories are true and that he needs Micah to find Circus Mirandus and ask the Lightbender to grant the miracle he promised to a young Ephraim Tuttle.

Never doubting his grandfather’s words, Micah learns a letter was sent to the Lightbender and now he must wait for the man to appear. Meanwhile, Micah’s Great Aunt Gertrudis has temporarily moved in, taking over the care of Grandpa Ephraim. Her disgust with the tales of the circus and her frustration with Micah’s devotion create a fragile barrier between the two of them.

Distracted by his wait for a message from the Lightbender, Micah forgets to do his part in a school project to create an Inca artifact. His project partner, Jenny Mendoza, the smartest girl in school, realizes something is terribly wrong.

  Friendship blossoms between the two as Jenny’s growing concern about Micah’s grandfather and her curiosity about Circus Mirandus forge a determination to help Micah find the Lightbender.

With time running out and Great Aunt Gertrudis making final plans to take Micah away, the two friends encounter fantastical creatures, experience untold wonders and finally meet the man who can perform miracles.

Author Cassie Beasley and Illustrator Diane Sudyka

Cassie Beasley knows all about family. When she’s not writing, Beasley works on her family farm harvesting pecans. She lives with her sister in rural Georgia where both write for a living. Beasley graduated with an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts.  Although she’s written poetry and short stories for adults, Beasley’s favorite audience to write is children.

Illustrator Diane Sudyka from Chicago uses her artistic talents most notably to design music album covers and illustrate children’s books.  She is the illustrator for the popular children’s series The Mysterious Benedict Society.

My Recommendation

My love for this book is transcendent. All the wonderful qualities that combine to make a classically written book are right here in Circus Mirandus: endearing characters, powerful relationships, and a storyline that is original and written in an accessible yet rich language that elicits a sense of wonder and belief in readers.

First, Beasley creates characters I truly care about. Who doesn’t want to have a Grandpa Tuttle? His bond with Micah is so strong that not even an irritable great aunt can sever it. Beasley’s flashbacks of the young boy Ephraim parallel the present day story of Micah, both so full of wonder, hope, and desperate to be a part of something greater than themselves. I loved that Micah inherited a special gift for tying knots from his grandpa. “Tuttles and knots went together like toast and cheese,” Grandpa Ephraim tells Micah. (p.43)

All the secondary characters are equally distinct.  My favorite two examples include Chintzy the talking parrot and the Lightbender. Chintzy is a parrot with an attitude. She resents being treated like an average parrot. She insists the children refer to her as “Ms. Chintzy” or “ma’am” because she’s not to be called “the bird” like some common chicken (p.88). Despite the sadness of Grandpa Ephraim’s dying, Chintzy adds light-hearted humor to the story.

The Lightbender is an ageless man of wisdom who brings joy to children through his illusions. He sees something special in the boy Ephraim and gives him the gift of a miracle. Yet he’s taken by surprise when the miracle he thinks he will perform is not the miracle requested.

Second, the powerful relationship between grandfather and grandson is genuinely moving.  The love between these two characters is sincere and demonstrative.  Each would move the world for the other.  Because of his love and absolute faith in his grandpa, Micah never doubts the reality of a magical circus.  These two are a true family and in the final pages of the story, Grandpa Tuttle’s unconditional love is made manifest in the miracle he ultimately requests.

Finally, Circus Mirandus is an original story that is masterfully written in language to inspire deep emotion.  Beasley can elicit a laugh, a tear, a sigh of relief, and a smile. Even her book title is inspiring as the word Mirandus is Latin for admirable and wonderful.  Circus Mirandus left me feeling a restoration of childlike faith in a good world with good people who care about one another.  In addition, Micah and Grandpa Ephraim exemplify characteristics noteworthy of discussing with children: loyalty, sincerity, kindness, determination, respect, unconditional love, and an absolute faith in something beyond understanding. 

A story for ages 9-12 and for families to read together, Circus Mirandus will inspire readers to slow down, savor their relationships, and possibly wish for an encounter with a magical circus. (Penguin Books for Young Readers, 2015. ISBN: 9780525428435)

More Recommended Fantasies for Middle Grade Readers

In addition to some of the more well-known recent fantasy series like Harry Potter and Percy Jackson and the Olympians are many other good ones, old and new, such as the Wildwood Chronicles, Fablehaven series and The Chronicles of Prydain. Some of the award-winning fantasy novels for middle grade include: Splendors and Glooms, The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Makingand Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy.