When I was twelve years old, my daddy took me to the circus

Peggy Lee sang about a circus in Is That All There Is.  What a song.  What a song.  Secrets of the Circus is the fifth installment of The Three Ring Rascals series by Kate and M. Sarah Klise.  I do hope these sisters will keep writing together.  I am hopeful for another series, and that they will keep this one up for a few more, as it is still as fresh and fun as the first.
There is a part in here that I loved:  "Your secret strength is what you were born to do,"  said Sir Sidney.  "You'll know you've found it when you're doing something that makes the world a better place."  It reminds me of the "find what makes you fly" part in Half a World Away.  It also makes me wish that I could find my secret strength!  Although I REALLY do make a great left-hand turn.  And I have been told that is hard to do in Pittsburgh.

Running Away to Join the Circus

Gary Paulsen, one of my most favorite authors, did run away to join a carnival.   Tiltawhirl John is based somewhat on his experiences.  Kate and M. Sarah Klise are also two of my most favorite authors, but as far as I know they never ran away to join a circus or a carnival, yet they sure do a wonderful job of bringing a traveling circus to life in their Three-Ring Rascals series.  I loved the first three installments of this series about Sir Sidney's Circus.  Pop Goes the Circus is a terrific addition.  This series is a huge hit both of the libraries where I work.  I recommend it all of the time to both guys and girls.  It is a good idea to read them in order, especially now that the stories are getting more character driven.   M. Sarah Klise does the illustrations and they are hilarious and the story by sister Kate is just so good that kids will want to read it in one sitting.  I always look forward to a book from these sisters and this series is a huge favorite of mine!

Third Installment of the Three-Ring Rascals!

I was so super-excited to get an eARC of The Circus Goes to Sea, the third book in the Klise sisters' Three-Ring Rascal series.  I have been recommending them to everyone and all of the kids who have read them have loved them as much as I do!  When I told some of the kids that I had the review copy of this one, due out in September, they were very excited!  This is another great addition to the series and I am looking forward to the next one!  Can't wait!

There Were Clowns and Elephants and Dancing Bears, and a Beautiful Lady in Pink Tights Flew High above our Heads

The title of this post is from that fantastic song by Miss Peggy Lee, Is That All There Is.  The Greatest Star on Earth has nothing to do with Peggy Lee.  Nor is it a downer, like the song.  But it is as wonderful as the song, in its own way!  I was so so so so so excited to see this on netgalley.  It is the second in the Klise Sisters' newest series, Three Ring Rascals.  All of the characters from the first book are back and now wondering who will be named the best of the best in their traveling circus.  Great, great, great illustrations, great, great, great story!  I love this series!  Anything by these sisters is easy to love and recommend.

The Klise sisters are easy to recommend!  I usually buy 4 or so copies of each book so that I can recommend them to people, but they are always out anyway!  This new series, The Three Ring Rascals is going to be awesome if The Show Must Go On is any indication.  Again it has the wonderful illustrations and the great storyline.  I am so looking forward to the next one!