Thanks to Netgalley and Knopf Books for Young Readers that I read in partnership with the audio from the library.
by: Betsy Bird
narrated by: Emily Ellet
rating: really liked
There are those stories that get told in our families and we all take them with a grain of salt. Well the author looked into one of her family stories about a great uncle of hers who worked with some ostriches for a former circus lady and it turned out to be true. So she crafted this beguiling fictionalized version of that story.
Suzy lives in a big family in a small town just like the generations of her family before her. But she doesn't want to be stuck in this speck of a town for all her days. She envisions more than this mundane existence. So when her much bandied about "lazy" uncle shows up in town and sneaks away to get out of farm chores she follows him. It turns out he is working for Madame Marantette, the infamous legendary circus performer, to help train one of her ostriches. Suzy ingratiates herself to her uncle and the Madame and becomes embroiled in their scheme that might just help her punch her ticket out of this town.
This story is funny with lessons about how chasing your dreams takes hard work, bravery, and some grit. It also has some interesting scenes where readers get to watch how Suzy contends with the role that manners and decorum plays into how we are perceived and the opportunities we get. Layers of entertainment and education can be found within this tale.
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