Nancy is given a beautiful gold bracelet and finds that one of the charms is missing. When she learns the unusual story behind the jewelry, she sets out to solve the fascinating mystery. The bracelet had been presented to a former circus performer by a queen who loved horses. For some reason the performer had to sell the bracelet but would not reveal her true identity. Clues lead Nancy to Sims’ Circus, where she meets Lolita, an unhappy young aerialist who has a horse charm wrought exactly like those on Nancy’s bracelet. Will Nancy be able to find the original owner of the bracelet?
From the author of SOPHIE'S WORLD, 'A masterful mixture of fantasy and reality...a simply wonderful read' SHE. Panina Manina, a trapeze artist, falls and breaks her neck. As the ringmaster bends over her, he notices an amulet of amber around her neck, the same trinket he had given his own lost child, who was swept away in a torrent some sixteen years earlier. This tale is narrated by Petter, a precocious child and fantasist, and perhaps Jostein Gaarder's most intriguing character since Sophie. As an adult, Petter makes his living selling stories and ideas to professionals suffering from writer's block. But as Petter sits spinning his tales, he finds himself in a trap of his own making.
'Just about broke my heart… I finished this book in a couple of hours because I couldn’t put it down.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars A heartbreaking and beautiful love story set in the darkest hours of World War Two – perfect for fans of The Nightingale and The Tattooist of Auschwitz. Paris, 1940. Twenty-year-old Michel Bonnet lives on the edge of the law, finding work where he can at the horse fairs on the outskirts of the city. But when Paris falls to the Nazis, Michel escapes as a stowaway on a secret midnight train bound for the south. It’s a journey that will change his life forever. It’s there Michel first sees Frieda – dark-haired, mysterious and also fleeing the Germans. Homeless and hungry, Michel would do anything for a safe place to sleep… and the chance to spend one more hour with her. But there’s something Frieda isn’t telling him, a secret she has sworn to carry to her grave. As Michel leaves Paris behind for the lavender fields and hillside villages of the rural south, he’s in more danger than he could ever know… What readers are saying about The Ringmaster’s Daughter: ‘This is the best book I have read this year, it is beautiful and atmospheric. The story really draws you in and you find yourself really caring about all of the characters and their battle for survival as outsiders in occupied France.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars ‘I felt the heartache, fear and desperation of the characters living in France at this time… The place descriptions, particularly of Paris, were phenomenal… I read it in twenty-four hours and just could not put it down. A moving, captivating read.’ Goodreads reviewer ‘Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Beyond amazing. I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. Could not put it down nor did I want to. This is going to be a must read for many many readers.’ NetGalley reviewer, 5 stars ‘The author of this book weaves a marvellous story together… It is both a thought provoking and, at times, emotionally punching read. I'm hooked. I devoured The Ringmaster's Daughter in two sessions. Brilliant story.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars ‘The Ringmaster's Daughter was a true delight to read. From the very first page, the writing was absolutely gorgeous and painted such a beautiful picture with its imagery.’ Goodreads reviewer ‘Schabowski's debut novel, The Ringmaster's Daughter, is impressive in both expanse and execution. If I had to describe this novel in 3 words they would be: poignant, earnest, and undaunted. Schabowski is a gifted wordsmith… overall this novel is an affecting, entertaining, and intriguing read.’ NetGalley reviewer ‘The world of The Ringmaster's Daughter is well-crafted and wonderfully vivid – especially that of circus… The story is captivating.’ Goodreads reviewer ‘This is a truly sensational debut novel. Carly Schabowski is definitely one to watch out for, I certainly will be.’ Goodreads reviewer ‘This is a wonderful wartime love story but also a story about friendship, hope and sacrifice. A delightful read that will get you hooked from the get go!’ Lu Reads Anything, 5 stars
This fantasy story from the Robin Goodfellow series, as told by The Traveller, is set in a sleepy English seaside village in autumn. Due to tragic circumstances, thirteen year old Max and his older punk sister find themselves living at a guesthouse owned by their grandparents. Longing for adventure Max conjures up an enchantment which involves and threatens family, friends and foes alike. The enigmatic circus ringmaster sets Max a task almost impossible to complete. Max is plagued by his bullying cousin, Rafe and mongrel pack of mates. All the characters in this story embark upon a journey of self -reflection and personal growth. Max must solve the puzzle and complete the game before time runs out and the ringmaster claims them all! With help from his talking dog, his sister and unexpectedly from others, Max has the adventure of his life! Be careful what you wish for...
An ounce of courage. A leap of faith. Together, they propel two young women to chase a new life—one that’s reimagined from what they might have become. In turn-of-the-century America, a young girl dreams of a world that stretches beyond the confi nes of a quiet life on the family farm. With little more than her wit and a cigar box of treasures, Mable steps away from all she knows, seeking the limitless marvels of the Chicago World’s Fair. There, a chance encounter triggers her destiny—a life with a famed showman by the name of John Ringling. A quarter of a century later, Lady Rosamund Easling boards a ship to America as a last adventure before her arranged marriage. There, the twenties are roaring, and the rich and famous gather at opulent, Gatsby-esque parties. The Jazz Age has arrived, and with it, the golden era of the American circus, whose queen is none other than the enigmatic Mable Ringling. When Rosamund’s path crosses with Mable’s and the Ringlings’ glittering world, she makes the life-altering decision to leave behind a comfortable future of estates and propriety, choosing instead the nomadic life of a trick rider in the Ringling Brothers’ circus. A novel that is at once captivating, deeply poignant, and swirling with exquisite historical details of a bygone world, The Ringmaster’s Wife will escort readers into the center ring, with its bright lights, exotic animals, and a dazzling performance that can only be described as the Greatest Show on Earth! “Vibrant with the glamour and awe that flourished under the Big Top in the 1920s, The Ringmaster’s Wife invites the reader [into] the Greatest Show on Earth.” —Joanne Bischof, award-winning author of The Lady and the Lionheart
In book five of her enthralling adventures, Nanny Piggins discovers some startling truths about the ruthless Ringmaster, provides counselling to a Moldovan princess with pre-wedding jitters, inadvertently wins a Nobel Prize while impersonating her sister and catches up with her favourite 4-tonne friend, Esmeralda the forgetful elephant.
The Ringmaster's Array is composed of three series of poems, "impressions, " in the author's word, inspired by, respectively, the photographs of Roy DeCarava, the collages of Romare Bearden, and the music of Duke Ellington.
Includes twenty dramatization activities designed to prompt discussion in youth groups, presenting either specific Bible stories or important topics such as peer pressure, sexuality, or prejudice.
