Freckles and the Circus
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by Gail Gilkey
Price: $9.95
Book Website: http://www.windyhillpress.net
165 Pages, Paperback, 5.5 x 8.5
ISBN-10: 0-9662983-3-0
ISBN-13: 978-0-9662983-3-8
Freckles lives a typical life for an American eleven year old. His family has a middle class income. He lives in a suburban home and goes to public school. After his father loses his job, Freckles' parents decide to start a one-ring, family-owned circus. They travel throughout the U.S. and give shows 8 1/2 months a year. Freckles, his older brother and younger sister find their lifestyle to be completely changed. A peer culture doesn't exist for them and their learning environment is very independent. Some pitfalls are lonliness and heavy responsibility. Some pluses are a close family working as a team, travel, working with animals, developing individual skills, and experiencing adventures. In the beginning, Freckles is a happy-go-lucky kid, willing to help others. In time this role frustrates him as he sees his siblings developing talents and skills. Freckles feels lost and doesn't know how to fit in with his family, their expectations and his new lifestyle. He doublts himself and his self-esteem becomes shaky. Through forming a relationship with a show dog, keeping the loyalty of a former friend, bearing up under a challenging responsibility of caring for three elephants, creating a small business for himself, and some other exciting adventures, Freckles has a fun year as he gains in ability and confidence. This book shows diversity of lifestyle of a certain segment of American children. Although the story is fiction, it is based on interviews of real children and their parents traveling with small circuses. Their everyday educational and social situations are quite different from mainstream peers. The book is intended for 8-12 year olds but may be enjoyed by other ages as well.
About The Author
Gail Gilkey has been writing for fifteen years and has four other children's books published and one adult health care book. "Happy Cat," "Miriam's Holiday," "Would You Still Love Me?" and "No More Garbage" are picture books for the 2-8 year old group. See the Web site- www.windyhillpress.net for descriptions and orders. Gail has an MS degree from Columbia University and is a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. What motivated Gail to write was a feeling that she was interested in topics that weren't being addressed. She especially liked "kids who are different" or diversity topics. While looking for books to read to her own children, she couldn't find anything on religiously blended families. The topic of love between parent and child had books that spoke of unconditional approval instead of unconditional love which in Gail's opinion includes guidance. Gail wrote "Miriam's Holiday" and "Would You Still Love Me?" to provide a new voice in those areas. "Freckles and the Circus" began when Gail took her children to a local one-ring circus. The circus was set up in a field alongside an elementary school. After the matinee they went to the school playground for fun. Children that traveled with the performers in the circus were at the playground, too. She asked the circus children about their lives. Later, she spoke with their parents about circus life. Over the next several years, she atended one and three-ring circuses and spoke with families within the performing profession. She then realized circus children had very different lives than her own and was compelled to write about it.
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