Long Road to the Circus

One 

Strongest grip in a girl I ve ever saw, Daddy said, not without some pride. 

I looked down at my palms, rubbed raw where earlier I d clung to the elm tree in our front yard with my no-good, stinking brother Bill pulling on my leg to get me down. He d called me in for mealtime and I didn t want to jump to obey his word, so there d been a good five minutes of yanking and gripping before Daddy put a stop to it. I still wasn t feeling anything in four of my fingers, but his praise was a cool, clear salve to those burning digits. A salve, that is, until Mama chimed in with Just like the day she was born.

Once she said that, no amount of moaning on my part could derail her from telling The Legend of Baby Suzy, and believe me, I d tried. Changing the subject didn t amount to anything. Lying about our cow going into labor didn t do any good (possibly because she wasn t pregnant at the time). Ignoring my petulance, Mama launched right in.

The day you were born, lamb pie, you gave me more trouble than I d ever had with your sister and brothers. This was no small thing. Mama had three kids before me, and according to her, each one had been a trial. I thought I knew all the ins and outs of birthing, but you gave me a real ride. You just didn t want to leave! You were holding on for dear life to keep from meeting the world. Then she began to laugh.

My mama cannot talk about the day I was born without bursting into giggles. Granny says it s unseemly. That means whenever she gets to the hilarious part, Granny will totter over and start poking her with her cane, which only sets my mama off further.

Get ahold of yourself, woman! Granny says. Birthing babies is our war! And telling the stories of it means telling about all the bloodshed and battles we overcame. Ain t no time for tittering like a schoolchild. Then she ll poke me once upside the head with the cane and say, You don t see this one acting the fool

Betsy Bird is the Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library, and the former Youth Materials Specialist of New York Public Library. Betsy reviews for Kirkus, served on the 2007 Newbery Award committee, and her children's literature blog, A Fuse #8 Production, is hosted by School Library Journal. Her books include Funny Girl, an anthology of humorous stories, and the picture books Giant Dance Party and The Great Santa Stakeout. Betsy was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and now resides in Evanston, Illinois with her husband and offspring. Visit her at her blog, a Fuse #8 Production on slj.com, or follow her on twitter @FuseEight.

David Small won the Caldecott Medal in 2001 for So You Want to Be President and received two Caldecott honor awards. He is the author/illustrator of Imogene's Antlers, Ruby Mae Has Something to Say, and Stitches, a graphic novel memoir, which was a National Book Award finalist. He lives with his wife in Michigan in the very house in which Long Walk to the Circus is set. Visit him online at davidsmallbooks.com.

"With its timeless messages about big dreams and the beloved people who make them possible, Long Road to the Circus takes you there. It is sorry not sorry a brass ring to grab with both hands." The New York Times

Do not read this book unless you are planning to run away and join the circus. Beautifully told by one of our best librarians. And just as beautifully, and inevitably, illustrated by David Small. Jon Scieszka, The First National Ambassador of Young People s Literature

Who wouldn t jump at the chance to ride an ostrich?! This is a grand, classic tale of finding one s own weird way through the world. Suzy and her feathered friend, Gaucho will become lifelong companions of the reader lucky enough to spend time with them. Eliot Schrefer, New York Times bestselling author

What a cheer-worthy, galloping, heartfelt adventure! Suzy and Madame are my new inspirations. It is indeed a long road to the circus, but worth every step. Catherine Gilbert Murdock, Newbery Honor-Winning author of The Book of Boy and the bestselling Dairy Queen series

An appealing main character and a quirky plot make this historical novel a page-turner. By the time kids reach the celebratory yet bittersweet ending, they ll appreciate that it takes
hard work and determination to achieve goals. Parents Magazine
 
This unconventional tale is a hoot and an encouraging call to live an adventurous life on one s own terms. Booklist
 
Readers will find Suzy an engaging protagonist, feeling simultaneously thoroughly contemporary and classic in a story whose narrative arc is well-crafted . . . A wonderful character piece. Kirkus
 
[A] spirited historical adventure . . . Caldecott Medalist Small s expressive, humorous b&w illustrations infuse the narrative with further personality. Publishers Weekly

"Suzy's wry, folksy first-person narration should elicit plenty of giggles, and Small's striking pen-and-ink illustrations