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7 swashbuckling pirate books 26/03/24
Nell and the Circus of Dreams
Publisher: Oxford
Nell’s mother is so ill that she can’t get out of bed one summer. Sad, Nell finds a lost chick and cares for it, naming it Rosebud. Yet one day, Rosebud is gone and Nell runs into the meadows looking for her – and finds a circus instead!
At first Nell misses home, but the circus family – a man with golden arms, a woman with jewels in her hair and seven children – take care of her. Nell is enchanted by the circus: the drumming, the velvet curtain, and the children that juggle silver hoops and dance on the back of a white horse.
But when the circus leave, Nell misses their magic – until she returns home and finds that something even more wonderful has happened.
This beautiful, jewel-like book, full of magical pictures, warmth and incredible atmosphere, is a real star. On one level, it’s a simple story about a wondrous circus coming to town, but on another it’s about the magical power of friendship, and how magic happens when you least expect it. Written by the founder of a real circus, there’s a real sense of love and family that permeates the book.