Circus Kids

Step back in time and hear my parents tell how things used to be back in simpler days before the internet and smartphones. Hear Dad tell about growing up on a farm in Cleburne County, Alabama, when running water meant you had to run and get it. Ride on a troop ship with him to Europe, not knowing what he would face in Nazi Germany. Find out what it was like to be right there in the middle of the sheer joy and mad celebrations when the war in Europe ended. Hear Mom tell about the hurts, fears and joys of raising her two children from the moments they were born until the oldest begins school....

Dookie the Dung Beetle just wanted a simple meal at McDumps, but fate had other plans! When he and his friend Pierre, a timid praying mantis, get captured by the local bully and thrown into a bizarre bug circus, things quickly go from bad to worse. Now, instead of enjoying his favorite fast poop, Dookie finds himself showing off his poop-tasting skills to a crowd of amazed kids. But there’s more at stake than just Dookie’s pride—Pierre is in serious danger of losing his head to a hungry female mantis! With big cousin Brownie and their pal Turdy hatching a daring rescue plan, the ...

Twelve-year-old Suzy Bowles is tired of summers filled with chores on her family farm in Burr Oak, Michigan, and desperate to see the world. When her wayward uncle moves back home to the farm, only to skip his chores every morning for mysterious reasons, Suzy decides to find out what he's up to once and for all. And that's when she meets legendary former circus queen Madame Marantette and her ostriches. Before long, Suzy finds herself caught-up in the fast-paced, hilarious world of ostrich riding, a rollicking adventure that just might be her ticket out of Burr Oak.

Artie knows that an unusual gift from his teacher can only mean one thing; his dream of becoming a magician is certain to come true. Why else would she give a top hat to an 11-year-old boy? With his brother Tommy, neighbor Pauline, and Maggie the dressmaker dummy by his side, things are finally looking up, until life around him gets weird. His parents refuse to admit that anything is wrong, but a mysterious knock on the door reveals that Artie's greatest fear has come true. They can call it anything they want, even put whipped cream and a cherry on top of it, but there's no way Artie can ...

Ten-year-old Babo has grown up on an abandoned circus camp in a war-torn country. She sleeps in the old lion cage and takes care of the other parentless "leftover kids" telling them fantastical stories about the old circus days and finding ways to make them laugh. They need her. So Babo is not one single bit happy when an American couple wants to adopt her and change her name to Betti. How will her real parents ever find her all the way in America?

Alexei, Grigori, Felix, Irina, Oksana, and Polina are Siberian tigers who have spent their entire lives working in the circus. Their parents were circus tigers, and it is the only thing they have ever known. The life of a circus tiger is not always easy. From the time they are very small, they go through a lot of hard training. Alexei is the oldest tiger in the group. He can also be the grumpiest. The other tigers complain to each other that he often makes them feel sad and discouraged. But do they dare to tell Alexei how they feel?