Circus Mirandus

By: Cassie Beasley

Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot

Length: 6 hrs and 19 mins

Publisher's summary

Fans of Big Fish, Peter Pan, and Roald Dahl will fall in love with Circus Mirandus, which celebrates the power of seeing magic in the world.

Do you believe in magic?

Micah Tuttle does.

Even though his awful great-aunt Gertrudis doesn't approve, Micah believes in the stories his dying grandpa Ephraim tells him of the magical Circus Mirandus: the invisible tiger guarding the gates, the beautiful flying birdwoman, and the magician more powerful than any other - the Man Who Bends Light. Finally Grandpa Ephraim offers proof. The circus is real. And the lightbender owes Ephraim a miracle. With his friend Jenny Mendoza in tow, Micah sets out to find the circus and the man he believes will save his grandfather.

The only problem is the lightbender doesn't want to keep his promise. And now it's up to Micah to get the miracle he came for.

©2015 Cassie Beasley (P)2015 Listening Library

Critic reviews

"Bronson Pinchot performs with the wise air of a storyteller, an appropriate style for a novel built on the tales that Micah's Grandpa Ephraim tells about the magical circus he visited as a boy.... A solid fantasy particularly good for family listening." ( AudioFile)

This book was okay.

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The narrator was a little whinny at times. I also just wasn't that into the story line. I kept wanting more, more character development, more of a streaming story line, more fun and adventure.

Did Circus Mirandus inspire you to do anything?

No. I ilked the Night Circus so much better. That was an inspiring book.

Needs better women characters

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

Better characters where women aren't evil, rigid, or boring.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Circus Mirandus?

The first half.

Any additional comments?

Took too long, the story is fairly uneventful so it could have moved more quickly.

You Still Owe Me a Miracle

This is a story that should please children of all ages -- including those (older) among us who loved Ray Bradbury. In some ways, Beasley's circus is the opposite of Pandemonium: it aims to bring miracles and joy to children. As opposed to Mr. Darque, Circus Mirandus' main attraction is The Man Who Bends Light, or the Lightbender. The story itself centers on family and friendship, and carries a weight of emotion that is punctuated by Pinchot's incredible reading.

The story centers around Micah and his grandfather, and the ties that knot them together -- their belief in Circus Mirandus. Grandpa Ephraim went to Circus Mirandus as a young boy, and it changed his life. Now, Micah is hoping to find Circus Mirandus and the Lightbender again, in hopes of saving his Grandpa's life.

I'm a little uncomfortable with one of the themes in the story being that only children can see and accept magic, and that performing it for them is what keeps magic in the world. It seems disingenuous and hopeless, since all children grow up. (And presuming, of course, that the adults running Circus Mirandus were once children themselves.)

But despite not buying some of the sentimentality, I can still get behind the charm of this story, and am excited to share it with my kids. It's a very fun and enjoyable book with an excellent narration, and its magic will leave both children and adults smiling.

This book IS magic!

Circus Mirandus touches on all the myriad feelings a reader can feel-- amusement, warmth, regret, indignation, gratitude, love, and mostly hope. This beautiful story of the meaning of magic and its power in our lives is one that captivates. Readers will love Micah, Grandpa Ephraim, and The Man Who Bends Light, and the experience will be even further enhanced by Pinchot's masterful narration.

Almost Didn't Finish

Almost gave up on this book. The story really didn't take off until I was about half way through.

Awesome book !!!!!!

I really like this book great for the imaginative child . I love that they read it so clear . I disliked that the reader read a little slower than normal

light in a dark world

for those who are called, Mirandus Head has a circus that never grows old. this is a beautiful and compelling story of the most important things in life.

Runaway With The Circus

This is the "Night Circus" but for middle grade, the story was engaging and I liked Micah and Jenny they were really cute
So the story is about Micah who his Grandfather is dying and his only wish is for Micah to reach the Lightbender who lives in Circus Mirandus and cash in a long overdue debt between them (a miracle) so Micah and his friend Jenny lace up and go to the circus to fulfill his wish.. and we will experience the magic of Circus Mirandus
the book was really nice .. I wish if the writing style was more "flowery" to get us in the mood but that's just a personal preference
The narrator was really nice and I enjoyed his performance

Kid hated this book

Slow, not interesting.my daughter loves to read but hated this book. Don't waste your time.

Good story

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