The Quirks in Circus Quirkus - Hardcover

Soderberg, Erin

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1599907909 ISBN 13: 9781599907901

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens, 2014

Synopsis

Ladies and Gentleman, Boys and Girls, Children of All Ages... Just as the Quirk family was settling into Normal... Ta da! The circus comes to town! At school, Molly, Penelope, and Finn are all learning circus skills in gym class. At home, they are putting similar skills to good use; it takes fancy footwork and stellar detective work to keep their nosy neighbor from snooping around and uncovering the Quirk family secrets. Each day in their new town makes one thing very clear: Life in Normal is a high-flying adventure!

About this title

About the Author

ERIN SODERBERG has written a Candy Apple for Scholastic, some Romantic Comedies for Pulse, and an upcoming edgy YA stand alone. She's also a brand-manager for Nickelodeon. Erin lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Reviews

Gr 2–4—In this follow-up to Welcome to Normal (Bloomsbury, 2013), Penelope, Molly, and Finn are still struggling not just to fit in but also to hide their family's secret quirks. Finn, for example, can only be seen by others when he is chewing bubble gum. Nervous Penelope lets her overactive imagination come to life, literally, at times, and their Mom has superpowers of persuasion. Grandpa Quirk can rewind time, and Gran flits in and out as a tiny fairy. Only Molly seems to have no special quirk of her own, although she is immune to her families' unique traits. When the circus comes to town and challenges the local students to a participation contest, everyone is thrilled except Molly and Penelope. They are afraid that their cranky next door neighbor, Mrs. DeVille, is spying on them while they practice circus stunts in the backyard. Has she discovered their secret quirks? Molly is determined to figure out a way to prevent the woman from learning the truth about her family, because she doesn't want to move again. The Quirks have lived in 27 different towns in just under 10 years, thanks to people discovering their unique "talents." Molly and Penelope's desire to fit in rings true, especially in their fourth-grade class. The story develops easily and quickly as readers get to know the characters. Black-and-white illustrations scattered throughout lend comical flair. Fans of Mary Pope Osborne's "Magic Tree House" series (Random) who are ready for longer texts might appreciate the quirkiness of the Quirks.—Lisa Kropp, Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY

Edition details

• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 1599907909
• ISBN 13: 9781599907901
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 240