Circus Shoes

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One of her best novels - a Carnegie medal winner! - Rated
I love Circus shoes (or 'The Circus is Coming' as it was originally published). For me, it's on a par with 'Thursday's Child' or 'Ballet Shoes'.

Well-researched, Noel Streatfeild spent several seasons with the circus before writing 'Circus Shoes' and she brings the circus scene vividly to life.

The story is about two orphaned siblings, Peter and Santa who are left homeless when their Aunt dies. To avoid being separated and sent off to different orphanages they run away to try and find an Uncle who used to send a card each Christmas. Their only hope is to find this Uncle Gus, but this isn't so easy as he's part of a circus, so constantly on the move.

Peter and Santa have had an extremely sheltered upbringing, and have been brought up to believe themselves superior to other children. They are good natured, however, and soon learn the errors of their ways amongst the hard-working and down-to-earth circus people. The children have never been happier than living amongst Cob's Circus, but can they prove their worth and truly belong amongst the circus crowd?

A wonderful classic. Carnegie Medal winner in 1938, but still just as good today.

Circus Shoes - Rated
This book is one of the best books ever. I read when I was little but still like it today. I would recomend this book to anybody. After you read it you'll feel like running away to the circus yourself.

Another "Shoe" Book! - Rated
After Peter and Santa's 'respectable' Aunt Rebecca dies they are faced with the choice of being split up and put into seperate, dreary orphanages; where they may not see each other for life, or they can make a bid for freedom and run away into the great wide world in search of their one ray of hope: Gus, their Uncle who belongs to a circus.

Uncle Gus is a man with little time on his hands for estranged family members who drop in on him without a word and so, to show him how valuable they can be they must work like slaves to earn his respect and make him notice them. This is their only chance to stay together and so they work harder than ever before to develop their talents; from learning to do head-stands to understanding that fitting in is as important as being 'respectable'.

This novel is first rate and is perfect with other titles in the "Shoe" collection such as 'Ballet Shoes' and 'White Boots', suitable for readers of a young age (7-15years) but may be enjoyed by any who have a lust for fantasy and fun.

A story full of laughter, sadness and naivety in an exiting new setting that is adorable in every way! I love all the "Shoe" books and think that this is no exeption!!!

A lovely book - Rated
I first read this book at primary school under it's original title of 'The Circus is Coming'. It was a favourite of mine then so I was delighted to see it was reissued, albeit under the rather silly title 'Circus Shoes' (no doubt to fit in with Streatfeild's much better known 'Ballet Shoes'). Anyhow, title aside, I found it just as good as I'd remembered it.

It's about a brother and sister, Peter and Santa, who run off to join their uncle Gus in a circus, rather than be sent to separate orphanages. They don't have too easy a time of it in the circus community, as they find all they have learnt previously in a very narrow and rather snobbish upbringing is of no use at all in their new life. They're forced to look at things in new ways and to realise that people are more equal than they previously thought.

There's a lovely international flavour to the book and the scenes with the other circus children are often very amusing. The children's uncle Gus, while wishing to do his best for them, is often irritated by Peter who he thinks considers himself better than other people. Santa settles in more quickly and gets on better with Gus, but has her own problems especially when her violin turns up after she'd boasted she could play it when in actual fact she can't. However, in the usual way of books, everything gets straightened out eventually and there's a happy ending.

'Circus Shoes' is well worth reading, even though it has never been as well as well known as 'Ballet Shoes' or even some other Streatfeild books. Noel Streatfeild is supposed to have travelled for some time with a circus to gather background information for the book and it does sound as though she was thoroughly familiar with circus life of the time. I'd love to read more reviews on this book and to hear what others think of it.

Children run away to uncle at circus - Rated
The brother and sister are devistated when they learn that they are to be sent to separarte orphanages. They pawn a bracelet and watch to run away to their only known relative, Uncle Gus. As Gus lives in a circus, this brings about many adventures, and the children need to learn a few lessons before they fit in. Eventually, they both discover their place in the circus, and are allowed to stay. A fun story, but not Noel Streatfeild's best.