The Floating Circus by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer

by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer

Twelve-year-old Owen forgoes an orphan train that’s headed west only to find himself falling in with a completely unexpected group of misfits—circus performers on the River Palace. As this floating circus makes its way down the Mississippi, Owen slowly discovers that his fellow workers aren’t freaks, but loners, like he is. A brush with yellow-fever in New Orleans and a devastating storm threaten the boat and its passengers. But it’s the menace of slave catchers that poses the greatest danger of all, and will put Owen’s loyalty to a freed black man to the test.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Childrens, Middle Grade, Historical, Young Adult, Adventure

Hardcover

First published July 22, 2008

Reviews

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed by Allison Fraclose for TeensReadToo.com

Twelve-year-old troublemaker Owen is so different from his little brother, Zach, that he knows Zach would stand a much greater chance of being adopted from the Orphan Train without him. When the train leaves Pittsburgh, Owen slips away and jumps, leaving his future to the winds.

Before the night is over, he finds himself invited aboard a circus boat by a kindly black man named Solomon...and nearly drowned in the river when the circus owner discovers Owen catching a show for free. Solomon convinces Hathaway, the owner, to let Owen stay aboard as Solomon's assistant in tending the animals and cleaning the boat. Thus, Owen becomes a hired hand on the River Palace.

Life in the circus isn't quite what Owen would have thought it would be, but it grows to become more of a home to him than the orphanage had ever been. From the misunderstood baby elephant, Little Bet, to Caleb, another boy on the boat who reminds him so much of Zach, Owen manages to find a place within his newfound family. But as the circus heads south towards New Orleans--a town plagued with yellow fever, bad storms, and people who think every black man is as good as a slave--Owen will need to decide where his heart and loyalties lie, and choose the road his life will travel.

Full of rich description in an exciting atmosphere and turbulent time in American history, Zimmer brings out a complete cast of very real characters and heart-wrenching situations. THE FLOATING CIRCUS is a masterful work to be enjoyed by anyone between the ages of 8 and 80.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Floating Circus is one of those great books that will appeal to both kids ad adults. I often hear kids complain that literary books are 'so boring'. Although The Floating Circus might be considered literary, it is in no way boring. The author keeps the story moving forward giving it definate kid-appeal.

I also felt it was a great example of how historical fiction doesn't just have to be about girls in corsettes.

The story takes place in the United States circa 1850, when circuses traveled from town to town and slavery was still the status quo.

13-year-old Owen and his brother Zach live in an orphanage in Pittsburgh. But when Zach has the opportunity for a better life, Owen (not wanting to hold him back) runs away and joins the circus. In this case, it is a circus on a boat, which travels the river towns.

Thanks to the well-researched novel, I now have a better understanding of life and times in this part of our history.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this to my kids and they loved it. It’s a bit mature as it deals with the hardships of both the circus and the climate/culture of the time period. Overall it was an awesome book, just like the author!

[Amber Neighbors · Rating 5 out of 5]

The floating circus is a charming historical fiction, painting a colorful picture of a time in history when the circus world became an avenue of survival and acceptance for so many. This is a story of an orphan boy who leaves behind all that is familiar to assure that his brother will get adopted. When he is taken on as a stable boy to a grand floating circus, he encounters unlikely friends, life threatening dangers, and the enchanting but brutal world of the circus. His kindred relationship with an old slave and a baby elephant inspire him to take on challenges he never thought he would, while all the while he seeks to belong.
This is a great read for adults and kids who might not be huge fans of historical fiction, because it is creative, adventurous and emotional- painting history in vibrant color.

[Tori · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love reading about the circus, and that is the only reason I rated this book as high as I did. I enjoyed the research that went into writing this book, but ultimately that was also the downfall of this book. Things are just thrown at the reader without explanation. For example, Owen is at a hotel and there had been a yellow fever outbreak. Instead of Owen looking out the window and seeing the fire, or having one of the adults mention a fire, A sentence pops up out of nowhere that started something like, "The fires outside....". As a reader I was really confused and thought I had missed something, but the next sentences talk about how they would start fires to try to burn the fever out of the air. It would be so much better if this was explained to Owen from another character, but instead this kid who didn't seem to know much about yellow fever in the first place is explaining to the reader why the streets are on fire! Stuff like this happens several times throughout the book. I felt like the writer was just trying to cram in as many historical facts as possible, despite that it was taking away from the immersion and the overall story.

[C.J. Milbrandt · Rating 3 out of 5]

To give his younger brother a better chance at being adopted by a nice family, Owen runs away from the orphanage and happens upon a strange sight. A huge boat on the river is carrying a whole circus. One thing leads to another, and Owen joins the crew. A historical set in the 1850s, the story offers small glimpses of the hardships inherent to this era. Slave trade and sideshow freaks. Sweeping sicknesses and too many mouths to feed. Kind souls and tough choices.

It's always frustrating when the publisher's summary doesn't actually match the story. Owen doesn't find a family with the crew. He remains on the fringes ... and spends a large portion of the book stubbornly avoiding Solomon, the aging black man who stands up for him, then saves his life. What's more, Zimmer ends the story without actually dealing with a major plot point, which left me frustrated and disappointed. Sure, real life isn't tidy or fair, but I prefer stories that resolve.

[Yazmin L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first began reading this book, it immediately grasped my attention. I gained lots of emotions while reading. I laughed at some parts, was amazed just like Owen at some parts, cried, and even squished my face at the parts I found disturbing. I enjoyed Solomon's and Owens bond. I always looked forward to parts where they're having a conversation. What I truly enjoyed most from this book was imagining how each characters voice might of sound and look. This book gave a great imagery of how the characters look. As well as the settings. Zimmer made "The Floating Circus" a way where you can imagine how it might of felt to live in each charters shoes during this time in the 1850's. This was truly fun to read and imagine all the fun and color that Owen has seen on The Floating Circus.

[Pat Salvatini · Rating 2 out of 5]

In 1850’s Philadelphia 13-year-old Owen Burke and his younger brother Zach live in an orphanage after being abandoned by their mother. As fate would have it, Owen falls from severely damaging his arm and rendering it useless leaving Owen to believe Zach would have a better chance being adopted without him. He finds himself befriended by an elderly former slave on a floating circus who gives him work cleaning the animal stalls. As the circus floats down river Owen enjoys his new life until fate again intervenes. Zimmer does an excellent job recreating a feel for the 1850s and keeping a steady plot pace. However, at 13-years-old Owen is more reflective than his present day peers. The ending is also abrupt and leaves the reader with too many unanswered questions.

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a book that needed a good editor. Phrases/descriptions were sometimes repeated within the same paragraph. One of the circus lions changed gender a couple times. Other inconsistencies were noted as well.

[Flyingzebras · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great as historical fiction. All right otherwise, but I don't know a lot of kids that would pick this up on their own

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zimmer, Tracie Vaughn. 2008. The Floating Circus.

"I shoulda listened to my brother. Right follows Zach like a shadow, but wrong wears me like a skin."

Owen and Zach, two brothers, two orphans from Pittsburgh. When we first meet Owen, he is getting ready to fall into some trouble. Dared to climb a tree to see if he could touch the roof of the orphanage, his attempt is brave but extremely foolish. Now he has lost the use of his left arm. When he overhears two elderly ladies--Miss Jane and Miss Eliza--talking about how no one would want to adopt the pair of them--Owen being both a troublemaker and a somewhat crippled one at that--but how Zach could easily find a home, find a family, if he was alone, if he didn't have his brother around, Owen decides to runaway. If his brother would be better off without him, then maybe it's time that he showed just how much he loved his brother by doing what would be best for him in the long run.

Owen mostly by accident joins a circus boat, the River Palace. He's an assistant to a free black man, Solomon, he helps him take care of the animals on board. It includes a lot of CLEANING as I'm sure you can imagine. Solomon is kind and friendly. Owen and Solomon become easy friends and companions. Most of the others ignore him at least in the beginning.

I don't want to say too much. I hate reading things that spoil the plot even a little bit. But this one is good, really good. If you like historical fiction at all...you really should give this one a try. It was inspired by a real showboat, Rogers and Spalding's Floating Palace.

According to the author's website, the book will be released July 22, 2008.

[Lisa Nocita · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Floating Circus is the story of thirteen-year-old Owen Burke, an orphan living in Pennsylvania in the 1850's. His pa dead and his mother unable to provide, Owen and his younger brother Zach are placed in the care of the Home for Destitute and Friendless Youth. When Owen overhears a conversation about Zach's options for adoption, he realizes that he is a liability to Zach and determines to help his brother find a new home even it means leaving him to do so. Owen serendipitously finds his way to the riverfront of Pittsburgh where a large floating circus has moored. By good providence and a healthy dose of luck and chance, Owen finds himself employed by the River Palace, apprenticed to Solomon, a freed black man who cares for the animals and does most of the grunt work to keep the palace shipshape. Although the hours are long and the work is demanding, Owen settles into his new life, forging a gentle friendship with Solomon. When yellow fever and a storm threaten to put an end to it all, Owen knows he has some tough decisions to make and he makes them with pure bravado and integrity. Great historical fiction! Students should love this. Owen is a plucky and believable protagonist. In many ways, this reminds me of Billy Creekmore by Tracey Porter, another great piece of historical fiction with a plucky and forthright protagonist who makes his own way in a world that is not always easy or benevolent. Make no mistake though, The Floating Circus stands firmly on its own merit.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I almost missed this book which would have been a huge mistake! This novel was an absolute joy to read!

Owen and his brother Zach have been given up by their mother to an orphanage. After realizing that Zach has a better chance of being adopted without him, Owen puts his little brother on the orphan train heading west and then sets out to find his own way in life. His path leads him to the River Palace, a floatig circus, and then leads Zach into a job, friendships and his share of new problems.

I read this in one sitting and enjoyed every page! The Floating Circus has so many pieces of history woven into the story that you could easily use tie this novel into other lesson plans if using Floating Circus in the classroom. Pair it with Karen Cushman's Rodzina for the history of the Orphan Trains; use it to discuss slavery in the US; child labor; workers' rights/unions; animal rights...

Spoiler alert..........Scroll down.......



Non baby elephants are harmed in this book.

[Yoonmee · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have really mixed feelings about this book. While I enjoyed it, liked the main character, had fun reading about a floating, traveling circus, and think the author writes well, I'm a tad uneasy about the racial politics of the book. I get tired of white authors creating African American characters whose purpose is to be somewhat of a "simple sage" imparting knowledge and guiding the white protagonist to become a better person (The Secret Life of Bees, I'm looking at you). While it could be argued that the black character (in this case, an adult freed slave named Solomon) helps the white protagonist (a thirteen year old boy named Owen), his role in the book is still to serve the purpose of the white character. Sigh.

That aside, the book provides some interesting insights into the history of the circus in America. I think the author tries to include a tad too much history into the book by including the orphan trains, Yellow Fever, a traveling circus, slavery, etc. into such a short book.

This book is appropriate for 4th-6th grade.

[Charlyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Twelve-year-old Owen slips off the orphan train, leaving his younger brother alone because he believes Zachary will stand a better chance of adoption without him. Without any notion of what he will do next, Owen is carried with a crowd to the riverfront where a floating circus has arrived. After he is thrown overboard for not having a ticket, he is rescued by Solomon, a black circus worker who convinces the owner that Owen can stay with him and help with the animals. So begins a relationship which is the center of the book. Owen is too young and naive to understand all the facets of prejudice or to have seen how poorly men can treat animals or mankind, but he will learn many lesson on board the floating circus.

Zimmer covers much territory in this book: orphan trains, circus history, slavery, yellow fever, and prejudice. But for all of that, this is Owen's story, his growth to a young man who recognizes the education he has received from an illiterate ex-slave.

[Traci · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book for so many reasons. I enjoyed the historical details that were woven into the story. Obviously, the reader is exposed to life on a circus riverboat. In addition, there is information about the horrors of slavery, orphanages, and the yellow fever epidemics of the early 1850's. Owen, a thirteen year old boy, experiences all of these things and more. In the process he learns understanding and forgiveness. He also learns that if you are fortunate enough to be free, your choices and the chances you take impact the path your life will take. A very empowering concept for a young orphaned boy in 1853. The very serious topics are balanced with humor and hope which make this book very enjoyable.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

*possible spoilers This historical fiction has some wonderful descriptive language - the similes that the main character, Owen, uses are worth a look in itself. The author aptly uses the language of a boy growing up as the story is narrated - it's not overdone, it draws you into his thoughts.
The riverboat circus was based on a real one, and many of the details in the book are historically-based, and those details make the story better. Some readers may not be totally happy with the ending, but I appreciated that the author didn't make it a pretty pony party where everyone gets everything they want and went for something a little bit more realistic. (I would not call it a sad ending though, by far.)

[Hoover Public Library Kids and Teens · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book for so many reasons. I enjoyed the historical details that were woven into the story. Obviously, the reader is exposed to life on a circus riverboat. In addition, there is information about the horrors of slavery, orphanages, and the yellow fever epidemics of the early 1850's. Owen, a thirteen year old boy, experiences all of these things and more. In the process he learns understanding and forgiveness. He also learns that if you are fortunate enough to be free, your choices and the chances you take impact the path your life will take. The book has a very empowering concept for a young orphaned boy in 1853. The very serious topics are balanced with humor and hope which make this book very enjoyable.

[Phillip · Rating 4 out of 5]

The pre-Civil War world that twelve year old Owen finds himself in, after he breaks his his ties with the Pittsburgh orphanage, is unfriendly and foreboding; not much different from his early years with his family. Chance steers Owen into a job as an assistant stable hand for a circus situated on a riverboat. Life here has its own challenges, but, under the patient tutelage of the ex-slave who manages the stables, Owen comes to understand some of the challenges his parents faced, as well as catching a broader understanding of the meaning of family.

Tracie Vaughn Zimmer captures a rich, yet rough-hewn culture of circus life in a volatile time. In Owen she portrays a young man growing from youth to manhood in his activities, attitudes, and choices.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I know Tracie well, so there's that whole trying-hard-not-to-be-biased thing as I review this book. But I'm a sucker for orphan stories in general, and I loved the vivid setting of the circus world, so I was a happy girl as I read. Most impressive to me was the knowledge that up until now, Tracie's only written poetry and novels-in-verse...yet she handled prose so deftly that you'd never have know it was a complete change of approach for her. I do so very much love when authors just get better with every book. And I can't wait to see the final cover for this book, as the advance copy wasn't final. I expect that it will be stunning.

[Amber Neighbors · Rating 4 out of 5]

I expected this book to be "all fluff." I was pleasantly surprised to find it historically vivid and complex. I'm a huge fan of circus culture and this novel is just the right amount of intriguing. Following an orphaned boy on his journey with the circus as he discovers his own beliefs, reasons, and self in a time of abolitionists, abandonment, and unlikely friends- this book is a tip of the hat to the amazing, wonderful, world of the floating circuses of the 1800's.

My only criticism is the abrupt ending ...it wasn't bad but rather unexpected. .perhaps this a good thing! Read it and decide yourself!

[Hilary · Rating 2 out of 5]

In 1850, thirteen-year-old Owen makes a difficult choice to abandon his brother on an Orphan Train, in hopes that he will be adopted by a good family, and shortly thereafter finds himself working aboard a circus ship. An interesting look at the circus' of the time. Might upset sensitive children with a couple of brutal scenes involving animals. An enjoyable book, but nothing special. It reads like a "Water For Elephants" for a younger audience. An appended authors note explains her real life inspiration for the story, which bumps the book up a notch.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this 2011 Sequoyah nominee, Owen leaves the orphan train at the last minute to spare his little brother a life of having a "disabled" sibling tag along. Owen's arm becomes useless after a tree-climbing accident.

Owen stumbles, hungry and homeless, upon the River Palace, a floating circus barge. After being befriended by a kind black man who cleans up after the animals, Owen begins his new life as an employee.

There is action, adventure, drama, loss, and love in this quick read.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This good old-fashioned adventure novel will appeal equally to boys and girls as well as to circus fans of all ages. Readers will instantly empathize with Owen, a twelve-year-old escapee from an orphanage, as he learns the ropes of life aboard The River Palace, a circus ship. The vivid cast of characters includes an escaped slave, Siamese twins, and a misunderstood elephant, Little Bets. Amazing! Spectacular! Un-put-downable!

[Raina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Orphan boy finds himself working on a floating circus on the Mississippi. One recurring theme is slavery and racism, as the person who takes the boy under his wing is a freed black man. Boy has to make some very hard choices at the end.
This is tough stuff. The boy has to decide how he fits in the world. But the circus setting makes it fun at the same time, and it feels like a gentle read, even with the crazy awful themes. Good historical fiction 5th-6th booktalk.

[Lesli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another JF book I picked up in the kids section of the library, but I really enjoyed this historical fiction about an lame armed orphan boy that joins the circus. Well he cleans up after the animals. I enjoyed it, and it made me think a lot about the immense blessing of being able to read and write. I don't think anything gives more freedom that literacy. I'm grateful I have always been able to take for granted those blessings. A good book for 10 year olds.

[Judy Desetti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in the 1850's, two orphans are going to be sent from an orphanage in Pittsburgh to the west on the orphan train. One, Owen decides his brother has a better chance for finding a family without him so he runs away. He befriends a black man and finds himself a part of the work crew on a floating circus.

I enjoyed this read. It reminded me of another book I enjoyed reading, Water for Elephants,an adult fiction novel. Water for Elephants also dealt with life among the circus people.

[Jessalyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

It started off promising and makes a good effort to both appeal to children and maintain a decent level of historical attributes, but ultimately it tries too hard to reach a message without any compelling attributes behind it. In the end, the message ultimately seems to be lost in the search for an ending reaches some kind of catharsis. However, the ending ultimately just leaves the reader confused as to the ultimate message.

[Mrs. Hassig · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very difficult book to review. I couldn't put it down but it made me so sad sometimes that I had to walk away from it. There were scenes in this book that were very graphic and if you love animals like I do they were hard to imagine. It's an historical fiction story that includes not only slavery but the Orphan Train. Very heavy and not for everybody. I would recommend this book on a person to person basis. It's also one of this year's William Allen White nominees.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an intermediate level children's book, so my review reflects that. It reminded me of Water for Elephants, but definitely for a younger reader. I love the main character, an orphan, who has an adventurous spirit and kind heart. The plot includes everything from an orphan train to a runaway slave. Also, I am fascinated by the details of the circus life in the 1850s.