That Time I Joined the Circus

Author: J. J. Howard

Publisher: Point

What would you do if your mother ran away and your father died? Well, if you were Lexi Ryan, you would try to find your mother–and end up working for a traveling circus. Callie, Lexi’s mom, ran away when she was younger, and Gavin, Lexi’s dad, just recently died. Since he died right after she betrayed a friend, she has no one to turn to and runs away, attempting to find Callie. Little does she know that she will soon be making friends and working in the circus...and finding answers to some of her hardest questions.

That Time I Joined the Circus is definitely a middle school girl’s book. Boys probably would not like it because of the romance that is weaved throughout this funny and touching book. Anyone who has ever felt lost will be able to relate to Lexi in her struggles to find herself.

I loved That Time I Joined the Circus. The author did an amazing job of making running away and joining the circus seem amazing and fun. I also really enjoyed how the author developed the main character Lexi, because even though my parents aren’t dead or gone and I haven’t betrayed a friend, I could easily relate to her woes. Everything in this book was described very well, making it seem better, and almost magical.