  | Freddie Mole : lion tamer Author: McCall Smith, Alexander | |
| Price: $21.68 | ||
Summary:
When Freddie gets a job at the circus to help his family financially, he is surprised--and frightened--to learn he will be the understudy for some of the acts.
| Illustrator: | Hindley, Kate |
| Reading Counts Information: Interest Level: 3-5 Reading Level: 4.60 Points: 5.0 Quiz: 75064 | ||
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (05/15/18)
School Library Journal (05/01/18)
Booklist (05/01/18)
Full Text Reviews:
School Library Journal - 05/01/2018 Gr 2–5—Freddie Mole is a 10-year-old boy eager to support his parents as they struggle to make ends meet. Through happenstance, he lands a job cleaning at the local circus. Little does he know that the circus will provide much more than income: he makes new friends, learns how to work the trapeze, and even meets a few lions. Freddie is a highly lovable character who demonstrates compassion, courage, and grit. His story is wonderfully complemented by Hindley's cartoonish illustrations that grace nearly every page. The circus makes for a perfect illustrative backdrop: lush costumes and bold patterns plunge readers directly into scene. In addition to the clear and direct narrative, McCall Smith inserts unusual verbs and adjectives that will challenge and sharpen comprehension skills. VERDICT Fast-paced and engaging, this is sure to delight either as a read-aloud with an adult or as a selection for strong independent readers.—Katherine Hickey, Metropolitan Library System, Oklahoma City - Copyright 2018 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
Booklist - 05/01/2018 A solid work ethic and good manners prove tickets to happiness in this genial tale of a boy who joins the circus. Freddie Mole’s family is so hard up that he only gets one clean sock at a time, so when he hears of an opening at a small circus, he eagerly applies. He soon discovers that his job entails not only clearing the grandstand seats of rubbish but also serving as understudy for the trapeze artists and, gulp, the lion tamer (Smith explains that this story takes place back when circuses still had lions). Being, as the author writes, “a kind boy who everybody liked,” Freddie is welcomed by all. And, having discovered that though lions might seem ferocious when in the ring, they’re actually big, toothless pussycats, he’s up to the challenge when, one night, the lion tamer goes AWOL. Most of the figures in Hindley’s frequent pen-and-ink drawings sport stylish quiffs, but Freddie’s is the tallest and curliest of all. He’s definitely destined for a bright future under the big top. - Copyright 2018 Booklist.
