Kidzworld reviews The Palace of Laughter by Jon Berkeley.
Title: Palace of Laughter
Author: Jon Berkeley
Ages: 9+
Rating:
An orphan, an angel and a sinister circus - interested yet? Kidzworld reviews the first book in The Wednesday Tales series called The Palace of Laughter!
Meet Little Orphan Miles
Miles Wednesday's last name isn't actually Wednesday. That's just the name given to him by the mean, old lady who runs the orphanage because he was dropped off on a Wednesday. The orphanage was such a terrible place that he escaped (seven times, to be exact) and is now living in a barrel on the side of a hill with his best friend, a teddy bear named Tangerine.
The Beast of the Big Top
One night while he's fast asleep in his barrel, Miles gets woken up by the sounds of the circus coming to town - but the Circus Oscuro is no ordinary circus. Run by a mean ringmaster named the Great Cortado and his shady sidekick, Genghis, this circus isn't about fun and games, but about something that's evil and wicked. Why else would they have a vicious beast called The Null that rips people to shreds?
No Laughing Matter
Aside from The Null, Miles meets a circus performer (who is actually an angel) named Little, who he helps rescue. When they find out that their friends, including Tangerine, have been kidnapped and taken to the Palace of Laughter, they set off on a dangerous mission to save them. With a talking tiger guiding them along, Miles and Little make their way to the Palace of Laughter, which isn't as happy a place as it sounds.
The Bottom Line
At 427 pages, The Palace of Laughter is a really long read, but it's definitely worth it. You'll get so caught up in the magical world of Miles and his little friend, Little, that you won't want to put it down.Related Stories:
