The Traveling Circus

“Oh, boy! A country broken up by a war, where people spoke a language with no vowels, and that no one could understand. The perfect place for a vacation!” Narrator Charlie, his little brother Max, and their parents (Summer in the City, rev. 5/12) set off to Croatia in this latest travel romp. It’s a place where people show how happy they are to see one another “by crushing each other with bear hugs and monster handshakes” and where Charlie and Max almost get arrested by a border guard because Max has to pee. It’s also where they meet the mysterious hermit of Vrgada and learn a subtle lesson about the costs of war. The slim volume is packed full of adventures in an unfamiliar landscape, where Charlie and Max live out an old-fashioned kind of childhood with a lot of freedom to go exploring. Adults are present, usually hanging out together and talking, talking, talking, ever happy to share a story that puts Charlie’s adventures into cultural context. Charlie’s wide-eyed first-person point of view keeps this installment as fresh and enjoyable as the others in the series. The prose is spry, literate, and lively, making this, and the whole series, a must for budding world travelers. dean schneider

Charlie, Max, and their parents (Summer in the City) visit Croatia. This slim volume is packed full of their adventures in an unfamiliar landscape, from almost getting arrested (because Max has to pee) to meeting the mysterious hermit of Vrgada and learning about the costs of war. Charlie's wide-eyed first-person point of view keeps this latest travel romp as fresh as the others.