circus performers

"The Island of Astaroth--"The Dark Island"--is a legend among sailors. It's rumored a demon lives there, and that it holds more riches than anyone could fathom. But no one has ever laid eyes on it. Certain that her long-lost brother is being held on the Dark Island against his will, Dessa hires a ragtag group of smugglers to take her there aboard their ship. But it's a journey fraught with danger and treachery, and the outcome seems less and less certain with each passing moment..."--Back cover.

Seeking shelter from a storm, the three fugitives stop at a roadside inn where a greedy innkeeper plots to turn them in to the queen for a reward, and things get worse when the queen's Dragons arrive.

"The Island of Astaroth--"The Dark Island"--is a legend among sailors. It's rumored a demon lives there, and that it holds more riches than anyone could fathom. But no one has ever laid eyes on it. Certain that her long-lost brother is being held on the Dark Island against his will, Dessa hires a ragtag group of smugglers to take her there aboard their ship. But it's a journey fraught with danger and treachery, and the outcome seems less and less certain with each passing moment..."--Back cover.

"When his colony is threatened by greedy grasshoppers, an ant named Flick searches for a band of warriors, who turn out to be circus performers"--Provided by publisher.

Much has been written about P. T. Barnum -- legendary showman, entrepreneur, marketing genius, and one of the most famous nineteenth-century personalities. For those who lived in Barnum's shadow, however, life was complex. P. T. Barnum's two families -- his family at home, including his two wives and his daughters, and his family at work, including Little People, a giantess, an opera singer, and many sideshow entertainers -- suffered greatly from his cruelty and exploitation. Yet, at the same time, some of his performers, such as General Tom Thumb (Charles Stratton), became wealthy celebrities who were admired and feted by presidents and royalty. In this collection of interlinked stories illustrated with archival photographs, Deborah Noyes digs deep into what is known about the people in Barnum's orbit and imagines their personal lives, putting front and center the complicated joy and pain of what it meant to be one of Barnum's "creatures.".

Lillia, fifteen, flees Warsaw with her father and baby sister in 1940 to try to make a new start in Shanghai, China, but the conflict grows more intense as America and Japan become involved.

"Describes the types of skills useful for putting on a circus show. Includes step-by-step instructions on basic tricks, stunts, and performances such as juggling, plate spinning, tumbling, acrobatics, clown costumes and performances, and more. Encourages readers to practice and hone their performance skills"--Provided by publisher.

While waiting for Dessa, Topper, and Fisk to emerge from a healing community where he is sure they have taken shelter, Captain Drake remembers his early days as a member of the King's Dragons and the web of intrigue that his younger, more idealistic, self was drawn into, and wonders if the key to catching the three thieves could lie in his own dark past.

Allie, Bella, Carly, and Marlo, eight-year-old performers in the Stardust Circus, are normally best friends--but when a film crew comes to do a television special on the circus, Allie's dreams of being a Hollywood star threaten to drive a wedge between them.

While Dessa and her two companions find refuge in a stable, the owner of the inn is making a deal with the smugglers and the Captain Drake and the royal guard ride in to the yard, causing chases, captures, mishaps, and narrow escapes.