Kids Corner: Short Circus by Stephen V. Masse

Synopsis from Goodreads:
Back to school, but not so fast! Jem Lockwood's first assignment is to write a composition on what he did during the summer, and he tells the teacher he could write a book. Short Circus is Jem's own story about his remarkable adventures with his Big Brother, Jesse Standish, and a host of neighbors and friends, plus a mysterious enemy who keeps sabotaging the swimming pond. There are bike jumping contests, fistfights, motorbikes, visits to seaside towns for festivals, and swimming in a waterfall. What begins as a glorious summer is very nearly ruined when Jem discovers that his Big Brother's rented house is about to be sold, and Jesse Standish may be forced to move away.

Recommended Age Range: 9-14

My thoughts:
I could see little monkey reading this in several years. I don't see that it is "specifically" targeted at boys, but since the main characters are all young boys I have a feeling that boys would appreciate it more than girls.

As a child it seemed like we had to write the "What I did over the summer" composition every year upon returning to school. Short Circus is Jem Lockwood's description of his summer. I liked Jem Lockwood, he was curious and a bit mischievous without being overly troublesome. Jem lives with his mother and older brother Chris. It is never explained why Jem's father is not in the picture nor is it relevant to the story. Masse introduces Jem's "Big Brother" which helps to associate the younger reader with the idea of a non traditional family if they aren't already familiar with it. Jem tells us of his adventures with his friends, his brother Chris and his "Big Brother" Jesse.

The story reminded me of those long ago, carefree summers that I think we all miss once we join the adult world. That's probably why so many of us dive back into these stories meant for a younger audience, they remind us of our youth which is something we should never forget.

Disclosure: I was provided a copy of Short Circus by the publicist in order to participate in this blog tour. Being provided a copy did not influence my review in any way. This is my honest opinion of Short Circus.