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  • The Bonaventure Adventures by Rachelle Delaney
  • April Spisak
Delaney, Rachelle The Bonaventure Adventures. Puffin Canada, 2017 288p
Trade ed. ISBN 978-0-14-319850-5 $16.99
E-book ed. ISBN 978-0-14-319852-9 $10.99         Ad Gr. 4-6

Twelve-year-old Seb, who was born and raised in a traveling circus, unfortunately appears to have zero circus-related talent—the kid can't juggle, clown, swing, flip, or blow flames. When he's sent off to the Bonaventure Circus School in Montreal, [End Page 407] however, he takes it on as his mission to help both his family's financially struggling circus and the financially struggling school, while also trying to pass his circus classes. Of course, he doesn't have to go it alone, as the requisite two best friends are quickly lined up and the right circumstances (and rich donor) fall into place as well. Seb's a kind, sympathetic guy and it's easy to relate to him, especially since he's no circus superstar. Unfortunately, there are way too many convenient moments for the plot to feel believable, and it's never clear why this seemingly successful school is broke. In addition, there are not enough circus-specific details plugged into this setting to make it memorable, so it joins the mountain of boarding-school books without the goods to stand out. Even so, readers who can't get enough of books about kids saving the day when the stubborn grownups just don't have the right ideas may find plenty to enjoy in this romp of a novel.

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