Audrey Under the Big Top: A Hartford Circus Fire Survival Story

Twelve-year-old Audrey wants nothing more than to be a dance performer and aerialist, but that feels far from reality in 1944 Hartford, Connecticut. So when she learns the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus is coming to town, Audrey is determined to be there under the big top. It's her only chance to see the Flying Wallendas, a world-renowned highwire act, perform. Audrey convinces her mother to let her take her six-year-old twin sisters with her to the show. But disaster strikes when a fire breaks out under the big top. Can Audrey escape--and find her siblings--before the tent comes crashing down? Readers can learn the real story of the Hartford Circus Fire from the nonfiction backmatter, including a glossary, discussion questions, writing prompts, and more, in this Girls Survive story.

Author: Jessica Gunderson
Publisher: Stone Arch Books
Published: 01/01/2022
Pages: 112
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.35lbs
Size: 7.40h x 5.20w x 0.50d
ISBN: 9781666330625
Audience: Ages 9-12

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 4
Point Value: 1
Interest Level: Middle Grade
Quiz #/Name: 515220 / Audrey Under the Big Top: A Hartford Circus Fire Survival Story


Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 01/15/2022

About the Author
Gunderson, Jessica: - Jessica Gunderson grew up in the small town of Washburn, North Dakota. She has a bachelor's degree from the University of North Dakota and an MFA in Creative Writing from Minnesota State University, Mankato. She has written more than one hundred books for young readers. Her book President Lincoln's Killer and the America He Left Behind won a 2018 Eureka! Nonfiction Children's Book Silver Award. She currently lives in Madison, Wisconsin.Wei, Wendy Tan Shiau: - Wendy Tan is a Chinese-Malaysian illustrator based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Over the past few years, she has contributed to numerous animation productions and advertisements. Now Wendy's passion for storytelling has led her down a new path: children's book illustration. When she's not drawing, Wendy likes to spend time playing with her mixed-breed rescue dog, Lucky.