Reviews

Circus Shoes by Noel Streatfeild

bookgirlkaty's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

ellingtonfeint's review against another edition

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5.0

I really like this book. I think one of the best bits about it is that Peter and Santa don't take to circus life at first, they've been brought up to think they're better than everyone else. But they're good kids underneath it all, and what they learn is very valuable. By the end, they belong.

(July 2022 - I still enjoy the circus setting, but on this reread didn't did that characters as compelling. Really there's not many meaningful relationships to enjoy. But it is a fun light read.)

alprnt's review against another edition

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4.0

3.9

hello3627's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted relaxing fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

sezziy's review against another edition

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4.0

I've wanted to read this one for a long time and was thrilled when my library finally acquired it. I found the circus kids pretty annoying but the adult characters were well rounded and realistic. I wish there was more of Peter and Santa actually becoming performers but it ended in a nice place.

The name change does irritate me a lot. What have shoes got to do with the circus?

lottiesaahko's review against another edition

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4.0

Beautiful writing as always by Noel Streatfeild. At times I thought it was a bit long and missing a plot. But it is a wonderful read for kids especially!

book_ish's review against another edition

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lighthearted slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

I love Streatfield's other books but this one dragged on for so many pages and it felt like very little happened. None of the characters were very interesting to me so whilst I didn't hate them, I didn't really care what happened to any of them and it just made the book a lot more boring. 

rsopher's review against another edition

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lighthearted slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.5

rcsreads's review against another edition

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5.0

I really enjoyed this Shoes book. It took us a while to get through because I kept getting throat infections and not being able to read aloud.
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This one follows Peter and Santa, my children found the fact a girl was called Santa hilarious at the start of the book! Their aunt, who's been raising them, dies and they're being sent to separate orphanages so they run away to join the circus where their uncle is a trapeze artiste.
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We enjoyed the story of the children, who started out a bit snobbish but they both developed well and became much more down to earth. By the end of the book they loved the circus and it became their home. The last couple of chapters were a bit depressing and super dramatic but, as with all the Shoes books, everyone got what they wanted in the end.
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I really appreciated the positive portrayal of the traveling community and the people who worked in the circus. All the foreign children were really smart and talented and went to school every day. I didn't have to edit any of it for racism or sexism as I read which is a problem I frequently have with our children's Classics.
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I'd definitely recommend this one for your bedtime story and it would be a nice one for those who can read to read themselves.

annikavo's review against another edition

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4.0

Leuk boek waarbij je veel kennis opdoet over het circus.