Danger on the Flying Trapeze: D. L. Moody (Trailblazer Books) [Paperback]

Dave and Neta Jackson (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Series: Trailblazer Books

Casey convinces his family to join the circus but a terrifying accident leaves him paralyzed with fear. Ages 8-12.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-6?Christian teachings are the focus of this story set in Philadelphia in 1893. Fourteen-year-old Casey, his sister, and mother live with his stern uncle and aunt after his father's death. Their situation changes when the boy is offered a job with the circus, cleaning out elephant stalls. His sister and mother soon join the troope, and the family is no longer under the tyrant's rule. When Casey becomes part of a daredevil trick in a trapeze act, he falls. Convinced he has let everyone down, he wants to quit. Enter the purpose of this book: to introduce "...Christian heroes of the past." Evangelist D.L. Moody guides his followers to "accept Christ"; through his encouragement and help, Casey perfects his act and also gets a scholarship to a Christian school. Black-and-white drawings illustrate dramatic events. The message is heavy-handed and the characters are flat, but there is a lot of action. An additional purchase for libraries needing Christian fiction.?Renee Steinberg, Fieldstone Middle School, Montvale, NJ
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 6^-8. Fourteen-year-old Casey, who has recently lost his father, convinces his family to join the circus to escape a dreary life with pious, moralistic relatives. Casey trains on the trapeze, while his mother, an accomplished horsewoman, rides for the circus. Arriving at the Chicago World's Fair, Casey hears evangelist D. L. Moody reveal a fresh perspective on God's loving nature. When Casey misses a difficult trapeze maneuver, he loses courage and quits. He's challenged by Moody, who insists that God does not use quitters. When Casey tries the maneuver again, he succeeds and resolves to learn more about God. The narrative is wooden, and although several anecdotes about Moody are given, the reader does not gain a real sense of the man. Descriptions of the circus and the nineteenth-century backdrop will interest some readers, however, as will the biographical sketch of Moody that the authors have included. There's also a bibliography. Shelley Townsend-Hudson

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Bethany House (April 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1556614691
• ISBN-13: 978-1556614699
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,196,102 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended!, March 19, 2003

By 

Kurt A. Johnson (North-Central Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Danger on the Flying Trapeze: D. L. Moody (Trailblazer Books) (Paperback)

This book is part of the Trailblazer Series, in which young people of the period (and as such your young reader) meet Christian heroes of the past. In this book, fourteen-year-old Casey Watkins grows tired of living under the thumb of his self-righteous uncle, and finds jobs for himself and his widowed mother with Forepaugh's Circus. While the circus tours the country, headed for Chicago and the Columbia Exposition of 1893, Casey is able to join the trapeze act. Arriving in Chicago, Casey meets that dynamic evangelist, Dwight Lyman Moody. Casey is fascinated by Moody, and when he panics during a trapeze act, and loses his confidence, he finds himself turning to Moody, and God.

This is a very nice book. I was fascinated by the Jacksons' characterization of D.L. Moody, and enjoyed the story immensely. My nine-year-old son also enjoyed the book, and we both highly recommend it to you!