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.
Stephen V. Masse was born in Boston, Massachusetts. He wrote his first practice novel at age 13, handwritten into a school composition book.
Educated at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, he studied creative writing, and was author of a weekly newspaper column, "Out of Control." His first novel for children, SHADOW STEALER, was published by Dillon Press in 1988. SHORT CIRCUS (Good Harbor Press)is his second novel for children. He has recently finished a new novel, THE TASTE OF SNOW, which will be available in October, 2011.
In addition to children's books, Masse has written A JOLLY GOOD FELLOW, winner of the Silver Medal in the 2008 Independent Publisher Book Awards, as well as honorable mention in the 2008 New England Book Festival for best books of the holiday season.
