The Great and Only Barnum by Candace Fleming

 

Ladies and gentlemen… boys and girls…step right up and see the tremendous…stupendous….amazziiinnnggggg…..P.T. Barnum!

 

Have you ever wondered about the man who engineered the greatest show on Earth? The Great and Only Barnum by Candace Fleming tells the intriguing life story of one of the greatest showman in history, P.T. Barnum. Fleming captures Barnum’s life in a very entertaining, anecdotal way. You’ll learn every detail that led from his boyhood in Connecticut, to a creepy museum, and finally to the creation and legacy of Barnum and Baily’s Circus. Through a slew of ups and downs, Barnum persevered to keep his legacy and entertainment alive. Fleming reveals a man with an astounding work ethic—he rebounded from bankruptcy, devastating fires, and public disgrace—and a love for entertainment. This biography also addresses Barnum’s less admirable traits, including the callous treatment of his first wife, lack of interest in his children, drinking early in life, his purchase of a slave for exhibit, professional dishonesty, and exploitation of the people and animals with whom he worked. But it’s all part of a balanced portrait of a complicated man that captures all of it—the good and the bad.

This bio is filled with plenty of extras, including funny stories of people that Barnum knew and from his life, historical photographs, and beautiful illustrations. Along with an annotated bibliography, this bio also includes a list of relevant websites, and source notes to give readers a plethora of additional material to explore.

This would be a great introduction to the genre of biography to students in middle school. With all the photos and illustrations, along with rather large font, this bio is a pretty quick and entertaining read. Chances are, young readers will have fond memories of the circus this man created from their childhoods that will create interest in this book for them. If their looking to relive all the circus magic they remember, this book will not disappoint.

Pros: entertaining, informational, subject that interests young readers

Cons: none really. Students may have to look up some vocabulary words.

The book itself contains so much additional information on the web I don’t think I have anything to add except this quick video if you would like to see inside the famous Barnum Museum

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=P.T.+Barnum+Museum+Connecticut&&view=detail&mid=1986BF6C65AE5D77A5151986BF6C65AE5D77A515&FORM=VRDGAR

Pick up “The Great and only Barnum” here:

https://www.amazon.com/Great-Only-Barnum-Tremendous-Stupendous/dp/0375841970