The Traveling Circus: 4 (Travels with My Family) - Tapa dura

..".sprinkled with humor, moments of discovery, and an appreciation for the beauty and diversity of less-lauded destinations. ...a good choice for those new to chapter books or for struggling readers." -- "School Library Journal"
"Hints of gravity punctuate but do not puncture the holiday fun . . . A salutary, unusual look at part of the world rarely seen in North American children's literature, wrapped up in family fun." "Kirkus Reviews"
"Charlie s voice and humor lighten even the darker moments, and his interaction with, and eventual appreciation of, even the quirkiest characters will guide young readers by example." "School Library Journal"
"The wryly amusing story shows that less popular destinations can offer unexpected rewards as well as new ideas to ponder." "Booklist"
"The prose is spry, literate, and lively, making this, and the whole series, a must for budding world-travelers." "Horn Book""
"Hints of gravity punctuate but do not puncture the holiday fun . . . A salutary, unusual look at part of the world rarely seen in North American children's literature, wrapped up in family fun." Kirkus Reviews
"Charlie s voice and humor lighten even the darker moments, and his interaction with, and eventual appreciation of, even the quirkiest characters will guide young readers by example." School Library Journal
"The wryly amusing story shows that less popular destinations can offer unexpected rewards as well as new ideas to ponder." Booklist
"The prose is spry, literate, and lively, making this, and the whole series, a must for budding world-travelers." Horn Book"

...sprinkled with humor, moments of discovery, and an appreciation for the beauty and diversity of less-lauded destinations. ...a good choice for those new to chapter books or for struggling readers. School Library Journal"

Charlie and his family are about to embark on another trip, to another out-of-the-way place off the beaten path. This time they are heading to an island in Croatia — an incredibly beautiful country that lives in the shadow of war and conflict. Even for a seasoned traveler like Charlie, Croatia is a very different experience: the language is unfamiliar and half the words have no vowels, goats are a traffic-calming device, and red cliffs loom like fortresses over an impossibly blue sea. Still, Charlie and his little brother, Max, manage to find adventure wherever they go. There’s cliff diving, pigs on spits, hair-raising ferry crossings and snake juice for breakfast. There’s a sober side to their adventures this time, too, as Charlie finds out that this area of the world has a long and troubled history. But he also discovers that you don’t need to speak the same language to communicate with people. Not when you’re having a party in a field, surrounded by goats and dancing in the glow of car headlights with the radio blaring out Croatian music. A warm, funny and thought-provoking book that celebrates a child’s love of adventure and boundless curiosity about the world.