The Quirks in Circus Quirkus by Erin Soderberg...

How I Heard About It:  My school librarian gave me a copy of The Quirks:  Welcome to Normal by Erin Soderberg.  After I read it, I knew I wanted it to be a "Breakfast with Books" book club selection.  What was even more exciting was that the author was going to join the book club discussion in person because we are both from the Twin Cities.  Before the book club I wanted to read the sequel.  I bought myself a copy and got busy reading!  

What It Is About:  This second book continues right where the first one left off.  Molly and Penelope are twins and attending fourth grade.  They come from a unique family.  Each member of the family has a special "quirk" or magical power.  The school has announced that a special circus will be coming to town and they would like one grade level to perform in the circus with the professional performers.  The students are beyond excited.  They begin practicing right away.  Meanwhile at the Quirk home, things are never dull.  The mother wants to get away for a weekend, the brother keeps disappearing, and the grandparents are "wild" as ever.  Molly and Penelope find out that the neighbor lady is spying on them and has notified the "press" that something is going on with this family.  Mrs. Deville is one of the most noisy neighbors of all time and the girls don't want her finding out about the family secrets, especially the little monster that Penelope is keeping in her room.  All action leads to an exciting conclusion with the circus being performed both in the Quirk's backyard and at school. 


What I Thought Of It:  I enjoyed the first book so much that I choose it for a book club novel.  I was pleasantly surprised how wonderful the second book in the series turned out to be.  As much as I enjoyed the first novel, I think I loved this second book even more.  The characters were so fun to read about and the story was quite engrossing.  With the focus of the neighbor lady Mrs. Deville, there was even more excitement and suspense.  The plot moved along quickly and kept me engaged throughout the entire story.     

Who Should Read It:  This is the perfect book for third, fourth, and fifth graders.  The story could be read alone or would make for a terrific read aloud.  Both novels are not extremely long and the illustrations that are scattered throughout the book, make for a fun book to read and look at.  I think the story line will appeal to many readers and they will come to "love" the Quirk family.  I know my readers are very excited about this series and meeting the author in a couple of days.  Happy Reading!

Rating:  5 STARS out of 5 Stars