Mirette was always fascinated by the strange and interesting people who stayed in her mother's boarding house. But no one excited her as much as Bellini, who walks the clothesline with the grace and ease of a bird. When Mirette discovers that fear has kept him from performing for years, she sets out to show him that sometimes a student can be the greatest teacher of all. Full color.

The man who specialized in the larger-than-life led an extraordinary life himself. Growing up in a community of extreme practical jokers, young Taylor learned the power of storytelling and used it to his advantage (and the wonder of others) as he grew up. Barnum was also incredibly resilient, coming back from bankruptcy, fires, and other defeats to make his fame—ad that of others—even wider. G ...