Ghost Circus

by Adrienne Kress, Jade Zhang (Illustrator)

Overview

For fans of M.T. Anderson and Sheets, here is a middle-grade graphic novel tale of understanding, compassion, and friendships that cross the line between life and death.

Casey is a young boy wandering the world as a spirit . . . but he's not dead, as far as he knows. Stumbling upon the Ghost Circus, a bizarre traveling show filled with phantom performers who entertain other ghosts, Casey meets Creepy Girl, a ghost who cannot move on, and Polterghost, a silent sheet ghost. The three strike up a tentative friendship, and realize that none of them truly fit in at the circus. Sensing a common cause, Casey and Creepy Girl agree to work together to find out why Casey has crossed over to the ghost realm, and what happened in Creepy Girl's past that is holding her back. But as they investigate, they discover that the Ghost Circus itself is not all that it seems, and a bigger mystery is at hand. Will the spectral trio be able to free the souls trapped in the Circus, or will they all go down in the end?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781454948292
Publisher:	Union Square & Co.
Publication date:	08/19/2025
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.50(h) x (d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Adrienne Kress (writer) is a Toronto-based actor and author of award-winning internationally published children’s and young adult novels, including the quirky adventure series The Explorers and the Ticket to Ride books. Adrienne’s first foray into writing horror came with her work on the Bendy and the Ink Machine novels and, more recently, the Five Nights at Freddy’s interactive novel Return to the Pit. As an actor she has had the pleasure of being creepy in many horror films. She has also written a children’s play based on the classic “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” story. Yeah, she might be a bit of a fan of the Headless Horseman! Find her at AdrienneKress.com and on Instagram @AdrienneKress. 

Jade Zhang (artist) is a queer Chinese Canadian illustrator and comic artist. She has illustrated comics for BOOM! Studios, HarperCollins, and the Ignatz Award–winning anthology Shades of Fear. When she is not drawing ghosts and ghouls, she is writing stories about magic, family, and the occasional eldritch horror. 

Editorial Reviews

Grabbing readers from the first frame, this intriguing tale, with its sweet humor, occasional poems, and beautifully subtle and emotive graphics (predominantly in soft shades of blue), will keep the pages turning. . . . A thoughtful ghost story filled with heart, humor, and hope.”
—Kirkus Reviews—Kirkus

From the Publisher

02/28/2025

Gr 5–7—One day, Casey finds himself invisible to humans and able to see ghosts. He meets a ghost who only goes by Creepy Girl, and she agrees to help Casey figure out what has him stuck between the lands of the living and the dead. The book's concept is interesting, but the two main characters lack strong personality traits, both only focusing on solving Casey's dilemma. Casey and Creepy Girl mostly argue, waffling between suspicion and trust, and neither has reason to trust the other, besides the plot hinging on it. Two of the most interesting parts of the story are borrowed from the public domain. The Headless Horseman features as a character, and another side character's backstory mirrors that of "The Green Ribbon," a tale popularized in Alvin Schwartz's In a Dark, Dark Room and Other Scary Stories. The artwork occasionally elevates the text, and the backgrounds are intricately detailed, especially the circus, but the spectral midway features are fewer than one might expect. The character designs vary in quality. Creepy Girl has an unsettling but safe design, being mostly normal except for her coal-black orbs for eyes. Casey's is unremarkable and his movements are awkwardly conveyed. A highlight is Creepy Girl's cute sidekick, Polterghost, who provides some comic relief, performing spontaneous feats of ghostliness to keep the plot moving. If readers persevere to the end, they will be rewarded with a deliriously fun and inventive finale. The final page expresses hope for a sequel. VERDICT Readers with an insatiable thirst for creepy stories may enjoy this one, but anyone else should wait to see if the sequel is an improvement.—Chance Lee Joyner

School Library Journal