The Bonaventure Adventures

by Rachelle Delaney

Overview

A middle-grade novel for fans of boarding school stories—with a dash of The Mysterious Benedict Society and a splash of Circus Mirandus!

Sebastian Konstantinov comes from a long line of talented circus performers. Somehow, however, he has not inherited any of their acrobatic skill: he has no balance, he's afraid of heights, he can't even turn a somersault. But there's one thing he does know: his father's circus, which travels through Eastern Europe, is out of date and is fast running out of money.

Seb has a solution, though: if he can somehow get into the Bonaventure Circus School in Montreal, Canada, he might be able to learn something valuable to help his father. Seb secretly writes to the Directrice (an old friend of his father's) and is accepted into the school. All he has to do is convince his father to send him away — oh, and keep his lack of talent a secret from all his teachers and classmates. Fortunately for him, he befriends two other students, who also don't seem to quite fit in.

Seb is not the only one with secrets, it turns out. The school is literally crumbling beneath the feet of its students, and the directrice may be counting on Seb's "talent" to save the day. Can he and his new friends figure out what's really going on in the school that bills itself as the World's Best Circus School?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780143198505
Publisher:	PRH Canada Young Readers
Publication date:	05/02/2017
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.40(h) x 1.10(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

RACHELLE DELANEY is the author of several middle-grade novels, including The Metro Dogs of Moscow, which was a CLA Book of the Year Honour Book, as well as a finalist for the Silver Birch Award and the Red Cedar Award, among others. Its sequel, The Circus Dogs of Prague, was shortlisted for the 2017 Pacific Northwest Library Association Young Reader’s Choice Award. Her newest novel, The Bonaventure Adventures, was published in 2017. Visit her at www.rachelledelaney.com.

Editorial Reviews

One of CCBC’S Best Books for Kids & Teens (2017)


PRAISE FOR The Bonaventure Adventures:

"The Bonaventure Adventures is likely to be the most fun readers will have in 2017." —CM Magazine

"Heartwarming and hilarious. . . . With vibrant circus imagery and a story that is sure to capture the imagination of readers, The Bonaventure Adventures would make an excellent choice for a classroom read-aloud." —Canadian Children’s Book News

From the Publisher

04/01/2017
Gr 3–6—Young Sebastian Konstantinov's father is the ringmaster of a traveling circus. Seb journeys with his father and the circus all over Eastern Europe, though Seb lacks any natural circus talent. Ticket sales have been dismal lately, but the boy lands a full scholarship to the Bonaventure Circus School in Montreal. Bonaventure's directrice may be under the mistaken impression that Seb is a circus prodigy, but Seb believes that he can help make his father's show more marketable if he learns the ways of the modern circus. What he does not realize until he arrives is that Bonaventure is under significant financial strain. Now Seb and his two new friends must find a way to save their school and avoid being expelled. The protagonist is a forward thinker who understands that fresh ideas keep audiences interested in the performing arts. The bonds of friendship among the band of misfits are forged gradually and convincingly. Significantly, Seb sometimes struggles to balance his needs as an introvert with those of his friends. The resolution is a bit abrupt but satisfying nonetheless. The still-mysterious identity of Seb's mother and Seb's invitation to apply for a second year at Bonaventure leave ample room for a sequel. VERDICT Recommend to circus lovers; purchase where circus-set fiction is popular.—Sara White, Seminole County Public Library, Casselberry, FL

School Library Journal

2017-03-06
A boy attends circus school to learn enough to save his family's circus. Twelve-year-old Sebastian Kostantinov, only son of ringmaster Dragan Kostantinov, seemingly has no circus talent at all—he can't juggle, ride unicycles, do acrobatics, or swing on a trapeze. He can't even manage to be a clown. He cares for the circus animals while they tour Eastern Europe until business falls off and the animals must be sold. Animals are old-school; newer circuses don't have them. Despite his lack of talent, Seb worms his way into an exclusive Montreal circus school in hopes that he can learn enough to put the family back in the black. He makes friends with two other misfits, Frankie, an Italian parkour specialist, and Banjo, a rustic slackliner. But the circus school itself is in financial straits and seems likely to close—so Seb and his friends plot to save it. Delaney writes smoothly, but her plot has some gaping holes. If the prestigious school carries a waitlist, why not admit more pupils who can pay full tuition? Instead they admit Seb on full scholarship with the odd hope that his presumably wealthy father will become a big donor. The boarding school scenes tread very familiar ground, and the circus acts never quite come alive. The principal cast appears to be white, and the school is not a notably diverse one. It's a fine friendship story but not a great one. (Fiction. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews

Read More