Betsy Bird
Celebrate Evanston-based Author Betsy Bird and Her New Novel for Kids!
On Tuesday, Oct. 5th at 6: 30 PM, join us for a virtual book release party! We are celebrating with librarian, blogger, podcaster, and of course author Betsy Bird, as we welcome her new novel for young readers into the world. Long Road to the Circus, illustrated by Caldecott Medalist David Small, is the story of twelve-year-old Suzy Bowles, who longs for a life outside her small Michigan town. Enter Madame Marantette and her ostriches. A legendary former circus queen and her giant birds might just be the unusual ride to a different life.
This event is aimed at kids ages 9 and up, and adults who love ostriches, kid lit, and history!
**Order your book from the Book Stall–we can arrange to have your copy of Long Road to the Circus signed and personalized!
About the Book: Twelve-year-old Suzy Bowles is tired of summers filled with chores on her family farm in Burr Oak, Michigan, and desperate to see the world. When her wayward uncle moves back home to the farm, only to skip his chores every morning for mysterious reasons, Suzy decides to find out what he’s up to once and for all. And that’s when she meets legendary former circus queen Madame Marantette and her ostriches. Before long, Suzy finds herself caught-up in the fast-paced, hilarious world of ostrich riding, a rollicking adventure that just might be her ticket out of Burr Oak.
About the Author: Betsy Bird is the Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library, and the former Youth Materials Specialist of New York Public Library. Betsy reviews for Kirkus, served on the 2007 Newbery Award committee, and her children’s literature blog, “A Fuse #8 Production,” is hosted by School Library Journal. Betsy is the author of the picture book Giant Dance Party, and a co-author on the nonfiction book Wild Things: Acts of Mischief in Children’s Literature, which she wrote with fellow bloggers Julie Danielson and Peter Sieruta.
Upcoming Events
How to Feel Loved: The Five Mindsets That Get You More of What Matters Most
Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Riverside
Daniel Pink
#1 New York Times bestselling author
ON ZOOM
The First Eight: A Personal History of the Pioneering Black Congressmen Who Shaped a Nation
Rep. James E. Clyburn
U.S. Congressman representing South Carolina's 6th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives
Natalie Y. Moore
Award-winning journalist and author and senior lecturer and director of audio programming at the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University
Evanston Township High School Auditorium
Note: Event start time is Central Time (CT).
NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED.

Dopamine Kids: A Science-Based Plan to Rewire Your Child’s Brain and Take Back Your Family in the Age of Screens and Ultraprocessed Foods
Michaeleen Doucleff, Ph.D.
Bestselling author, biochemist, and award-winning NPR reporter
Heidi Stevens
Chicago-based writer and Director of External Affairs for the University of Chicago’s TMW Center for Early Learning + Public Health
ON ZOOM

