Where is Wendy? Leading a labor strike against the Lost Boys, of course. A Scottish academic unearths ancient evil in a fishing village. Edgar Allan Poe's young bride is beguiled by a most unusual bird. Dorothy, lifted from Kansas, returns as a gymnastic sophisticate. Emily Dickinson dwells in possibility and sails away in a starship made of light. Alice’s wicked nemesis has jaws and claws but really needs a sense of humor. In Jane Yolen’s first full collection in more than ten years discover new and uncollected tales of beloved characters, literary legends, and much more. Enter the Emerald Circus and be astonished by the transformations within.
- Books
- YA Fiction & Indies
- Young Adult Fiction
- The Emerald Circus
The Emerald Circus
Author(s)
Publisher
Age Range
12+
Release Date
November 14, 2017
ISBN
978-1616962739
Where is Wendy? Leading a labor strike against the Lost Boys, of course. A Scottish academic unearths ancient evil in a fishing village. Edgar Allan Poe's young bride is beguiled by a most unusual bird. Dorothy, lifted from Kansas, returns as a gymnastic sophisticate. Emily Dickinson dwells in possibility and sails away in a starship made of light. Alice’s wicked nemesis has jaws and claws but really needs a sense of humor. In Jane Yolen’s first full collection in more than ten years discover new and uncollected tales of beloved characters, literary legends, and much more. Enter the Emerald Circus and be astonished by the transformations within.
Editor reviews
2 reviews
A Sublime Collection
(Updated: June 21, 2026)
Overall rating
5.0
Plot
5.0
Characters
5.0
Writing Style
5.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
N/A
Jane Yolen’s collection THE EMERALD CIRCUS is pure delight for anyone who craves inspired retellings of classics from literature, or re-imaginings of the lives of real literary figures. Yolen takes a slanted look at the lives of Emily Dickinson, Hans Christian Andersen, and Edgar Allen Poe, and she creates some stellar “what if” moments for Lancelot, Dorothy (from Oz), Alice (from Wonderland), and others. Yolen’s writing is beautiful, her pacing is perfect, and the way she takes stories that have been done over and over again in a whole new direction is sublime. My favorite part of the collection (if I have to choose just one) is her take on Peter Pan and Wendy’s story in which Peter and the Lost Boys are pretty contemptible, and the girls of Neverland exist only to serve them until… well, you should read it and find out.
It’s rare to find a short story collection that doesn’t contain at least one “meh” story, but THE EMERALD CIRCUS nails it, and my sincere thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of the e-book in exchange for my honest review.
It’s rare to find a short story collection that doesn’t contain at least one “meh” story, but THE EMERALD CIRCUS nails it, and my sincere thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of the e-book in exchange for my honest review.
Good Points
Inspired retellings of classic stories
Creative re-imaginings of literary figures' lives
Creative re-imaginings of literary figures' lives
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