• Booklist Reviews : Booklist Reviews 2019 November #2
  The Circus Mirandus returns in this sequel to Beasley's best-selling debut. Now in the care of the Lightbender (a powerful illusionist), Micah has adjusted to his new life with the magical circus and craves the chance to do more than practice his knot-tying magic. An unexpected interaction with Fish earns Micah the privilege of caring for the circus' baby unicorn, a task he enjoys very much, though he can't shake the notion that its presence has greater implications than simple abandonment. Readers will revel in the return of familiar characters, like Jenny and Firesleight, and squirm with the reemergence of the Birdwoman and her deadly coterie of magical creatures. While the culminating battle is filled with danger and energy, the preceding events run long and flat. Micah's inner search to better understand his magic drags and his curiosity about the unicorn never quite flares into the intrigue-filled investigation readers will want. Even so, fans of the first book will come out of the woodwork for this and be left on the hook for book three. Grades 4-7. Copyright 2019 Booklist Reviews.

Cassie Beasley is from rural Georgia, where, when she's not writing, she helps out on the family pecan farm. She earned her MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults at the Vermont College of Fine Arts. The Bootlace Magician is the sequel to her first novel, Circus Mirandus, which was a New York Times bestseller and a New York Times Notable Children's Book. Her second book, Tumble & Blue, was received with widespread critical acclaim.