Son of the Circus: A Victorian Story, tells the story of Ted, the mixed-race son of Pablo Fanque (the first recorded black circus owner in Britain) and his introduction to life with the circus. This exciting story explores racial prejudice in the Victorian period as well as the culture and history of the circus.

The story is engagingly written and the struggles of the main character feel real as his story develops. The fact that Pablo’s struggles and tribulations were true makes the story even more emotive.

The book raises lots of questions and teaching points. The idea that a son was expected to continue a family trade (and the pressure that may bring), the way different races were viewed and treated in the past and the choices children get to make (or not make) as they are forced to move and change. The story would appeal to readers interested in historical stories and the links with the Greatest Showman may make it accessible to those who would not immediately choose it from the shelf.

This is a gripping adventure that examines attitudes to race in the Victorian period.