Ghost BoyHarold Kline is an albino--an outcast. Folks stare and taunt, calling him Ghost Boy. It's been that way all of his 14 years. So when the circus comes to town, Harold runs off to join it. Full of colorful performers, the circus seems like the answer to Harold's loneliness. He's eager to meet the Cannibal King, a sideshow attraction who's an albino too. He's touched that Princess Minikin and the Fossil Man, two other sideshow curiosities, embrace him like a son. He's in love with Flip, the beguiling horse trainer, and awed by the all-knowing Gypsy Magda. Most of all, Harold is proud of training the elephants, and of earning respect and a sense of normality. Even at the circus, though, two groups exist--the freaks, and everyone else. Harold straddles both groups. But fitting in with those who are "normal" comes at a price, and sometimes it's recognizing the truth beneath what's apparent that ultimately leads to happiness . . . and turns a boy into a man. |
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Airstream albino apple box arms asked Harold ball baseball Beesley beside big top blur calliope music Canary Bird Cannibal King canvas chestnut horse circus Conrad Conrad's trunk cook tent dark DAVID ALMOND door elephant's elephants eyes face father feet fingers Flip freaks glasses Gosh grass grinned ground Gypsy Magda hair hands Harold felt Harold looked Harold nodded Harold saw Harold smiled Harold the Ghost head heard Honey Hopalong horse Iain Lawrence inside JENNIFER ARMSTRONG laughed leaned legs LOIS LOWRY LOUIS SACHAR Max Graf never okay old Indian Oola Boola Mambo Oregon Trail phants pitch play baseball prairie pulled river rolled Roman roses roustabouts scarves seemed shook shoulder shouted sound squeezed stared started stood stopped tell thing thought Thunder Wakes told took touched trailer truck turned waiting walked Wallo watched Wicks window