Paloma Joins the Circus

A story of following your dreams and growing into new ones, of finding home in the people around you, and of creating something beautiful through hard work and perseverance.

Twelve-year-old Paloma comes from "circus people"―a family of performers traveling around Texas with la carpa, a Mexican American tent show. She dreams of becoming a tightrope walker, like her mother was, but her father forbids it.

In the summer of 1939, Paloma travels with the circus to help with chores. She hatches a plan to show her father that she has what it takes to join as a permanent performer. While secretly training to walk the high wire, she forges powerful bonds with other circus members. But she also discovers circus life isn't all glamour, and she must decide if la carpa is where she's truly meant to be.

Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Carolrhoda Books (R)
Published: 08/04/2026
ISBN: 9798765683217
Pages: 216

Review Citations: School Library Journal 05/01/2026 pg. 73
Publishers Weekly 05/18/2026