Who hasn’t dreamed of running away to a more exciting life? Toby Tyler is one boy who did just that, spending ten weeks working for the circus as it toured New England in the 1870s. But was this great adventure everything he dreamed it would be?

Toby Tyler: Or, Ten Weeks with a Circus is a classic story beloved by generation after generation of children. Author James Otis actually traveled with the Phineas T. Barnum Circus as a young reporter, and he used his firsthand knowledge to acquaint children with the behind-the-scenes details of what the circus is really like, while introducing the unforgettable character of Toby Tyler.