
There Isn't Much Drama In Olive Town. The Highlights Of Cissy Sissney's Days Are The Letters From Her Old School Teacher, Miss Loucien, Describing Her Adventures On Board An Old Showboat With The Bright Lights Theatre Company. If Only Life Were Full Of Such Adventure For Cissy, Too. But Then Diphtheria Breaks Out In Olive Town, A Silo Crushes Cissy's Home, And Miss May March Agrees To Take Cissy And Classmates, Kookie And Tibbie, To Stay With Miss Loucien Until Olive Town Is Safe Again. The Ramshackle Crew On Board The Sunshine Queen Sail Along The Shoals And Shimmer Of The Numchuck River, Performing Plays For The Towns Scattered Along The Shore. But Sometimes, On The Treacherous Missouri River, Danger Levels Rise Too High Even For The Resourceful Bright Lights. Then Only The Bravest, And Grandest, In The Land Can Hope To Keep The Final Curtain From Falling. The Award-winning Author, Geraldine Mccaughrean, Captures The Spirit Of Adventure And The Power Of Imagination In This Rip-roaring Read.
When a diphtheria outbreak and a structural disaster force Cissy Sissney to flee her home, she finds herself thrust into the unpredictable world of a traveling showboat troupe. Cissy, along with her classmates Kookie and Tibbie, joins the Bright Lights Theatre Company aboard the Sunshine Queen as they navigate the treacherous waters of the Missouri River. The narrative follows their transition from the monotony of Olive Town to the high-stakes environment of riverboat performance, where the characters must contend with both the physical dangers of the river and the logistical challenges of maintaining their theatrical productions. The story is presented through a third-person perspective that emphasizes the contrast between Cissy's quiet past and the vibrant, often perilous, life of the performers.
Readers frequently highlight the author's ability to create a vivid sense of place, particularly regarding the historical setting of the showboat era. Discussion often centers on the balance between the lighthearted nature of the theatrical performances and the serious, life-threatening obstacles the characters encounter. Critics note that the prose maintains a steady momentum, effectively capturing the spirit of a period-specific adventure. Many readers appreciate how the narrative focuses on the growth of the young protagonists as they adapt to the unconventional lifestyle of the troupe. The work is often cited for its descriptive quality and its success in portraying the intersection of performance and survival.
Page Count:
0
Publication Date:
2011-01-01
Publisher:
Oxford University Press - Children
ISBN-10:
0192757504
ISBN-13:
9780192757500
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