Sawdust in His Shoes by Eloise Jarvis McGraw

Sawdust in His Shoes Reviews

• 
  Cheriwinkle

  This remains my all-time favorite book. I was in love with Joe and most of the names on the check-out card from my tiny Iowa school are mine. The copy I have is from the school when it got rid of 'outdated' books. Let's all start lobbying publishers to print it again!
• 
  laurel [the suspected bibliophile]

  Gorry am I ever a sucker for circus books—and throw in a horse (or two), and I'm sold!
  
  Joe Lang is descended from one of the finest circus families in the world—but his life comes crashing down around him when his lion tamer father dies and the new orphan is stranded in a boy's house in Pineville, Oregon. After a daring escape, Joe finds his way to a farmer and his family...and gets hired on. But for a boy with sawdust in his shoes, the only thing that'll make him happy is the circus.
  
  This was a sheer delight to read. It took a minute to get into the language, writing style and somewhat episodic chapters, but once I did it was such an emotional roller coaster as Joe learned that gillies aka gullible non-circus folk are great people, and he finally gains a real family and finds real stability for the first time in his life.
  
  The writing style is definitely not going to be for everyone. This was originally written in 1950, and it shows. There are also some words that were commonly used to describe types of people that would not be cool to use today alternate word for people with dwarfism and the Romani—there a number of "dirty gypsy" slurs hurled at Joe for being a little on the dark side, and there is also some racism directed towards Joe, both from other characters and in the writing that emphasizes his blackness and difference.
  
  However, despite that it was a really, really good read and a solid coming of age book.
  
  I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.
• 
  Audrey

  It was a long time ago when two friends and I were book shopping online for our private school library. One of the friends highly recommended "Sawdust in His Shoes." We were dismayed to learn the book was out of print and the available books were outrageously priced. Fortunately the book was to be reprinted somewhere in the uncertain future. My friends told me to order four copies, one for each of us and one for the school. We waited for months. I thought the books would never arrive but eventually they did. Oh my! It was worth the wait. Joe, born and raised in the circus, gets a family of his own as well as his dream job. It's fantastic story of growing up and learning what's really important in life.
• 
  Kelly Sandberg

  Excellent book, if you can get ahold of a copy since it is out of print. I met the cousin of the author who lent us a signed copy. You can buy copies on ebay for about $225. My daughter and I read it together and recommend it to anyone from 9-99!!
• 
  wanderer

  Such a goodie, and so much fun to read to my kids. I hide my grin as the main character, Joe, shakes his black hair out of his eyes and gives wild looks around rooms in almost every chapter, because I know all the girls are secretly in love with him. There's enough foreshadowing that kids regularly give me "Ah-ha, I know what's coming" looks, which is always fun. There are a couple of action (even fist fight!) scenes that delight them all. And I like the historical details, the good role models, and the real-to-life characters. Oh, and the circus. Everybody loves the circus.
• 
  Trish Boese

  5* Our family enjoyed this read-aloud. We loved Joe Lang, the fearless bareback circus rider. We also found our kindred spirits in the Dawson family. Some lessons Joe learned on the Dawson farm were honesty, trust, hard work, and what it means to be a family - taking care of each other and having fun. Highly recommend this book for family story time.
• 
  Cheryl

  A bit long, but then, it's not really a juvenile, more for teens. Joe is 15 and considers passing for 18 so he doesn't have to deal with the judge and the orphanage, but he has such a manly sense of honor that he doesn't. He's no goody-goody, but he is strong & brave and a good role model. I thoroughly enjoyed this story. Fans of circuses would likely enjoy it even more, even though, at the same time, they'd resent the many pages that aren't circus related. Fans of historical Oregon might like it, too, as the country it depicts is so much more rural, the cities so much smaller, than now.
  
  It might be interesting for scholars to compare it to the stories of "half-breeds" of a few decades ago. Joe gets to the point of spending a lot of energy wondering if he'll ever be able to fit in at the farm, or go back to the circus. And I remember reading several stories about "Indian" youth who didn't feel either Native or comfortable among whites. Immigrants also have similar feelings in much juvenile historical fiction.
  
  "You're in for a hard life, young fellow, if you keep on taking everything to heart so."
  "Hard life!" Joe whirled on her. He was suddenly furious. "Who wants to live at all, without being able to feel?"
• 
  Melanie Dulaney

  Newbery winner Eloise Jarvis McGraw’s “Sawdust in His Shoes” was published in 1950 and will be re-issued in June of ‘18. The story of circus born and bred Joe Lang is timeless and will be a hit with my Gen Z kids as much as it likely was more than 50 years ago. Joe is a bareback rider who dreams of top billing in a major circus just like his parents, but tragedy and hardship strike at every turn. Readers will read anxiously as hot headed, 15 year old Joe navigates new homes, both good and bad, new jobs, and new challenges and comes out a far better person in the end. McGraw makes the circus come alive with outstanding use of the culture’s unique jargon and descriptive passages and emotions will go on a roller coaster ride as the young man finds hope, only to have it snatched away over and over again. For librarians who participate in the Texas Bluebonnet Award program, “Sawdust” is every bit as good as “Some Kind of Courage” and should be handed to those who loved that book and/or are fans of works by Lisa Graff, Cynthia Lord, and Joan Bauer. No offensive language or mature content despite the circus setting. Target audience is strong fourth grade readers through sixth or seventh grade. Thanks for the dARC, Edelweiss!
• 
  Shannon McClernon

  This will forever be one of my favorite children's books ❤️
• 
  Christy

  A really outstanding YA novel. Young Joe Lang was born in a circus wagon, as his mother, a tightrope walker, had been. His father was a lion tamer, but an angry lion having a bad evening sent him to that bigtop in the sky. His mother had died by then, so Joe, who had become a bareback rider, was left an orphan. His only friend was an aging clown, and it took a judge more than a year to decide whether he’d make a decent guardian. In the meantime, Joe had been committed to a boys’ school, which was really a prison. Of course he ran away, and ended up in a farm family, pitching hay and slopping hogs. Would he ever get back to the circus? That’s the gist of this wonderful story, which I couldn’t put down. The author, Eloise Jarvis McGraw, also wrote Mara, Daughter of the Nile, which I read and loved as a young teenager.
• 
  Jane

  Not as good as The Moorchild, but still a good coming of age angsty novel about where you belong.
• 
  Marla Toews

  Its a good book. A cozy read. A coming of age and rags to riches(or maybe fame) story that we North Americans love. So ya... This is a book that I've heard about for simply forever. And I've always had to say, I've never read it. And then behold the shocked expressions. Many teachers have read it for storytime in school. It's so interesting to me... It does not read like the other Eloise Jarvis McGraw books I've read. Maybe I've only read The Golden Goblet, so that doesn't make me an expert on McGraw's style. To me, I would have believed you if you told me the author was Stephen Meader. The whole book sounds JUST LIKE HIM. Why am I so critical of books that I've been told I need to read for years and years? I think my expectations get way too high, when a book is recommended by countless people. But yes it's good! I wish I could give it a 3.5 instead of a 4. That being said, it get's a 3. I'm glad I finally read it.
• 
  Laura

  This is the sort of book one reads for fun, regardless of your age. A book that will appeal to all ages.
  On the surface it is an adventure story, about a boy born and raised in the circus way of life. Before he is legally an adult, he becomes orphaned. Although another man technically raised Joe, it has to be determined that he is a responsible guardian. As we all discover at some point in our lives, those making decisions about us seem to take a very long time.
  Joe ends up in a bad situation and decides to take matters into his own hands.
  
  Digging a bit deeper, this is a book about coming of age, discovering truths about oneself and one's values. It is about learning to trust and following your dreams. Joe knows where he belongs, and not just because of where he was born.
  
  As a child I read (many times) Toby Tyler, or Ten Weeks with a Circus by James Otis.
  When I saw the description for this book, it brought back fond memories of that book.
  After reading Sawdust, I highly recommend it to spark a love of literature in young readers.
  
  Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read this book. I will be buying a print copy for my personal shelves. The rating is my honest opinion.
• 
  Denise L Jenne

  I read this book around the time I was in junior high -- or maybe even earlier, but I still remember the basic story and how it touched my heart.
• 
  Linda

  While Mara remains my favorite McGraw book, I read Sawdust numerous times as well.
• 
  Kayli

  I must admit, I was predisposed to really like this book because my two younger boys read it on our trip and both said it was great, and even said I should read it to my youngest child. With that being said, I liked it a lot, but probably like it a little more than it deserves because I love the entire aura of wholesomeness about it. I think it was written in the 50s, so you expect to see appropriateness in a book for kids written in that time, as opposed to books written today-blah.
  But the whole story is just so GOOD--as in, full of good morals and virtues. I guess I just constantly felt the contrast of its goodness with what is in our society today.
  It's about giving people a chance to become trusting because you trust them when they don't necessarily deserve it, and showing love and generosity, and family warmth and goodness (so sweet how this generally suspicious teenage boy loved the little five-year-old girl). Not to mention the excitement of being in a circus, a good ol' fistfight, and running away. I read the whole thing on my cold bathroom floor with my head on the shower ledge because I couldn't wake up my husband and I couldn't (obviously) stop reading. A good one to give to your kids or to read to them.
• 
  Milliebot

  This review and others posted over at
  my blog.
  
  I won a copy of this book from LibraryThing in exchange for my honest review.
  
  I didn’t know until after finishing this book that it was actually written in 1950; that explains the authenticity, but it doesn’t feel dry like some older texts have the tendency to do (at least for me).
  
  When I threw my name in the hat for this book, I was looking for a change of pace. Y’all know I love me some middle-grade and I usually drift towards the fantastical. It was time to dip into something a little different.
  
  I obviously didn’t grow up in the 50s (or whenever this book was set – maybe it was earlier, I’m not sure), but the language and tone of the book felt realistic. There’s even a glossary in the back, “Talk of the Big Top”, which helpfully explains some of the terms like candy butcher (not as grim as it sounds), gillie and windjammers.
  
  Joe Lang is as authentic as the vocabulary throughout the book. He’s tenacious, driven and earnest and I loved every minute of his journey. He’s ripped away from his life in the circus after tragedy strikes and in the blink of an eye he’s taken away from his longtime friend and father-figure, Moe Shapley, delivered to a horrible vocational school, and on the run in hopes of getting back to the circus. He finds himself at the Dawson farm and only intends on staying a few days until he can figure out a plan. I felt for Joe, understood his longing to get back to the circus, which was the only home he knew. Adding to his longing was his missed opportunity for a chance at a solo show thanks to his rising fame as a performer.
  
  The Dawsons are a likeable family. Pop Dawson is patient and understanding, never doubting Joe’s motives, despite how cagey he is at first. The Dawson children are in awe of Joe, instantly taking a liking to him. I was glad there was no petty jealousy among the children. I’m so over the “let’s be mean to the new kid” trope. (Not that it’s not present in some form in the book, but it comes from minor characters.) Only Ma Dawson is skeptical of the quiet, brooding boy. But Joe is good with her children and hardworking. The development of Joe and Mrs. Dawson’s relationship over time is gratifying.
  
  Joe’s inner turmoil over longing to be back at the circus and finding himself content with farm life, his maturity as the story progresses, and his charm really drives the story. Much like Joe, I found myself wanting him to stay with the Dawsons, but also wanting him to achieve his goal of a solo show in the circus and reunite with Moe.
  
  I devoured most of this book in one sitting. I (clearly) loved Joe and the focus on found family. Sawdust in His Shoes surprised me; it was funny, uplifting, tense and rewarding!
  
  I recommend this if:
  + You’re looking for a realistic, historical middle-grade
  + You like heartwarming, found family stories
  + You want a protagonist from the circus
• 
  Karen Slora

  I won’t go into the story lines because the other reviews do that. I’m sticking to my gut feelings. This book was my favorite, and I was enthralled by it when in the eighth grade. It had a special place in my heart as it was recommended to me by my teacher who encouraged me to keep writing. The book “haunted” me throughout my life. I tried to purchase one but it was out of print and the few available were $150+! So when I saw it was reprinted in 2018 I got a copy right away. It was just as good as I remembered it! I read it as quickly as I could. I had thought maybe my adult self had overrated it, but it stands on its own after all these years. I don’t know why it is classified as a children’s or young adult book as its themes are timely at any age.
• 
  Kest Schwartzman

  received through librarything's early review program
  
  
  This is a lovely book. It is very much a product of the 50s, as far as gender roles go, but despite that is refreshingly free of misogyny. And the story is just lovely; sweet, true, honest about how terrible living with a teen can be, and doesn't fall for the trope of "what s wonderful life" in pretending that beating someone's dreams out of them is ok, as long as they achieve someone else's dream. Ok, it's true, I specifically hate that movie, but also I feared that was where this book was going, and it didn't, and I thank it for that.
• 
  Diane

  I received this through the Goodreads Giveaway program.
  
  This is the first book I've read by Eloise Jarvis McGraw. I've always been impressed with Newberry books so I knew I wanted to read it...and I'm so glad I did.
  
  The characters in the book draw you into a story about the circus, emotional pain and a yearning for a way of living lost. They must focus on the future possibilities and skills that will take them in new directions.
  
  Topics included; Circus life. Farm life. Being an orphan. Being a circus star. Finding a new family.
  
  All wonderful topics to discuss with your child.