Catch Me When I Fall — Bonnie Graves

Set in Racine, Wisconsin during the Great Depression, Catch Me When I Fall is the story of one gutsy twelve-year-old girl's quest to learn the identity of her father, the father her mother refuses to talk about. What's the big secret? When Emma finds a photograph hidden in her mother's bureau AND spots a circus poster featuring Filippo the Flying Wonder, she believes she's stumbled on the truth. The aerialist's resemblance to the man in the secret photo is too close to be coincidence. Rebelling against her mother's warning not to go near the circus, Emma disguises herself as a boy and lands a job with the circus, determined to unravel the dark mystery that haunts her. It is here, amidst the sawdust and illusions of circus life, that Emma makes discoveries about her past that ultimately help her accept herself for who she truly is.