The Great and Only Barnum: The Tremendous, Stupendous Life of Showman P.T. Barnum

I picked this book out in the library because I wanted a biography about someone different, someone whom I didn't really know anything about.  Before reading this, the only thing I knew about Barnum was in reference to Barnum and Bailey's Circus.  I have come to find out there was quite a lot I didn't know! Fleming does a fabulous job of telling the story of Barnum's entire life from childhood all the way to death and everything in between.  She covers his years of owning museums in New York as well as his many personal and financial struggles.  I thoroughly enjoyed learning just how much of a prankster Barnum was and how he shaped American history.  

The book is a little lengthy, but I think it's completely worth the read.  It includes all black and white pictures and photos from Barnum's life, but they are all very interesting and worth looking at.  There are also black inserts on a lot of pages offering extra information like information about Barnum's hometown and circus talk.  I think the book could most definitely be used for middle schoolers.  If I was doing a unit on biographies and requiring students to read a biography, I would most definitely recommend this one. It is around 130 pages, but a student could probably read it in a week's time at most.  The author keeps the reader invested wanting to find out what happens next in Barnum's roller coaster of a life.  Great for middle school students or adults! Fascinating story about an extremely interesting man!