The Palace of Laughter facts for kids
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| Author | Jon Berkeley |
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| Cover artist | Brandon Dorman (illustrator) |
| Country | USA |
| Language | English |
| Series | Wednesday Tales (Book 1) |
| Genre | Fantasy novel |
| Publisher | Julie Andrew Collection-Imprint of HarperCollins Publisher |
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Publication date
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2006 |
| Media type | Print (hardback & paperback) |
| Pages | 464 pp (Paperback edition) |
| ISBN | 978-0-06-075509-6 (USA paperback edition) |
| OCLC | 144226745 |
| Preceded by | NA |
| Followed by | The Tiger's Egg and The Lightning Key |
The Palace of Laughter, also known as The Wednesday Tales #1, is a fantasy novel written by Jon Berkeley. It was first published in 2006. This exciting story follows the adventures of an orphan boy named Miles Wednesday.
Contents
The Story of Miles Wednesday
Miles Wednesday is a young orphan who has just escaped from the strict Pinchbucket's orphanage. One night, he is the only one to see the mysterious Circus Oscuro arrive in town. Soon after, a talking tiger visits him. The tiger first thinks about eating Miles. But then he lets Miles go, saying he "smells the circus in him." Miles is very confused. He has never even been to a circus before!
Miles Joins the Circus?
The next evening, Miles sneaks into the circus. He wants to find the tiger. He watches part of the show from behind the seats. He sees a small girl acrobat fall from the top of the tent. Miles tries to catch her. But she suddenly grows wings and flies safely away! Miles' brave act gets him noticed. The ringmaster's helper, Ghengis, kicks him out.
Miles stays hidden. He sees the acrobat, who calls herself "Little," being tied up. She is taken back to her wagon after the show. Miles introduces himself and tries to steal the keys to free her. But the ringmaster, the Great Cortado, catches him. Miles quickly pretends he wants to join the circus. He steps outside to prepare a "disappearing act." Cortado is angry about being tricked. He also lost one of his best performers. So, he sends a huge monster called The Null to chase Little and Miles. The two children barely escape!
New Friends and a Big Secret
Miles takes Little to his friend, Lady Partridge. She is a kind widow who lives with many cats. Her home is a treehouse made from her old antiques. Lady Partridge gives them a safe place to stay. Little then shares her amazing story. She is actually a 400-year-old Song Angel! She fell from the sky with her friend Silverpoint, a Storm Angel.
The Great Cortado kidnapped them. He saw Silverpoint protect Little from a mean clown. Silverpoint shot lightning bolts at the clown! Cortado took Silverpoint to a strange place. It was called the Palace of Laughter. He forced Silverpoint to perform there. This was to keep Little safe. To show her powers, Little sings Miles' stuffed bear, Tangerine, to life. Miles and Little decide to find the Palace of Laughter. They want to rescue Silverpoint.
A Dangerous Journey Begins
Miles and Little face many challenges. Tangerine wanders off and is taken by Ghengis. Miles is very sad. Luckily, the tiger appears again. He carries Miles and Little for a long part of their journey. Miles keeps asking the tiger questions. The tiger finally tells him about the Circus Oscuro.
There was once a tiger named Varippuli in a different circus. It belonged to a great man named Barty Fumble. Varippuli was very loyal to Barty. Barty's circus was always successful. But then the Circus Oscuro appeared. It started stealing all their audiences. Barty was expecting his first child. He knew he couldn't afford to fail. So, he made a deal with the Great Cortado. They would combine their circuses for the summer. Then they would go their separate ways.
Everything was fine until Barty's wife passed away. Barty was heartbroken. He disappeared with his son. He left Varippuli to the cruel Cortado. Cortado tried to starve Varippuli to make him perform. Then he tried to whip the tiger. But Varippuli fought back. Before Varippuli could deliver a final blow, Cortado found his gun. He supposedly killed the tiger.
Reaching the Palace of Laughter
Miles also meets an old friend of Lady Partridge. He is an elderly explorer named Baltinglass of Araby. He eagerly helps them. Just before they reach the Palace of Laughter, Miles and Little are captured. A group of tough orphan boys called the Halfheads takes them. They get caught between two other rival gangs, the Stinkers and Gnats.
With help from Henry, a friendly Halfhead, they escape. String, another Halfhead, betrays Miles. He holds a grudge against Miles. But Miles and Little finally reach the Palace of Laughter. It is not the pleasant place they expected. The Great Cortado uses a special method. He created it with a mysterious Dr. Tau-Tau. This method makes people laugh uncontrollably. It steals their happiness and joy. Then he sells a drink that makes them feel normal again for a short time. Cortado plans to spread his influence everywhere. He wants to control towns and eventually the world.
The Final Showdown
Miles and Little are caught by Silverpoint. At first, he pretends not to know them. He wants to keep them safe. He finally reveals Cortado's evil plan. The three are befriended by the clown trio, the Bosillio brothers. They want to help.
Cortado plans to make Miles and Little watch the next show. They would suffer the same fate as the other audience members. But Miles manages to steal some of the antidote. This antidote is given to the clowns, Cortado, and Ghengis. Cortado and Ghengis accidentally drink the water Miles replaced it with. Now they can't stop laughing!
The police arrive. Lady Partridge and Baltinglass told them. Partridge's cats told them. And the tiger told the cats! The police lock up Ghengis and Cortado. They are taken to the local asylum. They can't answer any questions. They are victims of their own laughing scheme.
The Null and New Beginnings
String plans to get revenge on Miles. He tries to kidnap Little. He wants to use her flying ability to become the leader of the Stinkers. He finds a room where he thinks she is locked up. But instead, he unleashes The Null! The monster goes wild. Silverpoint is knocked out trying to stop it. The Null is about to squeeze Miles to death. Little sings her true name. This saves Miles. But it also ties her to the earth forever. She loses her wings. The Bosillio Brothers rescue her from falling.
The Null is now much calmer. It is surprisingly friendly towards Miles. Miles realizes he can't let the city council destroy it. The Bosillio Brothers find Tangerine. They return him to Miles. They also reveal a big secret. They gave Tangerine to Miles the day he was born. Barty Fumble was Miles' father! The Bosillio Brothers were part of Barty's circus.
Silverpoint returns to the Realm of the Angels. But he has to leave Little behind. Miles has one more talk with the mysterious tiger. Miles suspects he is Varippuli. Miles promises to find out what happened to his father. He also promises to make Little's life on earth as happy as it was in the heavens.
Main Characters in the Story
- Miles Wednesday – A brave boy who learns about friendship and courage. His last name comes from the orphanage owners. They named children after the day they arrived.
- Little – A Song Angel who came to Earth with her friend Silverpoint. She was forced to perform in Cortado's circus. "Little" is a nickname from Silverpoint. Her real job as a Song Angel is to sing the One Song. This song connects all life and keeps peace. It lets her talk to animals and bring out the good in people. When she sings her true name on Earth, she becomes tied to the world forever.
- Tangerine – Miles' stuffed bear. He is named for his faded orange color. Miles has had him since he was very young. Little brings Tangerine to life by singing his name from the One Song. Tangerine is very curious. His wandering off leads to him being caught by Ghengis.
- The Great Cortado – The evil ringmaster of the Circus Oscuro. He started wanting only money. But after a fight with the tiger Varippuli, he changed. He decided power was more important than money. He studied laughter and how to control it. This led him to create the Palace of Laughter and his big plan.
- The Null – A scary monster kept hidden by the Great Cortado. He uses it to hunt anyone who gets in his way. No one knows how Cortado found or caught this beast. When Little searches the One Song for its name, she finds nothing. It's like an empty space. After Little sings her own name, The Null becomes calmer. It shows a strange loyalty to Miles.
- The Tiger – An unnamed tiger who first appears to Miles. He refuses to use names. He says he doesn't like to be friendly with things he might eat. But he often helps Miles and his friends. He comes and goes as he pleases. Miles believes he is Varippuli, the tiger Cortado claimed to have killed.
- Lady Gertrude Partridge – The widow of a rich inventor. After her husband passed away, she spent her money trying to fix his unfinished inventions. This made her move from her mansion. She now lives in a treehouse made of her favorite antiques. Her many cats keep her company. She can partly understand what they say. After helping Miles and Little, one of her husband's inventions finally works. This restores her fortune. She turns her mansion into a much nicer orphanage.
- Gulliver Baltinglass – Lady Partridge's old friend. He was once a famous explorer. Now he makes apple jelly from his large orchard. He is nearly blind and a little forgetful. But he is always ready for an adventure.
- Ghengis – The Great Cortado's not-so-smart helper. He does most of Cortado's dirty work.
- The Bosillio Brothers – Gila, Umor, and Fabio are three clown brothers. They work in the Palace of Laughter. They used to work for Barty Fumble. When they find Tangerine, they realize Miles is Barty Fumble's long-lost son.
- Silverpoint – A powerful Storm Angel. He visits Earth and is captured by Cortado. He acts like an older brother to Little. He has a strong sense of what is right.
- String – A member of the Halfhead gang. He helps kidnap Miles and Little. Miles beats him in a challenge. String is then kicked out of the gang and Miles takes his place. Out of anger, String joins the rival gang, the Stinkers. He sees Little's ability to fly. He tries to kidnap her and accidentally lets out The Null.
- Henry – A member of the Halfheads who helps Miles and Little. He helps them escape after a police raid. But the Stinkers capture him when String betrays their location. He is held prisoner on an old Ferris wheel. The chief of police rescues him and adopts him as his own son.
More Adventures: The Sequels
Two sequels to The Palace of Laughter have been published. They are The Tiger's Egg and The Lightning Key. These books came out one year after the other. They continue Miles' exciting adventures. He keeps searching for his father. He also looks for the legendary Tiger's Egg. Miles must escape the tricky Cortado. He also tries to solve the mystery of The Null and the Tiger.
