Molly Brown Is Not a Clown

Steve Pitt is a Toronto-based freelance writer and an award-winning journalist. He has written many young adult and children's books, including Day of the Flying Fox: The True Story of World War II Pilot Charley Fox.

Eleven-year-old Molly has a lot of unusual problems. Her mother is a
professional clown who embarrasses her by acting out in front of her
schoolmates. Molly’s best friend, Trouper, refuses to fight with her.
Molly’s teacher, Ms. Young, is so mad at the class that she is
threatening to cancel her vacation just to make them all come in to
study right through the Christmas holidays. And Molly is tormented by
the idea that her father, who supposedly died from appendicitis, is
still alive and hiding from her. All these predicaments goad Molly into
running away from home to find her father. She needs Trouper’s help,
but if he says yes it means breaking the law. What she and Trouper
eventually discover is in some ways worse than what her mother
originally told her.

Perhaps best described as a humorous tragedy, this book combines tough
issues with hilarious situations. The plot never becomes absurd enough
to be unbelievable. When Molly gets Trouper into trouble, she realizes
that “[t]hey are not having an adventure that ends as soon as someone
is called in for dinner.” This is a very enjoyable book that packs
real punch behind the punchlines. Highly recommended.