A spellbinding new novel from New Zealand author James Russell. A story of survival, belonging, and the extraordinary magic of the circus.
Best-selling New Zealand children’s author James Russell returns with his most ambitious work yet. Marlon Foundling and The Circus of Lost Children is a sweeping adventure for children aged 8-14. The book weaves together mystery, magic, and the fierce, tender hope of children the world has forgotten.
Winter, 1870: when an earthquake reduces Gryllum House – the only home fourteen-year-old orphan Marlon Foundling has ever known – to rubble, his miraculous survival beneath the debris catches the eye of The Circus of Lost Children. This extraordinary troupe whisks Marlon into a vibrant new world.
Meanwhile, Beatrice is grieving the loss of her father. Armed with his dying words and a diary from his mysterious past, she sets out for his childhood home – a place known to the outside world as The Circus of Light, and to those inside simply as The Circus of Lost Children.
But the circus carries a secret. A mysterious hex forces every member to leave by their eighteenth birthday, or else…
A former member, the brooding and vengeful Enoch Blood, now ringmaster of a rival circus, fell foul of this hex and has spent years nursing his hatred and plotting his revenge.
As darkness looms, Marlon must face both his deepest personal demons and a threat that could extinguish this extraordinary haven forever.
Rich with atmosphere, populated by unforgettable characters, and infused with the warmth and wonder that have made Russell a fixture in New Zealand homes and classrooms, The Circus of Lost Children is a story about the families we find when the ones we’re born into are taken from us – and about the courage it takes to fight for belonging.
“This book has been germinating for a few years, mostly dreamed up on my long walks on Māngere maunga,” says Russell. “It’s the first instalment in a new series, and I hope children will be transported into the world I’ve created.”
Marlon Foundling and The Circus of Lost Children is published by Dragon Brothers Books and is available from June 15, 2026 at all good bookstores. Recommended for readers aged 8 and up.
About James Russell
James Russell is an award-winning, best-selling New Zealand author best known for the Dragon Brothers trilogy of picture books, and junior fiction series The Dragon Defenders series, and the Children of the Rush trilogy. His books have sold more than a quarter of a million copies, been published in a dozen countries and translated into six languages. He’s also what’s known as a hybrid author - both self-published and traditionally published.
Find out more at www.dragonbrothersbooks.com
To launch this new book, James is embarking on a nationwide tour – dubbed The First Chapter Tour, visiting more than 30 schools, libraries and bookshops. The Auckland event is on as follows.
30/6/26 (Tuesday) 3:30pm, Dorothy Butler Bookshop, Jervois Road.
Launch date: 15 June 2026
Publisher: Dragon Brothers Books
RRP $24.00 (paperback) $30 (hardback)
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