When the Circus Came to Town

It all started with the Halibuts. Then came Elmira the Snake lady. Then the Flying Gambinis--all seven of them and their mother. And Mrs. Harrison the fortune teller, and Mr. Wydel the strong man . . .

These are the new residents of Springfield, the formerly peaceful small midwestern town where things for Ivy had been pretty quiet until now.

Ivy becomes fast friends with Alfred Halibut, a young aspiring writer like herself, and she finds her new neighbors certainly make life more interesting. But many of the townspeople are of another mind about this invasion of ex-circus people.

Tensions somersault into a climactic tangle at the Springfield base-off. In the midst of hurtling pies, can anyone bring peace and tolerance back to the community?

Reviews

"[A] rollicking ode to silliness . . . Horvath remains a master of the middle-grade comedy." —Publishers Weekly
"With snappy dialogue and a witty text, Horvath makes a point about discrimination and tolerance, yet keeps the tone animated and humorous . . . The many comic twists will leave readers in stitches."—Starred, School Library Journal