When the Circus Came to Town

This is delightfully fun to read. Horvath won many awards for her YA books and a newberry award is but one of her accomplishments.

Making a statement about small mindedness, without beating the reader over the head with the lesson, Horvath's tale is written with humor and poignancy.

Ivy and her parents reside in small town Midwestern Springfield where the majority of people have lived all their lives. They attend church, drink Ovaltine, participate in bake sales and see themselves as loving and caring.

Then, things dramatically change as members of the circus decide they want an idyllic life in Springfield and to live with the "normal" people.

When the Halibuts move next door, Alfred becomes Ivy's friend. Alfred's father is the PR person show more for the circus. Soon Elmira Degoochy the flamboyantly dressed snake lady moves across the street. Then, the flying Gambinis buy a local farm and convince Mrs. Harrison the fortune teller and her husband Wydel the strongman to join the community.

The good ole church ladies cannot help but ostracise and cruelly make it very obvious to the "circus folk" that they are not welcome.

Ivy's parents and Ivy delightfully find a way to turn the tables and shine a bright light on those who are hypocritical.

Recommended. show less

A fun book as a group of circus people come to live in a small town. It was fun and funny, but had a good message about prejudice without being heavy handed. I enjoy Polly Horvath's books. This made me go to look for more of hers.

I just happened to notice this little gem at the library while helping Gigi look for books.

I liked the main characters spunk and depth of character. The story is one of acceptance.

The end was a bit surprising. It wrapped up a little too quickly and neatly for me but, hey, it is juvenile fiction. I liked it a lot.

A fun story that really works. Well written, funny in a mild way, and sometimes very perceptive. The first person voice of Ivy seemed a little old or perhaps sophisticated to me.

When the Circus Came to Town was a well written and imaginative story. Ivy befriends a young boy and his family/friends of "circus people." The small town they reside in is not so ready to accept this group of people that are different from them. Ivy and her new friend Arthur try to conjure ways to get the town to see they are not so different from the rest of the towns people. They soon all learn the true meaning of community and accepting people for exactly who they are and not who you think they are.