WHEN THE CIRCUS CAME TO TOWN

For someone who plans to be a writer when she grows up, Ivy has led a pretty solitary life. When Alfred Halibut, son of a circus publicity manager, moves in next door, she finds a kindred spirit. But the Halibuts are only the beginning of an invasion of circus people in Ivy's small town, and not all the residents welcome them. Ivy launches several schemes designed to silence the malicious gossips and make the newcomers feel at home. In the process, her reformation of a gang of bullying goons into models of civilized propriety leaves her feeling a little like Dr. Frankenstein. Another enjoyably lightweight novel from Horvath (Happy Yellow Car, 1994, etc.): The message about the importance of community is not too heavy-handed, the silly situations never become outlandish, and the whole book hums along with good humor. (Fiction. 8-12)