History Literature / TheCircusSeries

The Circus gang makes a comeback over 40 years later in ''Literature/TheSecretOfSkytopHill'', in one of the stories where Jimmy and Lotta has to deal with two trouble-making kids who attempts messing with the circus' business by letting their chimpanzees out of their cages.

* AndTheAdventureContinues: While all three books tie the various storylines up neatly, all of them - and the trilogy overall - end in this fasion.

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* NiceHat: as a ringmaster, Mr Galliano naturally wears a magnificent top hat. The better the circus is doing, the more he wears his hat tilted to the side; during one really good run, his hat is tilted so much that it falls right off, and [[FunnyBackgroundEvent Sammy the Chimpanzee runs off with it]]! On the few occasions Mr Galliano wears his hat straight on his head, [[OocIsSeriousBusiness everyone in the circus gets worried.]]

** In the last book, Jeanne and especially Lisa take this UpToEleven.

** Averted with Britomart - he insists that all animals be locked in their cages (which causes some of them to sulk, especially Sammy the chimpanzee), forbids Jimmy to go into the cages of any of the animals except dogs and horses as a punishment for letting out the performing seal, and lets Jeanne and Lisa go into the ring instead of Lotta for stealing his wand. He also makes snap judgments when arbitrating between circus folk without considering all sides, and shows a marked tendency to play favourites. (i.e. it never occurs to him that maybe the performing seal got out by accident, or that Jeanne and Lisa might be lying so they can take Lotta's place in the spotlight.) [[spoiler: [[RealityEnsues This almost breaks up the whole circus]], with most of them planning to go somewhere else the next time they move.]]

* BadBoss: In the third book, Mr Galliano's wife becomes dangerously ill, and he takes a leave of absence during her convalescence. He picks Britomart the conjurer to fill in as manager, on the basis that Britomart has run a circus before. [[DidntThinkThisThrough Galliano really should have looked into WHY Britomart's own circus broke up.]] [[spoiler: It takes less than six months for Britomart to drive the circus straight into the ground - he's made 90% of the circus folk so unhappy that they're making plans to leave for other productions. Galliano has no idea things are going badly until Lotta finds her way across the country to find him and tell him.]]

* FriendToAllLivingThings: Jimmy loves every animal he meets, and they all recognize it and trust him instantly. [[spoiler: Even ''tigers''. Even when their own handlers won't approach them!]]

* FriendToAllLivingThings: Jimmy loves every animal he meets, and they all recognize it and trust him instantly. [[spoiler: Even ''tigers''. Even when their own handlers won't approach them!]]
** Mr Galliano is very insistent that all animals are treated well, and sends two trapeze artists away for mistreating their dog.
** Lotta remarks that most circus folk love animals.

** in the third book, [[spoiler: Jimmy and his parents decide to leave due to Britomart's bad leadership, but Britomart has already made Lotta's parents sign a year-long contract (which includes Lotta). It's the prospect of being parted from Jimmy for good that prompts Lotta to make a cross-country ride to find Mr Galliano and beg him to come back to the circus.]]

''Literature/TheCircusSeries'' is a trilogy by Enid Blyton. When a circus comes to town, a young boy called Jimmy quickly makes friends with the people, and once his father gets a job with them, Jimmy's gift with animals is enough to make the whole family part of the circus. The books consist of:

''Mr Galliano's Circus''

''Hurrah For The Circus''

''Circus Days Again''

* BadBoss: In the third book, Mr Galliano's wife becomes dangerously ill, and he takes a leave of absence during her convalescence. He picks Britomart the conjurer to fill in as manager, on the basis that Britomart has run a circus before. [[DidntThinkThisThrough Galliano really should have looked into ''why'' Britomart's own circus broke up.]] [[spoiler: It takes less than six months for Britomart to drive the circus straight into the ground - he's made 90% of the circus folk so unhappy that they're making plans to leave for other productions. Galliano has no idea things are going badly until Lotta finds her way across the country to find him and tell him.]]

* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Mr Galliano, most of the time.
** Averted with Britomart - he insists that all animals be locked in their cages (which causes some of them to sulk, especially Sammy the chimpanzee), forbids Jimmy to go into the cages of any of the animals except dogs and horses as a punishment for letting out the performing seal and lets Jeanne and Lisa go into the ring instead of Lotta for stealing his wand. He also makes snap judgments when arbitrating between circus folk without considering all sides, and shows a marked tendency to play favourites. (i.e. it never occurs to him that maybe the performing seal got out by accident, or that Jeanne and Lisa might be lying so they can take Lotta's place in the spotlight.) [[spoiler: [[RealityEnsues This almost breaks up the whole circus]], with most of them planning to go somewhere else the next time they move.]]

** Averted with Britomart - he insists that all animals be locked in their cages (which causes some of them to sulk, especially Sammy the chimpanzee, forbids Jimmy to go into the cages of any of the animals except dogs and horses as a punishment for letting out the performing seal and lets Jeanne and Lisa go into the ring instead of Lotta for stealing his wand. He also makes snap judgments when arbitrating between circus folk without considering all sides, and shows a marked tendency to play favourites. (i.e. it never occurs to him that maybe the performing seal got out by accident, or that Jeanne and Lisa might be lying so they can take Lotta's place in the spotlight.) [[spoiler: [[RealityEnsues This almost breaks up the whole circus]], with most of them planning to go somewhere else the next time they move.]]

* ToxicFriendInfluence: Fric for Jimmy in ''Hurrah for the Circus''. Right from the start, he tries to separate Jimmy and Lotta. Granted, after his subsequent fight with Lotta Jimmy deliberately works to get on Fric's good side, (bribing him with ice creams) so Fric will help him get into the tiger cage, so there's shades of it going both ways. But Fric is the one whose general behaviour throughout the book fits this trope.

** Averted with Britomart - he insists that all animals be locked in their cages (which causes some of them to sulk, especially Sammy the chimpanzee, forbids Jimmy to go into the cages of any of the animals except dogs and horses as a punishment for letting out the performing seal and lets Jeanne and Lisa go into the ring instead of Lotta for stealing his wand. He also makes snap judgments when arbitrating between circus folk without considering all sides, and shows a marked tendency to play favourites. (i.e. it never occurs to him that maybe the performing seal got out by accident, or that Jeanne and Lisa might be lying so they can take Lotta's place in the spotlight.) [[spoiler: [[RealityEnsues This almosts breaks up the whole circus]], with most of them planning to go somewhere else the next time they move.]]

* FriendToAllLivingThings: Jimmy loves every animal he meets, and they all recognize it and trust him instantly. [[spoilers: Even <I>tigers</I>. Even when their own handlers won't approach them!]]

* FriendToAllLivingThings: Jimmy loves every animal he meets, and they all recognize it and trust him instantly.

* OnlyOneName: most of the cast. In the first book, we find out that Jimmy's surname is Brown, but his parents are just 'Jimmy's mother' or 'Mrs Brown', and his father promptly gets nicknamed 'Brownie'. In the third book, Mr Galliano addresses his wife as Tessa, but everyone else is either first name basis or surname only.
* PlatonicLifePartners: Jimmy and Lotta come across as a junior version. He even lets her share his turn in the ring; granted, he hasn't been a member of the circus for long, but it's considered an incredibly generous act in-universe. Lotta even moves in with Jimmy and his parents when her parents have to take a leave of absence from the circus - which is no small thing when you live in a caravan!

** Averted with Britomart - he insists that all animals be locked in their cages (which causes some of them to sulk, especially Sammy the chimpanzee, forbids Jimmy to go into the cages of any of the animals except dogs and horses as a punishment for letting out the performing seal and lets Jeanne and Lisa go into the ring instead of Lotta for stealing his wand. [[spoiler: This almosts breaks up the whole circus, with most of them planning to go somewhere else the next time they move.]]

* PlatonicLifePartners: Jimmy and Lotta come across as a junior version. He even lets her share his turn in the ring; granted, he hasn't been a member of the circus for long, but it's considered an incredibly generous act in-universe.

* PlatonicLifePartners: Jimmy and Lotta come across as a junior version. He even lets her share his turn in the ring; granted, he hasn't been a member of the circus for long, but it's a considered an incredibly generous act in-universe.

* TomboyWithAGirlyStreak: Lotta's main interest is riding horses in the ring and in general and she doesn't mind having short hair and only ever dresses nicely for performing, but it's revealed in the last book that she likes dolls.

** BrattyHalfPint: Lotta, some of the time.

''Circus Days Again''

''Literature/TheCircusSeries'' is a trilogy by Enid Blyton. When a circus comes to town, a young boy called Jimmy quickly makes friends with the people, and once his father gets a job with them, Jimmy's gift with animals is enough to make the whole family part of the circus. The books consists of: