This collection of seven short stories focuses on some of the sticky situations and tough questions that adolescents face. Can a teen relationship survive a romantic evening cruise with one bratty little brother in tow? Can best friends become more than best friends and, if so, who admits their feelings first? Does falling for a good-looking person, even one who has none of the same interests, mean the relationship is doomed? How does one begin to get along with a future stepsister? Are there ways to cope with a teacher who seems to hate you? These fast-paced, mostly humorous stories will delight middle schoolers who are in the throes of the agony of growing up. Although some characters do seem a little too perfect to be believable, they do help create the acceptance that the characters seek. Through this collection, middle schoolers can see that teens actually survive embarrassing, humiliating, and uncomfortable experiences and that in retrospect there is often something funny involved in these painful times. 1994, Scholastic, 133 pp., $13.95. Ages 12 up.
"Diana Mitchell" The ALAN Review, Fall 1994 Vol. 22, No. 1 ( )