Seven entertaining, mostly funny stories with themes that include first love, troublesome siblings, aggravating parents, and horoscopes. Most are in a female first-person voice; one exception recounts a first-day-of-school confrontation between a disillusioned teacher and a student whose brother's reputation has preceded him. A particularly clever vignette, ``Body Wave,'' is a one-sided conversation between a girl and her hairdresser, climaxing in a disastrous--but well-deserved--perm. The prolific author knows her young-teen audience; she keeps the tone light, barely suggesting a serious problem when two reluctant about-to- be stepsisters must spend a day and night together (``Don't Let the Bedbugs Bite''). Only one story (``Arnold Bing, the Carpet King'') suffers from silliness. Otherwise, thoroughly enjoyable. (Fiction. 12-14)
