REDRIKA'S CHILDREN

Fredrika gets caught in the rain with her baby step-brother and several other young children who become attached to her for various unusual reasons. When she takes shelter with the children at her mother's home (unlike most stories about teens with divorced parents, this relationship appears to be extraordinarily amicable all around), she decides to spend the summer looking after her new young charges. Assisted by her friend Martin, she turns out to be completely capable of handling the children, much more so, it appears, than their parents, to whom they dish out occasional advice. The story, which consists almost entirely of anecdotes about the children, might be considered ""cute"" by adults but seems pointless for this age group.