TEE THURSDAY KIDNAPPING

The seachange between English books for younger readers in America is usually considerable but youngsters here will feel thoroughly at home with the Ramsay children, four of them, who live in Hampstead, London, sharing their house with a Hungarian couple the Kodalys, and their baby, Bart, who is their part-time charge. They also live next door to a girl named Kathy whom they thoroughly dislike-- she lies, shoplifts, and one black Thursday makes off with Bart while the Ramsays are in the library. Mr. Kodaly does some sort of top secret, security work, and the children wonder whether the kidnapping might not be some sort of political armtwister. But before the end of the day they know who it is and understand why... The story has reality, humor, likability and it's all told with natural, nice, and naturally unnice touches.