THE GHOST WORE KNICKERS
By
Her discovery of an old lady ""ghost,"" who lives near the spot where her schoolmates have camped on a weekend trip, helps newcomer Abby become part of the group. Abby records her feelings about the other kids in a notebook a la Harriet the Spy, but she's a loner by accident rather than temperament. Her fellow hikers, while aptly differentiated, also mirror the typical ins and outs of their age group -- with the quips and wisecracks that go along with them. Abby's is a textbook case of adjustment, but the kids' conversation is natural enough to give her easy victory some credibility.