THE SEVEN TREASURE HUNTS

Organized in seven chapters cleverly titled to ensure interest ("The Hunt for the Chocolate ['Stolen,' 'Buried,' 'Garbage,' etc.] Treasure"), the comical doings of two friends who spend a busy day devising treasure hunts for each other. Jackson draws an elaborate map that he imagines will take Goat some time to decipher, but Goat seizes on a telltale clue and goes straight to the Band-Aid box; Jackson misinterprets Goat's clue and eats Goat's sister's Popsicle, thus getting Goat in trouble; and so on until, at the end of a satisfying day (despite some anxious moments), the two decide to do "something else" tomorrow. (Sequel afoot?) Byars brings her dependable mixture of sympathy and amused intelligence to this easily read story, effortlessly weaving lessons in logic, family dynamics, and an inspiring model of creative play into a story that will be read "just for fun." Wryly comical drawings: eminently approachable format.  (Fiction/Young readers. 7-10)