FROZEN RODEO

Those who find it funny that a former skating pro would name his twin daughter and son Torvill and Dean will be amused by this slice-of-life story set in the West. Peggy Fleming Farrell, who insists on being called “Fleming,” describes the eventful summer between her junior and senior years during which she pursues romance and adjusts to family changes. Fleming spends the months working at a mini coffee shop in a gas station, baby-sitting for her three much younger siblings, taking French classes where the teacher never shows up, and going to Lamaze classes with her pregnant mother. With Charlotte, her new friend from French class, Fleming also hits the social spots in their small town, hoping to rekindle a short-lived romance with a waiter at the local pancake house. But ultimately, the story concerns family dynamics more than romance as Fleming starts to focus on her future while her parents prepare for a new baby and her father hopes for a comeback in skating. Despite the jumble of elements, neither the plot nor the character development is substantial. The humor tends towards the slapstick, such as Fleming’s father skating with live farm animals at the rodeo. Clark (Wurst Case Scenario, 2001, etc.) has fashioned a slight and slightly funny story that will provide light entertainment for the not-too-demanding reader. (Fiction. 12-16)