MARY MARGARET MEETS HER MATCH

What’s endearing about Mary Margaret, MacLean’s effervescent but obstreperous heroine, is that she knows how she’s supposed to be behaving, but just can’t control herself well enough to pull it off. In this, the third installment of the series, Mary Margaret travels with her family to the Lazy K dude ranch, where she’s certain that she’ll be an ace trail rider within days. Her match comes in the person of Kansas, a prickly young stable hand that Mary Margaret immediately takes to and wants to befriend. But although Mary Margaret pulls out all the stops, her efforts backfire, so much so that it seems like Kansas hates her. Nor is Mary Margaret able to control Terco, her assigned mount, well enough to be allowed out of the kiddie corral. It’s a frustrating situation MacLean milks it for all it’s worth, generating laughs, suspense, poignancy and a pointed life lesson as Mary Margaret’s patience is stretched to the snapping point. A delightful ride and one that is sure to make young cowgirls cheer. (Fiction. 7-11)