DINAH FOR PRESIDENT

The ebullient Dinah (Dynamite Dinah, 1990) wants to make as big a mark at JFK Middle School as she did in her old school; she plunges wholeheartedly into running for office, determined to become the first girl to be class president. Then, though her idea for a recycling program looks like a winner, she withdraws her candidacy to avoid splitting the girls' votes. Meanwhile, she helps her mother try to save an elderly woman from going to a nursing home and, to her surprise, gains both a friend and a different outlook on life. While bearing the appearance of light reading--fast-moving, funny--Mills' seamless portraits of middle-school life also offer sound psychological insights and positive messages. Dinah is multi-faceted; she makes mistakes and doesn't always come out on top, but learns that she can make a difference in others' lives and has some control over her own. This sequel stands alone, but will have readers requesting Mills's earlier books.