NO EASY ANSWERS

A collection of stories grouped under headings like ``It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time'' and ``What Do I Do Now?'' with situations teens will certainly recognize. They will also recognize some of the fine names in this collection, M.E. Kerr, Rita Williams-Garcia, and Graham Salisbury among them. In Will Weaver's powerful opening tale, ``The Photograph,'' a budding photographer learns how much images can hurt. Virginia Euwer Wolff's ``Un-Numbing of Cory Willhouse'' is a dark and sensitive look at guilt and quasi-redemption, David Klass's ``Cradle Hold'' examines a difficult father-son relationship, and Ron Koertge's ``Duet'' is a wry and charming tale of the First Time that isn't. The unifying theme is somewhat unwieldy—few stories or novels for this audience are not about teenagers making ``touch choices,'' and the lessons sometimes loom so large that they get in the way of the stories. This is still an honest, sturdy collection; it poses complicated questions and allows readers to search for the answers in some very good company. (Short stories. 11-14)