LIZZIE LOGAN WEARS PURPLE SUNGLASSES

It's not always easy to be best friends, especially when the friend is two years older and has an eccentric imagination--that's the premise of this very funny book. Heather meets Lizzie, 10, on the day her family moves into a new house. Lizzie investigates the new family, bringing a store-bought pie and a warning to check it for mold. The next warning is about the spider plants that killed the old lady who used to live in their house. It's not a comfortable beginning, but it is a clear indication of an interesting summer ahead. Greenberg's sketchy b&w illustrations catch the upbeat tone of the book; there is an annoying discrepancy in the last picture, between art (girls in shorts, no sign of a hat) and text (one pulls glasses out of her skirt, the other is wearing a hat). This is not a realistic book, but Spinelli's first novel buoyantly addresses the ""problem"" of a great imagination in someone who is sensitive (though not necessarily to others' feelings). With its easy-to-read format and entertaining story, this looks like a hit.