I SHOULD HAVE LISTENED TO MOON

Nadine tells how she is forced to share her bedroom with her newly widowed grandmother when the senile old woman--along with her Cashmere Bouquet powder and her dentures--comes to live with Nadine's family. This is also the summer when Nadine's best friend, Moon, becomes obsessed with boys, makeup, and Bride magazine--while Nadine still prefers playing library with their books, or pressing flowers. In short, Nadine is having difficulty sorting out her feelings about growing up, while her confused, lonely grandmother is trying to cope with growing old. Through a series of crises--Grandma gets lost, a pet duck dies--the entire family and even Moon arrive at a better understanding of their various emotional states. Though Nadine uses good grammar and eschews an overuse of slang, she has a recognizable 12-year-old voice. Many of the incidents here are funny--especially the birthday party when Nadine tries to keep the entertainment at the musical-chairs level--and Nadine's relationship with her brother (she calls him ""Grease Bucket"") is true-to life. A satisfying book, then--not deep but thoroughly enjoyable.