DEAD END BLUFF

Quig's blindness is as well integrated in this story as it is in his own well-balanced personality. There is no sentimentalizing, sermonizing, or unnecessary emphasis on the handicap, which Quig has accepted and generally managed to overcome. He leads a normal family life, has a close circle of friends, practices hard to win an area competition for a swimming trophy, and his major difficulty is trying to find a summer job. He does get hired--as a dog sitter for a pair of championship quality elkhounds and their litter. This involves him in a minor adventure when the puppies are stolen. Of greater interest, however, is Quig's own normalcy, and his always believable relationships to others, especially his sometimes overly protective father. The plot is minimal but the book does offer plausible, likable characters and a solid, sympathetic approach.