JUDY-COMES LATELY

It would take more than the lively Iowa background of the county fair grounds to redeem this story from triteness and sentimentality. Judy, who is 13, is travelling with her uncle over the county fair circuit, living in his trailer, and meeting the people he has known on the circuit for years. 14-year old Donny and Judy team up, and have an exciting time, tracing down clues to a thief who has committed a series of robberies. Judy makes friends with the little waif whose uncle turns out to be the thief. The ingredients are here for a popular story but the dialogue is uneven (and not true to the ages of the children), the narrative is poorly written.