THE GREAT SMITH HOUSE HUSTLE

The saga from The Big Smith Snatch (1989) continues with a satisfying story that's sure to generate requests for the earlier book. The five lively Smith children and their father arrive in Pittsburgh from California, where their mother is awaiting the birth of number six. But life in their grandmother's welcoming old home is soon interrupted: it's been sold, they're being evicted, and she knows nothing about it. The whole neighborhood pulls together with the children to uncover a scam—now operating for the third time in 20 years—to defraud elderly citizens of their homes. Coupling accidental discoveries with shrewd detective work, the group eventually unmasks the local ``Wicked Witch'' and her Rumpelstiltskinesque lodger for the frauds they are. Each child is a distinct, likable person, though five-year- old Babba's precocity can stretch credulity. There's a richly individual supporting cast; the setting is carefully drawn; and, in true Curry style, the zippy plot, general good humor, and nail-biting suspense make this a real page-turner. (Fiction. 9-12)