AUNT PEGGY'S WINDMILL

It’s hard to imagine US children responding enthusiastically to this heavy-handed series of short stories with a strong British flavor. In “Auntie Peggy’s Windmill,” an eccentric aunt steps in to care for her niece and nephew when their parents are injured in an automobile accident. Odd but good-hearted, Auntie Peggy engages in ongoing conversations with God that serve to encourage the children and, ultimately their parents, to become believers in the efficacy of prayer. “The Park People” details the interactions of children and adults who live in a semi-circle of homes facing a small park area. Each of these stories tackles a real problem, from bullying to childhood depression, but they are inhabited by shallow characters, and resolved simplistically. (Fiction. 6-9)