DAGMAR SCHULTZ AND THE ANGEL EDNA

In this third book about her, Dagmar is 13 and eager to find a boyfriend--but first she must overcome the objections of her guardian angel. Even before finding an interested boy, Dagmar has secured her parents' permission to date. Unfortunately, she discovers that she has also acquired a ""spirit guide""--her grand-father's long-deceased Aunt Edna, who is aggressively opposed to teen-age romance and expresses her opposition by such pranks as pushing lockers over onto Dagmar's would-be boyfriend and locking him and Dagmar together in a bathroom. However, after Aunt Edna finds her own beau in the hereafter, her interference promises to become more the matchmaking variety. Hall's premise might have sparked a funny book, but, unfortunately, its explication here is heavy-handed and just plain ridiculous. Early on, Dagmar addresses the reader: "". . .this is my story, so are you going to listen or not?"" The second choice seems like the better one.