DAGMAR SCHULTZ AND THE POWERS OF DARKNESS

Dagmar may be only a month shy of ""the big One-Three,"" but she expects to bloom any minute--and figures it's high time she found someone to appreciate it. Having discovered some of the disadvantages of an imaginary boyfriend (The Secret Life of Dagmar Schultz), Dagmar now falls for classmate James Mann: real but also, unfortunately, oblivious. How to catch his attention? Along comes a big break in the person of Edgar Temple, Assistant Meat Manager and part-time witch, who promises Dagmar anything in exchange for a date with her feisty aunt Gertrude. A temporary love spell? Why not! Dagmar connives with more enthusiasm than skill but finally gets her way, and, right on time, the spell comes zapping in--only to fall on James' younger brother Broderick. Dagmar doesn't enjoy being constantly trailed by a mutely adoring second-grader, but all is not lost: by the end, James is at least talking to her, and that's a step in the right direction. Dagmar's a schemer, but not a malicious one; nobody's hurt, unhappy, or even fooled for long. A wryly funny story for middle readers.