CHASING AFTER ANNIE

A breezy trifle, slighter than Sharmat's Maggie Marmelstein stories but amusing enough at its easy-reading level. Through entires in both their diaries (he calls his a journal), we see Richie gloating that Annie likes him and Annie expressing dislike for Richie, who brags all the time. Then Annie's dog Fritz disappears, Richie helps her look for him, and Annie--guess what, journal!--thanks him. Richie goes too far when he buys a dog just like Fritz at the pound and takes it ""home"" to Annie. She's grateful, thinking he's found Fritz--but then the real Fritz shows up. Meanwhile, though, Richie and the fake Fritz have formed an attachment, and by the end both kids are paired with their proper dogs and--get this, journal!--becoming friendly with each other. An undemanding diversion, for late elementary grade kids who read at mid-elementary level.