SEVEN LONG YEARS UNTIL COLLEGE

When Egg McMuffins become the centerpiece and main course of a wedding reception, can other idiosyncrasies be far behind? Natalie's mother has just remarried, her sister Christa has headed off to college, and her best friend is moving away. Natalie finds her stepfather overbearing and rule-oriented, while his mother is a martinet, swooping down on their home with a decorator and fabric swatches. When the chance arises for Natalie to visit Christa for a week, she heads out, learns to juggle, is hauled home by her mother and stepfather, and makes new friends at school. The straightforward plot has likable characters but isn't very compelling; still, Natalie's appealing narration compensates, and the story goes down smoothly. (Fiction. 9-13)