HARD TIMES

In the ``Once Upon America'' series, an Oklahoma family weathers the transition after Daddy loses his job, and they lose their house, in 1933. An older sister and her husband and child answer California's call, but later return with reports of discrimination and meager work; meanwhile, the rest of the family leaves the city to move in with grandparents on a farm. There's no real plot here, but Antle hangs the facts that are the book's obvious purpose on telling, well-chosen incidents (a dust storm; affections and adjustments in the new household; Daddy's reluctance to apply for public assistance) and moves it along with plenty of dialogue. A few details seem amiss (snapping beans in March?), but the simply drawn characters are likable and believable, the historical picture authentic. (Fiction. 7-10)