M AND M AND THE BIG BAG

Going to the grocery store without a grown-up for the very first time"" is not the stuff of high adventure, but Ross manages to project the anticipation, distress, and satisfaction of her series friends Mandy and Mimi (M & M), and Hafner gives their outing a cheerful contemporary look with lots of easy recognition. First the two little girls drop their list outside while tying up dog Maxi--but only Maxi notices. Once inside--""The Big Bag looked bigger than ever--""Mimi's sure she can remember everything without the list; but Mimi's shopping binge lands Mandy in the checkout line with a cart piled high with snacks and only five dollars to pay for it all. ""Dump it,"" Mimi says of the cart, and they go out the door, empty-handed. But a few minutes later they are going through the procedure properly, capably combining memory and reading skills to piece out a list that is torn and wet from Maxi's chewing. There's sufficient identification value to keep readers in tow.