THE UNCIVIL WAR

From Klass (Shooting Star, 1996, etc.), the story of an ordinary gift overwhelmed by her parents' good intentions. Asa Anderson, 12, is feeling insecure: She's overweight and doesn't know how to tell her mother to stop feeding her. Robert Lee, a cute new student from the South, makes fun of Asa's unusual name and weight. But Asa's no wimp, and she declares war on both her mother--who is pregnant and concerned that the new baby may be a ""preemie,"" as Asa was--and Robert Lee. For her mother, Asa finds inspiration in the merles of Mahatma Ghandi and satyagraha; she gets her mother's attention with a hunger strike and procures medical backing to lose weight. A brush with tragedy--Asa's mother delivers the baby prematurely, as feared--brings out Robert Lee's true feelings for Asa. This readable, funny story is familiar, but will comfort those seeking lightweight fare about a heroine who knows her own mind.