INTRODUCING . . . SASHA ABRAMOWITZ

In witty, conversational, first-person narrative, 11-year-old Sasha introduces her world of college life, living with her professor parents, who also serve as dorm supervisors. Sasha’s desire for normalcy, peer acceptance and friendship is burdened with a private anguish over her brother’s Tourette’s syndrome and its embarrassing consequences. Forced to see a therapist dubbed “The Eraser,” Sasha sorts through her feelings as relationships develop. She struggles to maintain her longtime closeness with peers Carla and Pinky, all the while recounting her ups and downs with humor and a bit of sarcasm. Halpern has penned an engaging plot that intensifies with a somewhat improbable scenario, placing her tween heroine in the position of uncovering a medical mystery based on prior school research. More important, Sasha’s insightful, bright view on life in general will keep readers tuned in to her sagacious commentary as they learn, in several appendixes, about everything from magic tricks to the accomplishments of famous men and women. Difficulties of living with and accepting a sibling’s disability are handled with poignancy and humor in a fast-paced, enjoyable read. (Fiction. 9-12)