HARRY'S GOT A GIRLFRIEND!
by Ulli Schubert
PLB 0-7358-1106-7 Harry’s Got A Girlfriend! (61 pp.; $13.95; PLB $13.88; Mar.; 0-7358-1105-9; PLB 0-7358-1106-7): A book that takes a typical childhood dilemma and sugarcoats it beyond recognition. When Harry is invited to Michelle’s birthday party, his friends tease him so much that he decides not to go. His father makes a deal with him: if he’s not having a good time, he can call home for a ride. Harry is the only boy at the party, but he has a great time eating, playing, and flying a kite. When his friends find out how much fun he had, they plead to go along the next time, and promise that the teasing will stop. Most readers will find this bland and unrealistic; the actions of all of the children don’t ring true, and the pictures, all smiles and sunshine, match the text all too well. (Fiction. 6-9)