PERFECTLY CHELSEA

Yes, nine-year-old Chelsea, whose family life revolves around church activities, is perfect most of the time. She prays to God to keep her perfect as the best acolyte, best Sunday School helper, and best good-deed-doer—but when her prayer for Mrs. Cruz doesn’t keep her from dying, she has her first fight with God. Her Jewish friend Naomi is a foil for common fourth-grade encounters with school events, family traditions, and religious beliefs, as is her nemesis, klutzy Danny, who disrupts the youth bell choir and the church play about the Good Samaritan. Unusual for its focus on religion for this age, nevertheless the kids’ behavior and questions about prayer and values ring fairly realistic. A nice touch at the end is when the beloved older minister leaves for a new church and is replaced by a woman. (Fiction. 7-10)