JOSIE SMITH AT SCHOOL

A third book about a likable, strong-minded child who lives in a friendly British village with her ``mom.'' Fans of Josie (Josie Smith, 1989) will remember that, though she's conscientious and well-intentioned, her imagination and persistence tend to get her into amusing trouble. This time, three long episodes involve Josie's abortive attempt to take her new teacher a bouquet; the difficulty of making friends with an Indian classmate who doesn't know English; and a mix-up concerning a class play, when the new haircut Josie at first admires causes her to be drafted for a male role—which turns out to be just one of several miscastings that precipitate a comical epidemic of tears. Nabb's artfully mixed humor and sympathy for childhood's dramas and misunderstandings rivals Cleary's. Her deftly sketched characters, both children and adults, are wonderfully three- dimensional: a martinet of a principal, Josie's wise but not infallible mother, perennial rival/friend Eileen—each is a believable blend of strengths and faults. Again, Vainio's lively drawings capture the essence of the more telling moments. A fine chapter book for newly independent readers. (Fiction. 6-10)