ALISON'S FIERCE AND UGLY HALLOWEEN

In this third book about Alison (Alison's Wings, 1996, etc.), she and her friend Cindy dress as pirates for Halloween, and are unhappy when no one is frightened by them. When an old woman declares her ``cute,'' Alison's frustration gives way to a foolish act: She throws a handful of pebbles at the woman's door. The next day she confesses and cleans up. This dull entry will convince few emerging readers to go on to Bauer's more challenging works; the plot is a door-to-door description of the trick-or-treat trail, without conveying any of the suspense of Halloween. Those who haven't met Alison previously will have no sense of her character, and the repeated use of the phrase ``fierce and ugly'' becomes a strain. (illustrations, not seen) (Fiction. 6-8)