GIRL, GOING ON 17

Things could not possibly get any better for Jess. Madly in love with Fred, and still reeling from an exciting holiday, she is almost looking forward to starting back to school when Fred ruins it all by telling her he is not sure about taking their relationship public. Things go from bad to worse when school starts the next day. Jess’s favorite teacher is out for the semester, replaced by an angry first-time instructor. As if that’s not enough, Jess’s mother decides to start dating, her granny feels ill and Jess somehow keeps losing parts of her wardrobe at inopportune moments. This third installment in the story of Jess’s tumultuous life follows the same rollicking trail, finding her stumbling into trouble again and again only to stumble out a few pages later. This one will surely satisfy old fans and will encourage new ones to laugh along. Silly fun. (Fiction. 10-14)