Eleven-year-old narrator Amalee doesn't have any close friends; her father has four, all of whom drive Amalee crazy. When her single-parent father becomes seriously ill, his friends save the day, taking turns watching over Amalee and her bedridden dad, and she learns some lessons about friendship and growing up. This uplifting story will grab young readers with its sympathetic portrayal of middle-school life.

Gr 1-3-- An easy-to-read story of two sisters who turned the British navy away from their town during the War of 1812. Rebecca, 20, and Abigail, 16, live in Scituate, Massachusetts. The crew of the British ships invades the town for supplies but flee when they hear the fife and drum of the advancing Massachusetts Home Guard. When the British return, the Home Guard has gone, but the sisters play ``Yankee Doodle'' from the shore. Thinking the soldiers are returning, the British ships retreat. An explanatory note separates fact from fiction, but it is long and will discourage the same readers who can handle the chapterless text that follows. Most children who pick this up won't have the necessary background on the War of 1812, and may not relate to a tale of the two young women. Painted illustrations, although colorful, are wooden. Alternating with wide-spaced and large-size print, they lack expression and movement. The drama of the young people turning back a navy may be enough to carry this story for a hi/lo audience, but its odd format and poor illustrations make it a marginal purchase. --Sally Bates Goodroe, Houston Public Library