Tales of Belva Jean Copenhagen

Like Huck Finn, Belva Jean claims to be recounting the facts: ``pure true-life adventure''--not ``a lot of made-up stuff.'' And while she doesn't stir up as much trouble as Huck did, she is certainly taken from the same spunky, outspoken mold. Seven chapters reveal a traditional family: Mama, Daddy, Baby Buster and sixth-grader Belva Jean, living in an old-fashioned small town. The first-person narrative, delivered in an authentic-sounding, readable dialect, brims with funny, quirky perceptions about life. This is matched by the author's expressive line drawings; her style was first glimpsed in her funny picture book, Cinnamon Hen's Autumn Day . Belva Jean comes up with some grand tales--readers will hope she hasn't told the last of them. Ages 8-11. (Mar.)