Can You Feel the Thunder?

Mic Parson's street, Bixby Court, is teeming with ""weird"" characters. There is Old Man Petrowski with his webbed fingers; Sam, the three-legged golden retriever; and Mrs. Marston, who says she saw the ghost of Houdini when she was 11. Narrator Mic, a seventh grader, is convinced that the weirdest resident of all is his own deaf and blind older sister, Stephanie--but then Vern ""Nerd Boy"" Chortle, owner of 382 pairs of strange-looking socks, moves in. Now, besides being constantly embarrassed by Stephanie and her ""gulp-laugh that sounds like she's swallowing air,"" Mic has to contend with Vern's chumminess. In spite of himself, he starts enjoying Vern's company and discovers they actually have a lot in common; somewhat neatly, he also finds that Stephanie has merits, too. The treatment of the junior high social scene is pat; what's much more authentic and compelling is Stephanie's role in the family. First-novelist McElfresh writes with what appears to be first-hand experience of Stephanie's disabilities, the accommodations they require and the mixed feelings they arouse in Mic and his parents (who receive more convincing characterizations than Mic does). Kids who like the story of Helen Keller will find this novel an interesting companion. Ages 10-14. (July)