A Child of Their Own

This cozy, determinedly quaint tale will find a captive audience in dollhouse fanciers. An American Lady who may or may not be a Serious Collector (liberal capitalization helps give this book its antique patina) spots a group of dolls in an English toyshop and buys them all--not just Mr. and Mrs. Darling and their children, who are made of hand-painted porcelain and dressed in exquisite hand-sewn clothing, but also Amanda Miranda and Revely, the mass-produced sister and brother who desperately wish to be part of the Darling family. Rendal lards the story of their resettlement with enchanting details and parenthetical tips on dollhouse decor (``Stamps make excellent doll's house pictures''; ``very fine cotton batiste'' is the fabric of choice for doll linens). Several plot lines generate tension: Will Amanda Miranda and Revely become Darlings? Who is the American Lady? Will the dolls ever be united with a child who can Pretend with them? Aside from a bit of clumsy psychologizing, Rendal cleanly and capably navigates between the whimsical and the coy. Ages 8-12. (Aug.)