Frankie's Run

Mary Frances, 13, is enraged when her older sister tells her to ""grow up'' and stop wearing sloppy, boyish clothes. When the library stops showing movies due to lack of funds, Mary Frances comes up with a plan to help the library and prove her maturity: a runathon. She almost gives up her project when the local paper runs a front-page story about it but calls her a boy named ``Frankie.'' Although Mary Frances breaks her leg at the start of the runathon, it's a success. And while she recuperates, she learns that dressing to look like a girl isn't half-bad, either. Ryan's frequently hilarious narrative pinpoints the conflicting feelings of a teen who isn't altogether convinced that adolescence is better than childhood. Ages 8-12. (April)