Sammy Carducci's Guide to Women

Depicted as a lovable eccentric, Sammy is a diminutive sixth-grader who attends school wearing a suit and tie and a pair of black high-top sneakers. Deciding that it's time to find a girlfriend, he sets his sights on Becky, a tall, well-developed classmate. For his courtship techniques, Sammy relies on what he has gleaned from his suave older brother; for some reason, Becky is charmed. The course of true love runs smoothly until Becky goes on a nearly disastrous date with a high school boy. This novel is not recommended for those with a low tolerance for glib dialogue. The lackluster boy-meets-girl plot is unsuccessfully embellished with frantic slapstick. Readers are likely to tire of the condescension with which the author and many of his characters treat the protagonist. Ages 8-12. (Dec.)