The Farewell Kid

In Wersba's third adventure about Heidi, the ebullient heroine moves out of her mother's apartment and into an old barbershop, where she intends to ``make it'' in the Dog Rescue business. She ends up instead with a motley assortment of canine boarders, and one very special friend with whom she finds love at last. Her fondness for animals immediately identifies her as a sympathetic character, but it is her courage against tough odds that makes her truly appealing, as she breaks free of her mother's impossible expectations and finds her own way in a grimy, unforgiving city. Heidi's personality dominates the somewhat sketchy plot; her excess of self-knowledge, however, tends to keep readers emotionally at bay and makes it difficult to relate completely to her. Ages 12-up. ( Mar .)