The Boy in the Moon

Since the third grade, Nick Bishop has enjoyed a comfortable relationship with his two best friends, Frieda and Kevin, but everything seems to change in the fall of senior year. Nick begins to think of Frieda as a girlfriend instead of a buddy, and has trouble relating to Kevin, who has become somewhat affected since his summer trip to L.A. As all three characters struggle with a difficult English assignment (answering the question ``Who am I?''), their conflicts and uncertainties emerge. Realizing that the triumvirate must soon go separate ways, Nick regrets the losses he will have to endure; yet by helping his friends through personal crises, he gains self-assurance and learns to accept change as an inevitable part of growing up. Although populated by stereotypes, Koertge's novel contains the same frank treatment of teenage concerns found in his previous books, The Arizona Kid and Where the Kissing Never Stops . Readers will sympathize with Kevin's moments of awkwardness and will understand his reluctance to break ties with the people he loves. Ages 12-up. (Apr.)