Marrying Malcolm Murgatroyd

A major credibility problem hobbles this first novel before it can get off the ground. Hannah cherishes her standing with the so-called Popular Kids above all else, to the point where she has almost a double life. At school, she is as cool as everyone else, shunning geeky Malcolm Murgatroyd. But at home she socializes with Malcolm regularly, because his parents and her parents are the best of friends. When Hannah has to assemble a scrapbook for a class project, she realizes that all her family photos show Malcolm, too-her deep, dark secret is about to be revealed. It's easy to imagine a 12-year-old desperately concerned with fitting in, but when Hannah's otherwise sensible parents permit her to carry on her pretense, the stretch becomes impossible. Add to the equation a younger brother afflicted with muscular dystrophy (Malcolm, by the way, is his only friend), and Hannah's preoccupations seem even less earth-shattering. Ages 10-up. (Oct.)