Spindrift

Once again Rodowsky (The Turnabout Shop) writes with sensitivity and understanding in profiling an adolescent girl confronting change. Thirteen-year-old Cassie anticipates another tranquil summer in Bethany Beach, Del., her quiet, seaside resort community. Soon, familiar guests will be returning to the Spindrift, the bed-and-breakfast inn where Cassie lives with her mother and grandmother. Cassie also looks forward to becoming an aunt; her sister, Cindy, is expecting a baby any day. But the summer brings anything but happiness. First Cassie spies Mickey, Cindy's husband, embracing another woman. Then, just after giving birth, Cindy wants out of her troubled marriage and moves back to the Spindrift for good. Next Cassie is devastated by the news that her grandmother has sold the inn. The author gently and wisely emphasizes not Cassie's short-lived effort to alter outcomes, but rather her ability to survive disturbances within her household and accept unpleasant truths. A sturdy and steadily involving work. Ages 10-14. (Mar.)