Whose Side Are You On?

Barbra is failing math, emphasizing the differences between herself and her smart twin Billy, and her mother has forbidden her to go to a slumber party until she improves her grades. T.J., who teases Barbra constantly, becomes her peer tutor, and, gradually, she comes to like her old nemesis. Then he is sent away to reform school, and Barbra, misreading the situation, blames and bullies T.J.'s grandfather. When she finds out the truth about T.J.'s departure, she is ashamed and learns many lessons at once about the damage wrought by jumping to conclusions. Moore writes entertainingly of troubles that crop up between the generations and between classmates. Barbra's change from a bored student to a capable one is well-paced and real; she is aided by believable, complex characters, with universal worries and concerns. Ages 8-12. (July)