A Night to Remember

There's nothing quite like a high school prom--at least if the authors of the four short stories here are to be believed. In Ellen Conford's slapstick ``Social Studies,'' two brainy guys set out to win prom dates by studying the methods of the most popular guy in school. Jane McFann's ``Three Strikes and a Foul Ball'' chronicles the romantic misadventures of a baseball-crazy tomboy whose mother and best friend corral her into seeking a date for the dreaded dance. event. A school gossip columnist in ``Frankenstein'' by Ellen Leroe ``imaginates'' a dashing guy named Lance Lindsey--only to be saved from the embarrassment of full exposure by the 11th-hour appearance of a Lance impersonator. These three entries are more or less shaggy dog tales; Jean Thesman's ``Something Better,'' however, more than lives up to the romantic promise of the book's dreamy peachy-pink embossed cover. Thanks to a cast of sweetly appealing characters and perceptive writing, the well-worn plot (a girl's gradual realization that the pesky boy-next-door is more than just a loyal pal) seems fresh and new. Despite its flaws, the collection's slick packaging (free rose tattoos are included with every volume) and popular subject matter are likely to please its intended audience. Ages 12-up. (May)