Chelsey and the Green-Haired Kid

Chelsey Bernard, 13, is not your average kid. Confined to a wheelchair, she attends her local public high school, goes to basketball games and makes use of her community's bus service for the handicapped in order to get around independently. Little wonder that when she witnesses a fatal accident and is convinced that the victim didn't just fall but was pushed, she sets out to solve the murder herself. And does so, befriending a misunderstood boy along the way. Gorman's first novel is uneven; as a story about fitting in and about coping with handicaps, it is laudable. As a mystery, it falls short of the mark, with too many convenient incidents. And while the makings of a truly thrilling story are here, they are not used until the last chapters, when the story culminates in an unrealistic chase scene. Nevertheless, an adequate first effort, which may be of particular interest to the handicapped. Ages 10-14. (March)