Kitty from the Start

In this joyful prequel to Delton's series about Kitty, a girl growing up Catholic during the Depression, Kitty faces her first disaster. Her family is moving to another part of town, and she has to change schools. On the first day, a nun tells Kitty that she is not on her list and makes her leave that third grade. Luckily, this school has two third grades, and Kitty is in the other one. She still feels conspicuous, though, because she has no uniform yet. Kitty finds her religious choice clear: she wants to be a saint. But the girls she meetsMargaret Mary and Eileenhave theological viewpoints that may mean the three of them can't be friends. The moral dilemmas are taken care of by an understanding father; those issues set off funny events but remain mostly in the background. The heart of this is Kitty's yearning not to be the ""new girl'' anymore, and of this Delton writes with warmth, realism and insight. Ages 7-10. (March)