Mismatched Summer

Family illness sends 12-year-old Micale away from her elderly parents to the shore with Meg and Heather Waters. To Micale, Meg is a dull classmate (``She can't help that she's totally boring'') and Heather is ``one of the few adults who thought I was a cute kid.'' An initially ill-suited pair, Meg and Micale both resent being thrown together, but a friendship develops out of their differences. Brash, impulsive Micale helps shy Meg out of her shell, while learning important lessons about consideration and sharing. Told from alternating perspectives with Adler's customarily deft touch, both girls' views are presented seamlessly, making this an enjoyable story for middle-grade girls, for whom friendship is a perpetually interesting topic. Ages 8-12. (Mar.)