You Can't Eat Your Chicken Pox, Amber Brown

A bad case of the chicken pox doesn't dampen the spirits of Danziger's spunky heroine (introduced in Amber Brown Is Not a Crayon)-even though the spots appear at the start of her anxiously awaited summer trip to London with her aunt. What does dismay the impulsive, soon-to-be-fourth grader, however, is the likelihood that her parents' six-month separation will be permanent. When she is unable to keep her plans to visit her father, who now lives in France, he travels to London to see her, and their rendezvous sets the scene for some poignant conversations about the separation. (When her father tells Amber that he has missed seeing her and taking her places, she responds, ""I miss that too.... And I miss just being a kid who doesn't have to think about all of this stuff."") Danziger deftly balances the serious with the lighthearted, as Amber's chatty, first-person narration is also filled with humorous reflections and observations. A worthy sequel. Ages 8-12. (Apr.)