About Face

Alternating the points of view of shy, small-town Glory and outspoken Marvalene, Wood (When Pigs Fly) writes a poignant story about friendship and discontent. The two girls, both 13, meet on the fairgrounds where Marvalene and her parents work as ""carnies."" Glory, painfully self-conscious of a large birthmark on her face, wishes she could be as confident as Marvalene; Marvalene, tired of living in a trailer and helping to sell corn dogs, longs to be as rooted as Glory. While they come to the unsurprising conclusion that the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, the lesson is hard for them to learn, punctuated by betrayal and disillusionment. The protagonists are unconventional enough to be interesting and complex enough to be believable, and Wood respects them; she does not trivialize their problems with pat solutions. Colorful minor characters--including the reclusive new boarder in Glory's grandma's house, who Marvalene suspects is actually Glory's allegedly dead mother--add an extra dimension to the novel; so do details about ""carnie"" life and Glory's grandmother's second-hand shop. Readers may not want to trade lives with either heroine, but they will enjoy vicariously experiencing the warmth of their growing camaraderie. Ages 10-14. (Sept.)