Corrie's Secret Pal: 51

The Here Comes the Brownies series opens with two straightforward but sensitive stories. In the first book, Corrie has just moved to a new town and hesitantly joins a Brownie Girl Scout troop, where she finds friendship and camaraderie. The second focuses on timid, unconfident Sarah, who learns to speak up in front of others and to share her own thoughts and ideas. Her ``incredible idea'' consists of bringing the troop members and their pets to visit nursing home residents--in the story the plan succeeds beautifully; as any one who has ever trained pets knows, however, O'Connor's scenario is overly optimistic, and duplication of Sarah's scheme is inadvisable. Although both plots are rather predictable and Long's illustrations stiff, the tales are reassuring in their promulgation of such Brownie Scout values as unselfishness, kindness and the importance of helping others. Ages 6-9. (Sept.)