Star Baby

Ten years ago, Abby was ``Cookie Baynes,'' the nation's best-loved child star. Now she is a gawky teenager whose ambitious stage mother won't let her grow out of her former role. Abby still dreams of starring in films--but as a sophisticated comedienne, not an overgrown tot. Few readers will be surprised to find that by the novel's end Abby has extricated herself from her bossy parent's grasp and has been favored with the sort of lucky break that leads to stardom. Glittering details of life in 1940s Hollywood are almost enough to make up for the abundance of melodramatic plot twists and one-dimensional characters found here. This is the first in the Hollywood Daughters series. Ages 12-up. (Nov.)