Taffy Sinclair Goes to Hollywood

As fans of the Taffy Sinclair series know, a major pitfall to being beautiful is the envy and viciousness it often incites among other girls. This observation is continued in Haynes's newest story, in which the seventh grader goes to Hollywood to star in a TV movie entitled Nobody Likes Tiffany Stafford . Taffy identifies with the film's main character, as does Paige Kramer, a former child star who's hoping for a comeback. The part of Tiffany had nearly been hers until Taffy came along; now Paige must settle for a secondary role. She tries making life difficult for Taffy, who's amazed at how closely art can imitate life. Taffy benefits from the experience, however, and so will her readers. The book provides revealing glimpses of human behavior, and shows the role empathy plays in relationships. Another plus is the information on movie-making that is seamlessly integrated with the story. Ages 9-12. (Aug.)