Poor Girl, Rich Girl

At 14, Miranda wants contact lenses more than anything, but her family just can't stretch the budget. So the teenager embarks on a series of summer jobs that teach her a lot about determination and patience and a little about her stuck-up schoolmate Catriona. Miranda's adventures are standard fare for middle-grade fiction: babysitting, dog walking, camp counseling, learning to cook and lying about her age to get work in a grocery store. Redeeming the conventional story somewhat is Miranda's plucky character and her urban African American background. Though Wilson ( Oh, Brother ) leaves an occasional plot thread dangling, Miranda's escapades should tickle the funnybones of fans of Fat Glenda et al. Ages 8-12. (Apr.)