Going the Distance: 9

Loren Monroe's bohemian parents may be fascinating to their peers in the art world, but to Loren they are a real drag. Their high-profile careers compel them to pick up and move every time Loren gets settled in a new place. It's the last straw when they want Loren to make the readjustment of her life: move with them to New York and attend a nearby boarding school. Intrigued by a real painting she once saw, Miller (Me and My Name) tries to go the distance conflict-wise in setting the long-haired, dreamy-looking Loren of the painting ``Loren by the Sea'' (as her mother, the artist, sees her) at complete odds with Loren's true personality and plans. But after this set-up, the tension moves to the back burner. With her parents conveniently stashed in Europe, Loren is free to have lots of lighthearted fun under the roof of her hip, understanding grandmother, though her parents are flown in for a quick conflict fix whenever things seem to be going too smoothly. For the most part the plot travels a well-worn and safely sunlit path of adolescent rebellion-the novel is competent, but cuts no new ground. Ages 8-12. (Oct.)