Dirty Laundry

Fraustino's (Grass and Sky; Ash) provocative title and subject matter are enough to reel readers into this eclectic collection of original stories. Here 11 popular YA authors portray young people discovering, hiding, exposing or coping with disturbing truths. For example, in Fraustino's own contribution, ""FRESh PAINt,"" a high school senior stumbles onto the hidden history of her great-grandmother while befriending an elderly patient at a local mental institution. Randy, the hero of Bruce Coville's ""The Secret of Life, According to Aunt Gladys,"" learns about a closely guarded family secret when his never-before-mentioned Uncle George, a transvestite undergoing sex-change surgery, arrives for an extended visit. Other entries convey the burden of carrying a secret. Harboring guilt for abusing his little brother and his infant daughter, the protagonist of Chris Crutcher's ""Popeye the Sailor,"" mistakenly thinks he can bury the past by devoting his future to aiding victimized children. Not all stories are realistic: both Richard Peck and M.E. Kerr serve up flavorful ghost stories. Offering both escapism and insight into the long-range effects of deception, these stories will satisfy a wide range of tastes. Ages 12-up. (June)