Babe in Boyland

Having reworked Much Ado About Nothing in Confessions of a Triple Shot Betty, Gehrman uses the Shakespearean vehicle of the cross-dressing heroine in this lighthearted but insightful romantic comedy. Seventeen-year-old Natalie Rowan writes an overly optimistic relationship column for her high school paper, yet has no relationship history to speak of. After being accused of cluelessness about males, she launches a secret mission, assuming a male identity and attending a nearby boys' boarding school for a week to write an investigative article about "the most mysterious of animals: the human boy." Despite a string of embarrassing (and often hilarious) incidents, the plan is off to a good start until Natalie falls in love with her roommate, encounters a girl who could blow her cover, and begins to see the world from a male perspective. Although the ease with which Natalie infiltrates Underwood Academy and misses a week of class requires significant suspension of disbelief, Natalie's exuberance and humor carry the story. Unlike her protagonist, Gehrman has no trouble getting inside the heads of boys—or inside the environment of a boys' school. Ages 12–up. (Feb.)