Baskin, Nora Raleigh. What every girl (except me) knows.

Random House, Dell Yearling. 213p c2001.0-440-41852-6. $4.99. J

Gabby, motherless since a young age, at age 12 desperately feels the need for a female role model. She even keeps a journal detailing tidbits she picks up along the way from various female sources. Some are humorous, like drying dishes before you put them away in the cabinet; others include following your hosts' lead when visiting their house, and not being too exuberant. As the new school year begins, Gabby seems to be off to a good start. She makes a new friend, Taylor, and becomes close to her father's girlfriend. Cleo. As the story progresses, Taylor and Gabby become so close that they have their own routine of code phrases, and Gabby finds her family isn't the only one with problems. Her friends and classmates have their own secrets too. When Cleo disappears from her life, Gabby is motivated to finally learn the truth about her mother's death.

Baskin's writing style is conversational in tone, utilizing a combination of journal entries and traditional storytelling. The reader is taken into Gabby's confidence, and so is the first to learn why Gabby states, "I now know more about Maureen O' Hara than I did about my own mother." Themes explored in this work include family relationships, friendship, and belonging. This title will be popular with fans of Judy Blume and Sharon Creech, and is a suggested purchase for those libraries wanting to expand their fiction collection. Tricia Finch, Libn., Fruitville PL., Sarasota, FL