Corbett, Sue. 12 again.

CORBETT, Sue. 12 again. Penguin Putnam, Dutton. 227p. c2002.0-525-468994. $16.99. J

This is a variation on the theme of the Hanks film Big, in which an adult becomes a 12-year-old. Bernadette McBride, the adult in 12 Again, is a mother of three sons, the oldest of whom is 12 years old himself, Patrick McBride. The family live in the suburbs, but Bernadette's mother, who has recently died, was an Irish immigrant who knew the ways of the faerie folk. When Bernadette goes to her mother's empty home, she inadvertently gets herself under the spell of the faerie and becomes 12 years old again, but knowing who she is. Her subterfuge is amusing, as she manages to get herself enrolled in her son Patrick's very own school, and ends up in one of his classes. Computers are a means of communication available to her, and become the means of getting the help from Patrick she needs to return to her old life as an adult. Patrick is a terrific kid: responsible, fun loving, intelligent. He always has helped out in the busy household, since the father is a doctor on call often and the mother a reporter. Now, however, without the mother at home, Patrick's responsibility for the household and his younger brothers becomes enormous. The father does the best he can, and hires a tutor and housekeeper as the weeks go by and Bernadette doesn't return, but still Patrick has to manage quite a lot for a 12-year-old. All these logistics make for an interesting plot, as does the delving into magic that will allow Bernadette to return home. We see home life and school life through various eyes, perhaps the most interesting being Bernadette's experiences at school, being 12 again. Every character is likeable and the fantasy intriguing.