Bets on Lizzie Bingman CL

It is 1914, and Lizzie, 14, is caught up in the spirit of the women's suffrage movement. She bets her older, over-protective brother Jake that she ""can go the whole summer without asking for help of any kind from you or anyone else.'' With so much going onthe annual church pie auction, the Fourth of July and the arrival of the circus and medicine showher bet is a difficult one to win. Having three brothers against her doesn't help, and since Lizzie tends to be impulsive, over time she gets herself into real trouble. Like its heroine, this first novel is sincere, energetic and rousingly funny. Readers will be entertained by the rush of events and the motley small-town characters that pepper the opening pages of the book; the conclusion is more controlled and involving. Lizzie's ongoing struggle with her mother (a proper lady) and her friendship with the rakishly charming Teddy help to organize the story and add to its warmth. A blithe debut. Ages 10-14. (April)