Go for It, Patti (Paxton Cheerleaders 1): Go for It, Patti

Four girls who aspire to be members of the seventh grade cheerleading squad are the focal point of this peppy but predictable story, the first of the Paxton Cheerleaders series. Patti has just moved from Dallas to Paxton, Ill. At a summer cheerleading clinic, she hooks up with popular Lauren, bossy Cassie and spirited Tara, who agree to work together as a team to prepare for the upcoming tryouts for the school squad. With the help of Patti's mother, aptly named Sunny, and her equally congenial identical twin (both former star cheerleaders), the four practice rigorously for days. Taking the edge off the potentially overwhelming perkiness is the ongoing tension between Cassie and Tara, which is finally resolved at the novel's end. When the tryouts are done, three of the girls have made the squad and one is named alternate, setting the scene for the second title, Three Cheers for You, Cassie!, due in September. Ages 8-11. (Aug.)