cover image Between the Cracks

Between the Cracks

Joyce Wolf. Dial Books, $14.95 (176pp) ISBN 978-0-8037-1270-6

Bentley and her best friend Cal are looking forward to just another summer after they finish the seventh grade. But when Cal admits that a mysterious someone has been ``haunting'' him, Bentley realizes it's up to her to save her chum from an evil magician. Wolf's debut effort demonstrates an exuberant, if undisciplined, command of language, as seen in Bentley's list of ``good words''--``futile,'' ``ignoble'' and ``fernoodle,'' among others. Unhappily, the story needs more than enthusiasm to make up for its inherent weaknesses. The plot echoes that of Margaret Mahy's The Haunting and The Changeover , but it lacks that author's deft touch with character and language. Only avid fans of supernatural adventure will enjoy this clunky and amateur effort. Ages 10-up. (Oct.)