THE VICTORY GARDEN

This studiously sunny first novel offers a slice of WWII Americana in relating the trials and triumphs of its 11-year-old narrator. After her neighbor, gruff Mr. Burt, is hospitalized, Teresa can't stand the thought of his carefully tended victory garden going to ruin, or worse yet, getting plowed under. With Mr. Burt's permission, she leads a campaign to salvage his harvest and, at the same time, earn money for the war effort. While battles rage in Europe, endangering the lives of brave young men (like Teresa's older brother), Teresa does her part to keep peace on the home front. She encourages her classmates to work together in Mr. Burt's garden and reaches out to an embittered boy, who threatens to stir up trouble. The author supplies background explanations a little self-consciously, and she keeps tragedy at arm's distance from her heroine (Teresa hears news of friends' family members getting killed or hurt, but her own beloved brother remains uninjured). While the positive, comforting message—which emphasizes the benefits of neighbors, friends and even enemies helping one another through hard times—may make this novel suitable for middle-graders, the Pollyanna-ish approach also mutes its impact. Ages 8-12. (Feb.)