IN NED'S HEAD

In this light-hearted novel starring spunky Ned Floyd, the Swedish team of Olsson and Jacobsson offers an often hilarious look at preadolescent woes. At age 11 ("I'm twenty years old. Almost. You just take away half of twenty and add one"), Ned (code-named Treb) starts a secret diary in which he writes slightly embellished versions of his escapades at school and at home. Figures frequenting the pages of his diary include the much-envied classmate, "Nugget" ("He's strongest, next oldest, he's smoked, he's most popular with the girls, and his dad has a red convertible Corvette"); Rebecca and Nadia, two girls who set Ned's heart a-fluttering; and of course Ned's best buddies, much-teased Little Eric and scientific-minded Arnold. The authors get the tone of this transitional age just right, as when Ned spells out his quandary for his birthday "cocktail" party, featuring "the apple cider with the bubbles in it": "If [Rebecca] answers yes it's going to be a cocktail party à la hugging-and-French-kissing. If she answers no, it's going to be a cocktail party à la punch-and-cake." Ned's romances, experiments and attempts to impress the guys usually backfire, but the results of his endeavors will inevitably bring laughs. One-third poet, one-third floundering Casanova, one-third trickster and 100% genuine kid, Ned emerges as a lovable anti-hero, whose keen observations and creative mind will captivate even reluctant readers. Ages 8-12. (Apr.)