Oh, Brother!

Eve Smyth and her teenage children Maxine and Bill move to Florida, where she will marry widower Bill Smith, who has two teenagers of his own, Hal and Stephanie. Maxine, always impeccably dressed, tries to make the best of it, but sloppy Stephanie is sullen and angered by the whole second marriage. And Hal and Bill? It's hard to keep them straight, although Bill is definitely considered an intruder in Hal's room. By the day of the wedding, Stephanie has declared a truce, but there's plenty of trouble left over for future volumes in the Smyth vs. Smith series. While much of this is very familiar territory, the book has a pleasant, readable style and premise many readers will relate to. A car accident thrown in at the last minute strains for drama, but it may be a necessary component to set up the next story. Ages 11-14. (August)