PISTACHIO PRESCRIPTION, THE

Laurel Leaf, 1978. Very Good. Cassandra (Cassie) Stephens is thirteen, a "mousy-brown" in a family of blo nds and redheads, a totem pole among shapelies, a nonentity in a world of a chievers. On top of that, she's got asthma. World War III is waged daily in her home, beginning at the breakfast table and ending with slammed doors at night. "Operation Overthrow" is under way at school, with Cassie running for freshperson class president. Pressures m ount from all sides until Cassie, the first "teenage bomb in captivity," th inks she just might explode. But it isn't Cassie who explodes-it's her fami ly. To find out who wins the election at school and what happens to Cassie's fa mily at home, tune in to this book! FROM THE CRITICS Children's Literature - Wendy Pollock-Gilson Cassie is having a high school freshman year that she'll never forget. Running for class president, getting her first boyfriend, and have her parents fighting all the time at home combine to make this a memorable year in her life. She learns more about herself and begins to have a better relationship with her glamorous high school senior sister. There is lots of humor, such as when Cassie over tweezes her eyebrows and has to wear sunglasses to school, and yet there also are poignant moments as when the Stephen's children try to reunite their parents. This story was previously released in hardback and cassette versions. This 1999 paperback version is perfect for middle school student's backpacks and jeans' back pockets.