GOOD-BYE, HELLO

Sixth-grader Roberta Callahan, narrator of Dugan's first novel, runs on inexhaustible energy and imagination even though she's having a bad year. ``Bobbie'' must face the daunting Sister Alice without the support of her best friend, who has moved away; and her unconventional grandmother, who has been her soulmate and partner-in-crime, is in failing health. Dugan's language often resonates with honest observations, but her transitions can be dizzying, and many of the threads woven into her story have no real purpose other than adding color. Still, the impending loss of a cherished grandmother provides for a tenderly satisfying conclusion when Bobbie finds that the passion and verve she has always brought to life also serve her well in the face of death. (Fiction. 9-12)