LADY DAISY

When the Victorian doll Ned finds in Gran's attic speaks to him, it's the beginning of an unusual friendship. As King-Smith is at pains to make clear, Ned's interests—soccer, for instance- -are traditional for his sex, and he's aware that Dad wouldn't have it any other way. Still, prim and elegant "Lady Daisy Chain" is fascinating. Since she's only conscious when upright and open-eyed, she offers just tantalizing glimpses of life in 1905, when she last went to sleep, plus some of Ned's family history. Adroitly, King-Smith pokes fun at the attitudes that make Ned conceal his friend and, later, rationalize his interest in her—she goes to school as a historical possession of Gran's; it's only after an antique dealer offers a large sum for her that she's justified, in Dad's eyes, as an investment. The author satirizes these subterfuges with gentle wit, adding some drama when Lady Daisy is stolen, and a pleasing conclusion, set in the future, when Ned's little daughter meets the doll for the first time. A surprising subject for King-Smith—no farms, no animals- -but enjoyable. (Fiction. 8-12)