THE UP AND DOWN SPRING

Rory, Derek, and Bolivia (The Hot & Cold Summer, 1984, etc.) are back; now the Woodside, N.J., boys are visiting Bolivia in Ithaca, N.Y., where they must adjust to her unusual household (exotic food, no TV) and her full spring-vacation agenda, including (to Rory's disgust) attending a ballet. But his biggest concern is a plane ride with Bolivia's uncle as pilot; embarrassed to admit his fear of flying, he feigns illness. Left alone, he discovers a fire in the house; his quick thinking prevents disaster, and, bolstered by his new hero-status, he's able to admit his fear. Later, he even accepts a second chance to fly, recognizing that real bravery is ``when you're afraid of something and you do it anyway.'' Once again, Hurwitz engagingly captures both ordinary and atypical experiences of these 11-year- olds. Amusing plays on names—plus interesting peripheral characters (Bolivia's archeologist parents; six-year-old neighbor Alexander Gian Carlo Cammarota)—add fun and color. Another Hurwitz winner. Illustrations not seen. (Fiction. 8-11)