TRAVELING BACKWARD

Fanny's Grandpa is dying and her house is filled with the obnoxious relatives who expect to be remembered in his will. Worse than the days spent in the company of drippy-nosed Auntie Clara, Auntie Nell and Uncle George (who finish each other's thoughts), and the repugnant cousin Crawly, is the thought that Fanny will have to live without Grandpa. She's not ready for that and she's sure Grandpa isn't ready either. She appeals to her friend, the fantastically old Mrs. May, who produces a bottle of mysterious green liquid. Grandpa is to drink one small glassful a day until he's better—not a drop more. Well, he does, and he soon is better- -so much better that he can't resist drinking more. He and Fanny have delightful times at the seashore and on the river, but Grandpa keeps drinking from the bottle, and soon everyone realizes that he's getting younger—in fact, he's going backwards. By the time Mrs. May helps Fanny and Grandpa, they've both learned about the inevitability of death. This brief book tells us something important without ever seeming preachy. Illustrations unseen. (Fiction 8-12)