Dog Friday

Cheerful mayhem carries the day in this new middle-grade novel from the author of "The Exiles". Ten-year-old Robin Brogan's life takes a turn for the interesting when a new family with five children moves next door. And when Robin, who's terrified of dogs, finds a starving, abandoned dog on the beach, it's his new neighbors who help him overcome his fears to save an animal that desperately needs him. 144 pp. Ages 8-12. Pub: 12/97.