Baby

Author: Patricia MacLachlan.

Publisher: Delacorte Press.

Pages: 132.

Price: $13.95.

In Baby, author Patricia MacLachlan shows the real meaning of love in a family and how to express the loss of a loved one. She shows the reader what it is like to be 12, confused, and dealing with the emotions of pain and sorrow.

She tells the story through 12- year-old Larkin, who doesn't understand the death of the brother she never knew.

When Larkin's family finds a baby named Sophie along with a note from the child's desperate mother, the family is unsure whether to keep her because they are still getting over the death of their own child.

They know Sophie's stay won't be permanent.

Larkin wants to keep the baby, but she is unsure how this affect her. Will her family love Sophie more than her? Will she ever know how to love Sophie? Will her family be happier now? Will Sophie's mother ever come back?

These questions and more race through Larkin's mind as she tries to deal with just being a normal 12-year- old.

Baby tells a charming yet realistic story. Readers will feel like this is a real family with genuine emotions, rather than a group of stereotyped, one-dimensional characters.

The family has real concerns about this new child. Despite those fears, they decide to care for Sophie and love her as their own. Even Papa, who is the most reluctant to love Sophie, dances and plays games with her like he used to when Larkin was a little girl.

I really enjoyed this book because in a world where family values are so lax, it is nice to read about a family that sticks together and talks about its problems - even when the problems are hard to deal with.

This is shown when Sophie's mother returns and wants her baby back. The family is apprehensive about giving up the child, but they sit down and talk about possible solutions.

Baby is for readers of all ages.

Adults will find that this book will show them how a problem affects the whole family - not just those directly involved. It also depicts the love within a family unit and how that love is relevant to all members of that family.

Teen-agers and children are not too old or young for this book. If you've ever lost a family member or someone real close to you, this book can show you how to cope and help you understand other's feelings. It also shows how important people are and how they can bring love back into your life.