Features a character, Xavier, with two gay dads.

Grade 3-5-Freeman and Smith team up for a second chapter book featuring Holly, her mother, and stepfather who have just moved from an apartment to a house in San Francisco. In this summer before fourth grade, the child becomes acquainted with her new neighbors while still maintaining contact with old friends. Her two new friends are Xavier, who lives with his two fathers, and Annie, who is Jewish and Chinese. Xavier has a crush on Annie and hopes to win her over by putting her "yucky" baby sister in his de-yuckification machine. At the last minute, Annie decides to accept the baby, and she and Xavier remain friends. The story ends with Holly learning that she, too, will soon have a new sibling. This engaging book, with its humorous drawings, features contemporary middle-class urban life yet deals with the timeless theme of learning to adjust to new situations. It's also a good, nonjudgmental portrayal of alternative family lifestyles. Marilyn Ackerman, Brooklyn Public Library, NY.