GRIFF GETS A HAND AND OTHER STORIES. Hood. Kit and Linda Schuyler with Eve Jennings. ISBN 0-88862-870-6 (cloth) $12.95, 0-88862-869-2 (paper) $4.95. (The Kids of Degrassi St.) CIP Grades 4-9 Reviewed by Carol Steedman Volume 15 Number 5 1987 November This book and others in the series will appeal to ten to fourteen year olds, especially if they follow The Kids of Degrassi Street T.V. Series. Other books in the series are Griff Makes a Date and Other Stories*. Lisa Makes the Headlines and Other Stories**, and Casey Draws the Line and Other Stories. Each short story is based on its film from this series. The film for "Griff Gets a Hand" was awarded a Gemini and an International Emmy for its excellence. After reading Griff Gets a Hand and Other Stories it's easy to see that it could stand alone as a well-written timely novel for young teens. The three stories in the book. "Connie Makes a Catch," "Lisa Gels the Picture," and "Griff Gets a Hand" are interrelated, and actually are chapters within one story. I'd like to see the term and Other Stories dropped because it's misleading when viewing the novel as a book and not as three separate films retold in book form. I make this suggestion in a positive light because I think the book has merits on its own, even if the reader is not familiar with the T.V. series. The stories deal with real-life situations and decision-making familiar to this age group. When Lisa decides to go against her father's and stepmother's decision that she can't go to a movie with Griff, she meets him, wearing a disguise. Griff mistakenly thinks she doesn't want to be seen with him and instead ignores her after their first date. Lisa realizes the consequences of her deceitfulness and later in the book the misunderstanding with Griff is reconciled. This and other problems are shaped within the framework of a likeable group of friends trying to complete a school yearbook for their graduation. The illustrations by Heather Collins are modern, believable, and true to the story-line. On the front cover is an eye-catching photograph of Griff and Lisa at their graduation. The medium print and good line-spacing make the book attractive. The book itself appears to be well bound and durable. At the end of Griff Gets a Hand and Other Stories there are listed the address and phone number for information about obtaining the films for these stories. With the books and films available, this series could be useful in language and guidance. Recommended. Carol Steedman, Teacher-Librarian, North Ward School, Paris, Ont. *Reviewed vol. XV/1 January 1987 p. 16. *Reviewed vol. XV/2 March 1987 p.58.