Otto from Otherwhere

Lost in the fog, the alien Ahto slips through a rift between worlds and lands in a suburb of San Antonio, Tex. With his flat nose and ears, strange garb and four-fingered hands marked with ritual tattoos, Ahto is an unusual sight on the local streets. Fortunately, the first people he meets are Paula and her younger brother Peter. Determined to care for the helpless alien, Paula takes him to school, claiming that ``Otto''--as he is nicknamed--is her cousin from Brazil. At home, Paula convinces her mother and grandmother to keep Otto; so begins his year-long stay, during which he grows accustomed to earthling ways, while attempting to return to his own world. Readers requiring plenty of action will have to look elsewhere, but this novel will find an audience among those who can appreciate its fresh perspective on the peculiarities of American life and its exploration of the practical side of caring for a stray alien. Ages 9-12. (Apr.)