Ferret in the Bedroom, Lizards in the Fridge

Liz (known as ""Lizard'' at school after an unfortunate happening in second grade when her show-and-tell lizard got loose) is having trouble coping. She is running for president of the sixth grade and her stiffest competition is the class glamour queen, who has a mean mouth. Wallace writes convincingly of the trials of a 12-year-old faced with derision from schoolmates because her dad, a zoologist, has a collection of weird pets that sabotage every campaign-strategy meeting in her home. Deciding that the animals must go so that she can lead a ``normal'' life and win the election, she pleads her case with her father. Understandingly, he finds homes for the animals, but Liz comes to realize that perhaps she has lost more than she has gained. The book is as much about an adolescent's interaction with animals as it is about her relationship with parents and peers. Young readers should relate to and enjoy this story. (812)