Monster Garden

Alcock ( The Mysterious Mr. Ross ) has written a surefire hit in this charmingly weird variation of the ``secret pet'' theme. Frankie Stein's father is a geneticist at a mysterious and heavily guarded lab; her peers torment her about her name and suggest that her father is creating world-threatening monsters in his lab. When her brother David steals some goop from their father's lab, Frankie cajoles him into giving some to her. The goop is hit by lightning and this turn of events creates a living creaturea mutable, jelly-like substance that endearingly creates too many fingers for its hands and has webbed feet. Frankie stops being afraid of him when she realizes how loving and gentle his nature is, and she decides to keep him in her garden. But soon Frankie must decide to let him find his own safe place or turn him in. Alcock's monster is winningly believable, and Frankie is a brave and sympathetic heroine whom readers will long remember. Ages 10-14. (September)