Lizard Music

Author: D. Manus Pinkwater (Daniel Manus Pinkwater)
 Published: Dodd Mead, 1976.
 Suitable for: (Age/Grade level) grade 5-8
 Length: 157 pp.
 Reading Level: 6 Interest Level grades 6-12
 Need Addressed: humor, being different
 Genre: science fiction
Plot: Victor's parents go away for two weeks and his older sister takes off with her boyfriend. Victor manages to take care of himself. He does notice a number of "Lizard incidents" and discovers that there is an invisible island with a colony of intelligent lizards living in the lake nearby.
Characters:
Victor - a boy who many would call a geek or nerd. His hero is Walter Chronkite, the television news anchor.
Chicken Man - a strange black man that has a pet chicken under his hat. He has a number of other names as well.
Reynold - the name of many of the intelligent lizards.
Use: Individual, but could make an interesting large group discussion. I find it a fun book to read out loud which is not surprising since Pinkwater often speaks on public radio.
Discussion Questions:
What references are there in this story to Chicago? What is Hambergerville's real name? What is the real name of the Hogsboro Zoo? What is the real name of Lake Mishaboo?
What did Victor do to keep his parents from worrying about him being alone? What places did Victor see lizards?
How does Victor describe game shows? Are game shows of the seventies the same as game shows of today?
What are some other names for the Chicken Man?
How did Victor get to Lizard Island?
What was unusual about Claudia?
Note: D. Manus Pinkwater and Daniel M. Pinkwater are the same person. He changes which version of his name he uses for his childrens books because he knows it drives librarians crazy.
Related Works: 
The Snarkout Boys and the Avocado of Death by D. Manus Pinkwater.
Censorship Issues: Some may be upset by Victor trying to smoke a cigarette. Others may be upset by the word "boobs" as a portion of female anatomy.