It's a nightmare come true. Jeffrey's mother is his teacher. Within minutes she turns the fifth grade upside down, taking "mugshots" of students, piling on homework, even giving Jeffrey's best friends a hard time. And everyone takes it out on him.

Jeffrey is sure his life is doomed. But when the fifth grade starts a club called KAPUT (Kids Against Perfectly Unbearable Teachers), and Jeffrey is forbidden to join, he concocts a desperate plan. A plan that will force his mother to quit her job. A plan that will win back his friends. A plan called: Operation Rhinoceros.

In this sequel to Me + Math = Headache and The Eye and I, readers will root for math-hating, rhino-loving Jeffrey in Lee Wardlaw's funniest book yet.

"Jeffrey offers a counterpoint to kids who think that all the worst things happen to them and that there are no answers to the problems they face. Operation Rhinoceros features Jeffrey facing unimaginable torment when his mother gets a job the day before school reconvenes--as Jeffrey's teacher! Pressure mounts as Jeffrey's insecure mother becomes superstrict and classmates hold Jeffrey personally responsible. With his typical dramatic problem-solving technique, Jeffrey decides he'll become Rhino Man, the most obnoxious kid in the class, to provoke his mother's resignation. Only when his mom cries in front of the principal does Jeffrey suffer regret and decide to re-establish caring communication." (The Independent Weekly)

"Bright dialogue and amusing, true-to-life school antics are sure to please kids in grades 2-5." (Small Press Book Review)

The Author: Lee Wardlaw is a former teacher who has written several books for children and young adults (including Me + Math = Headache and The Eye and I for Red Hen Press). Lee lives in Santa Barbara, California, with her husband and two cats. Her interests include reading, swimming, philosophy, and visiting schools, talking to kids about writing. Lee claims she does not own a rhinoceros, does not look like a rhinoceros, and is not married to a rhinoceros. However, a stuffed rhino named Rita sits on top of Lee's computer and oversees much of her work.

The Illustrator: The cover painting and interior black-and-white illustrations are by Deborah Stouffer, who was born and raised in California and has also lived in Colorado. She now lives in Santa Barbara, California, with her husband and three small children. Formerly she worked for eight years as a Set Director and Art Director at Universal Studios. She enjoys growing her own vegetables, gourmet cooking, skiing, and other outdoor activities. To add realism to her art, she often uses her children and their neighborhood friends as models for her illustrations.

Operation Rhinoceros is available direct from us (send us an e-mail for info) and from Amazon.com.

Recommended ages: 8-11

Dimensions: 5.5" wide x 7.5" tall, 120 pages, softcover

Price: $3.50

First published: 1992

ISBN: 0931093147

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