ITCHY RICHARD

Second-graders meet an infestation of lice head-on: someone in Mrs. Zookey's class has them, and the nurse must check each student's scalp to see if they've spread. With the banning of pesticides, head lice have been enjoying a resurgence that afflicts affluent and impoverished alike. Gilson's light touch enables readers to laugh at what might otherwise be embarrassing- -as well as to learn a lot about lice and enjoying the relaxed, mutually supportive atmosphere of a classroom where even the teacher might harbor the pesky intruders. (Fiction. 6-9)