THE LOBSTER AND IVY HIGGINS

Ivy Higgins, also called ``Poison Ivy,'' ``Fish Breath,'' and ``Shark Spit'' because her father owns a fish market, is taunted by Jerome Flensted and his friends even when she reveals that she has a 27-pound pet lobster. Then, during a class visit to Mr. Higgins's store, Jerome joins forces with Ivy to save ``Captain Nemo'' after Mr. Higgins announces that he's going to raffle him off at the Fall Festival. Thanks to Jerome and Ivy's extensive efforts, Captain Nemo is saved; Ivy is able to relish not only the thrill of hard work rewarded but also shyness overcome. Driven more by action than character, this brief story about friendship and self-reliance lacks a satisfying resonance and suffers from lapses of logic: it's unclear why the reporter resents a photo opportunity of a third-grader with a 32-inch lobster, or why Ivy feels that so many kids call her names when only Jerome actually does. Skippable. (Fiction. 8-12)