The good news is that the third grade can buy a class pet. The bad news for Rosemary is that the kids want a rat! How gross!
There's no way Rosemary's mother will let her take a turn as ratkeeper for a creepy, dirty animal. But Rosemary surprises herself when she begins to like Cheese, the gray and white hooded rat. Then, when Cheese's life is in danger, it's Rosemary to the rescue . . . if she can hide him from her family!
Rosemary is excited when the class takes a field trip to the pet store to find a class pet. She is disappointed and repulsed, however, when the class chooses a rat. Rats are dirty and live in sewers, Rosemary contends. As she gets to know the grey and white rat the class has named Cheese, Rosemary soon becomes attached. Soon Rosemary really cares a lot about Cheese, so much so that when Brian, who's been designated to take him home for the weekend, gloats about Cheese as "cat bait," Rosemary takes matters into her own hands, sneaking him home in her backpack. Some hilarious consequences ensue, first at her orthodonist, and then at home with her baby brother.
This one's a very fast-paced, very funny, and very lighthearted read that will appeal to even the most reluctant reader, espeically the 2nd-3rd grader who's ready to tackle chapter books. Not only will kids find it enjoyable, but they'll learn a lot about rats as well, including an afterword on how to keep them as pets.