Book details
Patrick Jennings - Author
A lively school story about performance, homework and the consequences of making excuses. Zaritza’s schemes create comic trouble, while her disappointment and developing alliance with Eden give the story a more reflective strand.
Math is not ten-year-old Zaritza's best subject. When her teacher, Mr. Phinney, offers extra credit to whomever takes the class ferret, Bandito, home over the weekend, she jumps at the opportunity. Unfortunately, taking care of this particular animal is as boring as school itself. All it does is eat, sleep, and lick itself. So when Zaritza accidentally leaves Bandito's cage open and the ferret goes missing, she blames everyone else, including her three-year-old sister. And her excuses get bigger and bigger. But when her mom finds out that there is a ferret on the loose, Zaritza better find her class pet fast!
Book Analysis
Sign in to see how this book fits your child and family preferences.
Sign in for personalised guidanceHow the book presents it: The book takes a critical view of this.
Talk about: Whether Zaritza accepts responsibility fully, and how the story handles the work she avoided, remains worth discussing.
How the book presents it: The movement towards support and an unlikely alliance is presented positively, while Zaritza’s initial hostility is followed by change.
Talk about: If Zaritza’s support is partly self-interested at first, what makes the developing friendship meaningful?
How the book presents it: The story clearly values the dramatic opportunity as important to Zaritza, but the balance between performance, academic effort and achievement is not fully established.
Talk about: Whether the book ultimately treats achievement as performance, completed work, personal change or a combination is open to discussion.
This may suit a reader who enjoys energetic school plots, theatrical ambitions and characters whose behaviour changes over time. Humour sits alongside questions about responsibility, envy and learning to support someone unexpected.
Zaritza lies, blames other people and attempts to get around her homework. She also initially reacts badly to Eden’s success. These behaviours are presented as problems she must confront, within a comic rather than grim tone.
What does Zaritza seem to want most: the performance, praise, avoiding maths or control? Ask whether helping Eden changes her understanding of success, and whether the ending makes her responsibility clear.
Read it as a conversation starter about excuses and responsibility rather than as a lesson to extract. Pause after Zaritza’s failed plans, then revisit the final performance to discuss what, if anything, has changed.
Theme indicators describe how the book presents a topic; they are not a verdict on the whole book or your family's values. Confidence reflects how much book-specific material was checked. Only part of the book information was available, so some details remain unconfirmed.
Book information
Limited information
Relevant to: Responsibility and dishonesty
Limited information
Checked: 19 September 2026.
Relevant to: Responsibility and dishonesty; Envy and friendship; Performance and achievement
Benefits, discussion questions and reading approaches are suggestions. Your knowledge of your child remains part of the decision.
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