Grace loves reptiles. She paints snakes, Nile monitors and chameleons on her jacket. Walter at Fang and Claw, a reptile pet store, is jealous; he wishes that he had a jacket like hers.

The girl, originally from Mooresville, NC, moves into NYC for the school year. She misses the small town atmosphere, wide open spaces and the wildlife of Mooresville, but Fang and Claw provides some refuge.

At the pet store, Walter and his father provide collegiality. They love lizards and snakes of all kinds just as much as she does. There, she meets Python, a sick and injured female python, and Spot, Walter's favorite iguana; he cannot have him in his home because he houses Badmouth there, a reticulated python. 

At school, Grace sticks out like a sore thumb, and the kids ridicule her. Only her friend Cathy seems to understand her, and she is able to help Grace with the angst of growing up.

Lizard Love by Wendy Townsend, 2008

The author's love of wildlife comes through vibrantly. Grace makes creates a terrific home for iguanas. Also, I loved the cover art that features a girl's face interposed on a lizard's face.

• Books about reptiles