Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody

By Patrick Ness, Tim Miller (Illustrator)

Book #1 in the Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody series

Monitor lizards face school chaos and a supervillain pelican. Can they become unlikely heroes?

3.8/5 Goodreads · 756 ratings

208 pages· 21,618 words· Est. 3 hour read

$17.99Save 6%

In stock. Also at Amazon or Bookshop.

Bookroo's summary

Zeke, a monitor lizard, is thrust into the role of hall monitor at his new school, where mammals rule. Ignored until now, Zeke and his friends must navigate a world of zebras and ostriches. But when the notorious Pelicarnassus, a pelican with villainous ambitions, targets them, Zeke must decide if he can rise to the challenge. Can these reptiles become the heroes their school needs, or will they remain outcasts in a mammalian world? Dive into a tale of unexpected bravery and schoolyard antics, where the line between hero and outcast blurs.

From the publisher

From the best-selling author of A Monster Calls, this funny, wise middle-grade series explodes every stereotype–including what it means to be a hero–in a brilliant reptilian take on surviving school. When Principal Wombat makes monitor lizards Zeke, Daniel, and Alicia hall monitors, Zeke gives up on popularity at his new school. Brought in as part of a district blending program, the monitor lizards were mostly ignored before. Reptiles aren’t bullied any more than other students, but they do stick out among zebras, ostriches, and elk. Why would Principal Wombat make them hall monitors? Alicia explains that it’s because mammals are afraid of being yelled (hissed) at by reptiles. The principal’s just a good general, deploying her resources. Zeke balks, until he gets on the wrong side of Pelicarnassus. More than a bully, the pelican is a famed international supervillain–at least when his mother isn’t looking. Maybe the halls are a war zone, and the school needs a hero. Too bad it isn’t . . . Zeke. Smart, relatable, and densely illustrated in black and white for graphic appeal, this middle-grade series debut by a revered author returns to his themes of grief, bullying, and negotiating differences–but with zeal and comic relief to spare.

At a glance