"Lotta has just started middle school-but life isn't going very smoothly. First of all, she has a teacher named Mrs. Crabbert-who is very, well, crabby. Then, her mom gives her a recorder that seems to make mysterious things happen. Lotta also wants to get her own pet . . . no matter what it takes. But her parents' refusal to consider her request, a fight with her best friend, and that weird recorder keep getting in the way. Can Lotta make it all work out?"--