In his first book, Algernon is a reading and speaking alligator that lives in a library in Louisiana. His friends, Sylvia the librarian and Herman the cleaning man, are the only ones who can understand him....at least so far. When Algernon is "resuced" from the library, he has to use all his smarts and instincts to find his way home. He makes a new friend and escapes dangers in the swamplands.