Book request: I read this book somewhere between 1995-2000. It was for older kids, but not graphic or scary.It takes place on Earth. It's about a shapeshifting alien who recruits a boy to help him track down another, potentially criminal or renegade, alien of the same species. The aliens' normal form is maybe a slug (it's not Animorphs). I don't remember any of the plot involving tracking down the other alien, only a few minor details:The alien helps the boy with his schoolwork - it's able to transmit thoughts to him while sitting on his head, and it teaches him about photosynthesis by showing him a glowing diagram of the process. I think the boy has a model of The Spirit of St. Louis hanging from his ceiling, and the alien sleeps on it.At one point, the alien turns into a large dog to intimidate some older kids who are bullying the boy. He scares them by having the dog walk on its front paws, and write its name in the dirt.The good alien's name is maybe Zak or Zeke.Any help is appreciated, thank you!

Matching book description: A shapeshifting extraterrestrial cop, Zymel, enlists the aid of shrimpy seventh-grader Frank Dunn and his friend Lauren to repair his flying saucer and recapture Fek, an escaped shape-changing prisoner. As they change in rapid succession, Frank and Lauren find themselves mixed up with a ram, a dog, a watermelon, a bottle of aspirin, and a bicycle. In an exciting ending, Fr A shapeshifting extraterrestrial cop, Zymel, enlists the aid of shrimpy seventh-grader Frank Dunn and his friend Lauren to repair his flying saucer and recapture Fek, an escaped shape-changing prisoner. As they change in rapid succession, Frank and Lauren find themselves mixed up with a ram, a dog, a watermelon, a bottle of aspirin, and a bicycle. In an exciting ending, Frank, Lauren, and Zymel finally nab the evil Fek. "Moves rapidly to a surprising and definitely satisfying conclusion."—SLJ. "Funny scenes abound in this fast-paced, enthralling adventure."—H. "This story should be a hit."—BL. ...more