The more I read, the more I loved this book. Somehow the internet's magic of hearing what I'm talking about started coming in to play and videos of otters would show up in various feeds...and how could I not love Odder even more?
Interestingly, this story was based on some real otters who were looked after by people who help injured wildlife.
Katherine Applegate has a magical ability to help endear a love of animals in her readers. True to her style, there is a lot of white space on the pages, which makes it a really quick read. This would be a great book for students who are working on their confidence to read chapter books.
Goodreads says:
Now a #1 New York Times bestseller! A touching and lyrical tale about a remarkable sea otter, from Newbery Medalist Katherine Applegate, author of Wishtree.
Meet Odder, the Queen of Play:
Nobody has her moves.
She doesn’t just swim to the bottom,
she dive-bombs.
She doesn’t just somersault,
she triple-doughnuts.
She doesn’t just ride the waves,
she makes them.
Odder spends her days off the coast of central California, practicing her underwater acrobatics and spinning the quirky stories for which she’s known. She’s a fearless daredevil, curious to a fault. But when Odder comes face-to-face with a hungry great white shark, her life takes a dramatic turn, one that will challenge everything she believes about herself—and about the humans who hope to save her.
Inspired by the true story of a Monterey Bay Aquarium program that pairs orphaned otter pups with surrogate mothers, this poignant and humorous tale told in free verse examines bravery and healing through the eyes of one of nature’s most beloved and charming animals.
