Teacher’s Guide: Odder by Katherine Applegate

Teacher’s Guide: Odder by Katherine Applegate

Teacher’s Guide: Odder by Katherine Applegate

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Odder
By Katherine Applegate
Ages 8-12
On Sale Now!

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.


Praise for Odder

Praise for Odder

“Applegate’s Odder will win your heart.” The New York Times

Accessible and informative.” —The Wall Street Journal

“Writing in exquisitely descriptive free verse, Applegate delivers an uplifting tale of an inquisitive sea otter pup raised by scientists after being separated from her mother.
” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

“This gorgeous story is told in flowing free verse that slips by as silkily as an otter in water. … A stunning study of a remarkable and resilient sea creature.” Booklist,starred review

A captivating tale about life’s existential balance between survival and play.” —Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (BCCB), starred review