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The Odd Squad, Bully Bait
Author:
Fry, Michael
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Series:
Odd Squad
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Class:
Fiction
Age: 8-12
Language: English
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LC: PZ7
Grade: 3-7
Print Run: 75000
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ISBN-13: 9781423169246
LCCN: 2012014286
Imprint: Hyperion
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Pub Date: 02/12/2013
Availability: Out of Print Confirmed
List: $12.99
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Hardcover Reinforced
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Physical Description:
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214 p. : ill. ; 22 cm.
H 8.75",
W 6",
D 0.75",
0.79 lbs.
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LC Series:
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Brodart Sources:
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Brodart's For Youth Interest: Popular
Brodart's Insight Catalog: Children
Brodart's TOP Juvenile Titles
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Bibliographies:
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Children's Core Collection, 22nd ed.
Children's Core Collection, 23rd ed.
Children's Core Collection, 24th ed.
Middle and Junior High Core Collection, 12th ed.
Middle and Junior High Core Collection, 13th ed.
Middle and Junior High Core Collection, 14th ed.
Spirit of Texas Reading List
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Awards:
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Horn Book Guide Titles, Rated 1 - 4
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Starred Reviews:
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TIPS Subjects:
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School Stories
Social Sciences/Sociology
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BISAC Subjects: |
JUVENILE FICTION / Social Themes / Friendship
JUVENILE FICTION / Humorous Stories
JUVENILE FICTION / Social Themes / Self-Esteem & Self-Reliance
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LC Subjects:
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Bullies and bullying, Fiction
Bullies, Fiction
Interpersonal relations, Fiction
Middle schools, Fiction
Schools, Fiction
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SEARS Subjects: |
Bullies, Fiction
Interpersonal relations, Fiction
Middle schools, Fiction
School stories
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Reading Programs: |
Accelerated Reader Level:
3.5
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Points: 3.0
Lexile Level:
500
Reading Counts Level:
2.7
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Points: 6.0
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| Annotations |
| Brodart's TOP Juvenile Titles | 02/01/2013 |
| Nick thought middle school couldn't get any worse after a bully stuffed him in his locker. Then Nick's counselor says he needs to develop social skills, and before he knows it, he's stuck on Safety Patrol with a couple of other misfits. Little do they know that this club will turn them into kids ready to brave everything from bullies to bizarre adults and even romance. 224pp. |
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| Journal Reviews |
| Booklist | 02/15/2013 |
| Grades 4-7. Seventh-grade loner Nick Ramsey is so short he fits into his locker, a fact he knows well, thanks to bully Roy. Nick can only confront him surreptitiously by sending taunting texts as mysterious, self-assured "Max." Guidance counselor Dr. Daniels decides Nick needs to belong to a group and assigns him to safety patrol, along with two other bullied loner misfits, supertall Molly and overweight, geeky Karl. Soon the none-too-enthused trio, guided by offbeat, philosophical janitor Mr. Dupree, set out to stop bullying. But amidst high jinks and missteps, they discover the meaning of friendship and compassion, and find confidence along the way. With generously interspersed witty cartoon drawings (final art not seen), the first Odd Squad title offers an entertaining take on some familiar themes by blending humor, absurdity, and realism into a supportive message. Despite occasional story predictabilities, narrator Nick is an engaging antihero whose issues and dilemmas are sympathetically portrayed. Sundry side characters, including Nick's quirky grandma, Memaw, further enliven this enjoyable read, which is likely to appeal to Wimpy Kid readers. Rosenfeld, Shelle. 224p. AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION, c2013. |
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| Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books | 03/01/2013 |
| Ad. Gr. 4-6. Seventh-grader Nick is perfectly fine with his loser existence (even with the occasional times he gets stuffed into his locker) until his well-intentioned but ultimately misguided guidance counselor forces him to join a club with two other similarly odd outcasts, gangly Molly and portly Karl. The club not only raises Nick's consciousness, it immediately goes rogue and decides to seek vengeance upon Roy, the school bully making their lives miserable. Complications arise for Nick when Becky, the love of his life, is spotted in Roy's company; with the help of a proverb-spouting janitor, a stuffed pig, and the apparent ghost of Emily Dickinson, Nick manages to make his peace with Roy and snag Becky's attention. The bully story follows a stereotypical arc, first presenting Roy as an unintelligent jerk and then revealing a family history that makes him sympathetic and deserving of compassion. While Fry manages some restraint by having the two boys merely agree to a truce rather than become sudden besties, the ultimate outcome is nonetheless predictable. The oddball humor is the book's biggest appeal, with plenty of age-appropriate jokes that dabble in both witticisms and more scatological content. Fry (author of the Over the Hedge comic strip) provides grayscale spot illustrations throughout that are essential to the story, often delivering a joke's final punchline or a zingy one-liner. With their bulging eyes and large heads, figures are just slightly misproportioned, adding to the book's playful tone. There's not much new here in the way of middle- school territory but it's still plenty of fun-after all, who doesn't love a bunch of farting dog jokes?. KQG. 224p. THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE UNIV. OF ILLINOIS, c2013. |
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| Horn Book Guide | 11/01/2013 |
| 3. "Shortest kid on the planet," Nick is bullied incessantly. When he and two other misfits are forced into Safety Patrol by the middle-school guidance counselor as "a place to belong," the three attempt to disarm their bully. Aided by a crazy janitor and (perhaps) Emily Dickinson's ghost, Nick discovers a few things about himself along the way. Wimpy Kid-style illustrations are entertaining. rk. 214pg. THE HORN BOOK, c2013. |
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| Kirkus Reviews | 01/01/2013 |
| In an illustrated novel, the first in a proposed series, cartoonist Fry (Over the Hedge) humorously mines the world of middle school as seen through the eyes of bullied Nick to answer the question: Can three oddballs team together to take down the school bully? Nick, surely the shortest 12-year-old ever, spends his school days being stuffed in lockers by Roy. To counter their social isolation, Nick's guidance counselor forces Nick and too-tall Molly to join nerdy Karl in the lamest club ever: Safety Patrol. Mr. Dupree, a Shakespeare-quoting hippie janitor who is able to arm fart "Greensleeves," advises them to take control with a series of hilarious attempts to get back at Roy--until the kids develop some empathy for Roy and realize they are bullying him. Mr. Dupree's wacky antics as he advises the kids to "bring the crazy" are frankly bizarre. Much that the Odd Squad does to get to Roy (stealing, breaking into school records) is not admirable. But this gives the characters dimension: The bully is not all bad; the bullied are not all good. Abundant cartoon-style illustrations enhance the book's silly yet sensitive portrayal of bullying and unlikely friendships. An important message, humorously delivered, that will appeal to Diary of a Wimpy Kid fans. (Fiction. 8-12). 224pg. KIRKUS MEDIA LLC, c2013. |
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| Publishers Weekly | 12/17/2012 |
| Ages 8-12. Fry, co-creator of the comic strip Over the Hedge, makes his children's book debut with an illustrated novel, first in the Odd Squad series, starring 12-year-old social outcast Nick. As the story opens, school counselor Dr. Daniels has decided that Nick and two other friendless kids, Karl and Molly, need to team up to avoid being singled out by bullies. Nick and Molly resist initially (Dr. Daniels wants them to join the ultra-dorky safety patrol, whose sole member is clingy Karl), but the three soon develop a plan to get back at school bully Roy, who has been tormenting them. Intermingled throughout is speculation about the ghost of Emily Dickinson, who supposedly haunts the middle school. Fry's antic illustrations are a mix of charts, slapstick gags, and comics sequences, which provide welcome breaks from Nick's long-winded narration. The circuitous story line and the book's many over-the-top characters and pratfalls can get in the way of the points Fry tries to make about friendship, bullying, and outward appearances. Final art not seen by PW. Agent: Daniel Lazar, Writers House. (Feb.). 224p. PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, c2012. |
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| School Library Journal | 04/01/2013 |
| Gr 4-7--Seventh-grader Nick spends more time inside his locker than out. Roy, the school bully, constantly tracks him down and throws him in there. When Nick ends up in the guidance counselor's office for the umpteenth time, she assigns him to a group of other misfits called the Safety Patrol. She is convinced that if they form a bond and overcome their "peer allergies" together, they will no longer be targets for bullying. The three kids do have something in common-Roy. As much as they get on one another's nerves, they decide to band together to take him on. Though the plot gets downright silly and a bit confusing at times, the theme of friendship and, eventually, empathy for one another and for the bully, does shine through. The small cartoon illustrations on almost every page are the highlight of the book. They are clever and help clarify some of the story. Especially funny are the depictions of Nick's yoga-practicing grandmother, Meemaw, who always has the perfect wisecrack to sum up a situation. The first of a series, this title will be enjoyed by fans of Jeff Kinney's "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" books (Abrams). Tina Martin, Arlington Heights Memorial Library, IL. 224p. SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL, c2013. |
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| ~Library Media Connection (Retired Journal) | 03/01/2013 |
| Grades 5-7. Nick, the smallest seventh-grader in the world, Molly, the tallest seventh-grader, and Karl, the hyper-allergic seventh-grader, are prime bait for school bullies. Dr. Daniels, the do-good guidance counselor, has a plan to help empower them to successfully meet bullies, romance, and weird adults. The pacing, cartoon-style illustrations, smart-aleck dialogue, and issues are reminiscent of The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series (Amulet Books/Abrams). Mr. Dupree, the custodian, offers common sense advice mixed with unusual proverbial sayings, disguises, and opportune appearances. This is another book, the first in a series, in which the humor is at the expense of adults, who are dolts, or other students. Marion Mueller, Library Media Consultant, Rawhide Starr Academy, New London, Wisconsin. ADDITIONAL SELECTION. 224pg. ABC-CLIO, INC., c2013. |
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9781423169246,dl.it[0].title
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