Odder

By Katerine Applegate; illustrated by Charles Santoso

Informational Resources:

Author Information:

Author Website:  

https://katherineapplegate.com/

Podcast with Katherine Applegate about Odder:

https://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/katherine-applegate-discusses-odder/

Illustrator Information:

Illustrator Website:  

https://www.charlessantoso.com/

Activities & Resources:

A Teacher’s Guide for Odder from MacMillan Children’s Publishing Group:

https://www.mackidsschoolandlibrary.com/teachers-guide-odder/

Sea Otters:

Learn many facts about the sea otters including what they eat, about their habitat and why they are important to us:

https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/animals-a-to-z/sea-otter

Observe the sea otter cam from the Monterey Bay Aquarium:

https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/live-cams/sea-otter-cam

Cute Water Facts for Kids:

https://onwildlife.org/otters/

Who Would Win?  Shark vs. Sea Otter: A Hypothetical Battle of Survival (2:44)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vq-Wp1eiFCQ

Keystone Species:

Otters are keystone species. Learn about some other keystone species and the role they have in our ecosystem. (3:59)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IWw8Ruz8Uo

Poetry:

Odder is written in free verse style. Free verse has no specific rules. Write a free verse poem of at least ten lines about a keystone species you have learned about.

Art:

How to draw a sea otter:

https://artprojectsforkids.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Draw-a-Sea-Otter-1.pdf

Create a paper bag sea otter:

https://buggyandbuddy.com/sea-otter-craft/

How to make an origami sea otter (6:38):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=3ZuFb0qUJJg

Create a Polymer Clay Sea Otter (4:25):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZJ6sdQOOZg

Blubber Glove Activity:

https://www.seaottersavvy.org/blubber-glove-activity-do-it-yourself

Discussion Questions:

Looking at the cover of the book and the blurb on the back, what are your predictions about this book?

Explain why the otters are given numbers rather than names.

Summarize how Odder got her name.

List at least six ways that otters communicate under water.

Why does Odder love kayakers?

What would send a wounded animal to Highwater for recovery?

What do the doctors at Highwater say that let you know that they truly care about Odder’s health and recovery?

What does Ondine dream about that makes her worry?

Explain how Odder arrives at Highwater the first time?

What are some of the basic needs that Highwater aquarists provide for their patients?

Otters are considered keystone species. How do otters protect the ocean?

Why did they tag Odder’s flipper?

Why does Odder have to return to Highwater a second time? How is her behavior different this time?

What is considered when deciding if Odder needs to stay at Highwater permanently?

In your own words, what was the mission of the Highwater aquarists?

Why do you think they kept Odder in the tank next to Kairi?

What was the purpose of the Darth Vader outfit?

How does Odder’s mindset change on day 5?

How do you say goodbye to an otter?

If you could rewrite the ending, how would you like the book to end?

Book Talk Teasers:

Read the reader’s theater for Odder by Katherine Applegate.

Watch the book trailer on the Texas Bluebonnet Award website.

Read Alikes: 

Creech, Sharon. Saving Winslow. When his father brings home an ailing, newborn donkey, Louie names the animal Winslow and takes care of him, but everyone, including Louie's quirky friend Nora, thinks Winslow is not going to survive. (NovelList Plus)

Moore, Lindsay. Yoshi and the Ocean: A Sea Turtle’s Incredible Journey Home. Yoshi, a loggerhead sea turtle, was injured and rescued by a fisherman who took her to the Two Oceans Aquarium in South Africa for rehabilitation. After twenty years, Yoshi was returned to the sea and traveled nearly 23,000 miles over three years back to what is believed to be her birthplace. (NovelList Plus)

Maps, Lynda. Rescuing Rialto. Vibrant photography and age-appropriate text document the heartwarming rehabilitation story of Rialto the orphaned sea otter at the Seattle Aquarium, in an account that also explains how sea otters have been reintroduced in the Northwest after being hunted to near extinction. (NovelList Plus)

Gold, Hannah. The Lost Whale. Sent to live with his grandmother on the coast of California while his mother is sick, Rio learns about the massive gray whales nearby, including White Beak, and embarks on a desperate journey across the sea when White Beak goes missing. (NovelList Plus)

Reviews:

Booklist: (Booklist, vol 118, number 22, p54)

Grades 4-6 /* Starred Review */ Odder  the otter has always been just a little bit, well, odd. The aquatic daredevil is driven by an urge to dive deeper, play harder, and explore further, gifted with the ability to turn “frolic into art.” Odder  can’t resist her instinct to explore the wide world and investigate its mysterious inhabitants, despite motherly advice to avoid anything unfamiliar. Unfortunately, there is another inquisitive (and hungry) animal in the bay, and a shark attack leaves Odder ’s life ebbing away after she washes up on shore. Not to worry: Odder  finds herself in the care of a nearby aquarium, and as she convalesce, she hazily recalls her stay there as a wayward pup, before being returned to the wild. But what will become of the injured otter if she can’t roam free? Based on the Monterey Bay Aquarium and its otter rescue and fostering program, this gorgeous story is told in flowing free verse that slips by as silkily as an otter in water. The unconventional form perfectly suits a story told almost entirely from Odder ’s perspective, imparting dreamy observations of the natural and human worlds from an animal’s point of view. Handsome black-and-white illustrations, some of them simple studies of sea creatures, punctuate the verses; it’s almost impossible to resist the depictions of fluffy otter pups. A stunning study of a remarkable and resilient sea creature. 

School Library Journal:(School Library Journal, vol 68, issue 10, p78)

Gr 3–7—From the details of the real-life otter rescue program at Monterey Bay Aquarium, Applegate imagines a backstory for the sea otter #156, named Odder . Odder  is a bit of a misfit, feeling an inexorable need to push the boundaries of her local habitat. Interacting with humans and exploring amid dangerous predators, her adventurous spirit eventually gets her in trouble. The dark yet humorous tone of the free verse paints a very human set of motivations for risk-taking and living life on one's own terms. Odder's  origin story comes to life through her eyes as she convalescence following a shark attack that risked her friend's life and made Odder  feel responsible, even while revealing her courage and loyalty by coming to the rescue. Santoso's grayscale illustrations complement the factual underpinnings of the narrative, encompassing the wild ocean world where predators rule and others struggle for survival. This book will appeal to animal lovers and anyone who feels a little stifled by convention. VERDICT Hand this book to middle grade fans of marine biology, authors like Sharon Creech and Eliot Schrefer, and Applegate's Newbery-winning The One and Only Ivan.