Odder by Katherine Applegate, 2 hours depending on your speed, Middle Grade
A quote that I really appreciated: Hope can be exhausting” Odder, p. 206
I love otters. Any time I am at a zoo or an aquarium, I always find the otters. But sea otters are the best. Sea otters are without a doubt my absolute favorite animal. I have been lucky enough to go to Moss Landing outside of San Francisco twice to see sea otters in the wild. I’ve been lucky enough to visit The Monterey Bay Aquarium. I even have two sea otter travel buddies: Monte and Rey.
Which means that while Odder is not my usual read, it is clearly a book that was made for me. This is a lovely, sweet story told in verse about a precocious sea otter named Odder. With multiple time jumps, we follow Odder through various phases of her life. And through her life, we learn about The Monterey Bay Aquarium’s sea otter conservation efforts. Based on the compilation of stories of several otters rescued and recuperated by the team at The Monterey Bay Aquarium, Odder highlights just how awesome otters are.
If you don’t know much about otters, read this book. If you like otters, read this book. Honestly, even if you don’t like otters (though, I find that hard to imagine), read this book. It will change your mind. Because otters are awesome. And so is Odder.
The Rita Reads 