The Odd Squad: Bully Bait by Michael Fry. February 12, 2013. Disney-Hyperion. 224 pages. ISBN: 9781423169246Cartoonist Michael Fry, who is best known for his comic strips, Committed and Over the Hedge, enters the world of middle grade fiction with the first book in his new Odd Squad series, entitled Bully Bait. Nick, the shortest kid in his seventh grade class, has gotten pretty used to being thrown into lockers, but he doesn’t like it, and he is definitely not interested in making himself a bigger target by joining a school club. Unfortunately, Nick’s guidance counselor thinks he needs a place to belong, so she signs him up to work with two other misfits, Molly and Karl, on safety patrol. Though they all agree that membership in this club is lame, they do become friends in spite of themselves. Suddenly, when it’s not one, but three against the world, it becomes much easier to face the bullies and attempt to bring them down.
Bully Bait is a fast-paced, funny novel with short chapters and lots of illustrations. Though the subject matter isn’t especially cheerful, the sarcasm and deadpan humor provide a lot of laughs. The characters are quirky in interesting ways. The janitor, Mr. Dupree, who looks out for Nick and provides him with cryptic advice about taking on bullies, is among my favorite adults in the book. Even the villain of the story, a boy named Roy, is a well-rounded character with his own softer side. The illustrations break up the text and also provide diagrams and other visual information that connect with what is happening in the story. Nick provides doodles showing such important skills as how to shrug, and various lists, including the 5 reasons he doesn’t like other kids. The cartoons are just as much a part of the story as the text, and they provide further insight into Nick’s character in a very accessible way.
Bully Bait is a much-needed funnier alternative to the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books. Unlike Greg Heffley, Nick is a true “wimpy kid” - a middle school underdog who can’t seem to find his place - and though he makes mistakes in the story and sometimes underestimates his new friends, he always has good intentions at heart. Nick and the rest of the Odd Squad also remind me a lot of the girls in the Nerd Girls and Snob Squad books. While girls are probably the most likely readers of those series, Odd Squad looks like it will appeal to either gender. It’s also worth noting that this series is similar in style and substance to the middle grade novels of another well-known cartoonist, Jim Benton. If only Fry’s Nick went to school with Benton’s Jamie - that would be a match made in middle school heaven!
The plot of Bully Bait isn’t a new story, but it’s still a good one. Promote it to Wimpy Kid fans and I have no doubt that copies will fly off the shelves of your library or bookstore!
I received a digital ARC of Bully Bait from Disney-Hyperion via NetGalley.
For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
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