Odd, Weird & Little
Gr 3–6—Toulouse Hulot, a new kid in school from Quebec, wears dapper outfits, carries a briefcase, and even uses a quill pen to write his lessons. He is a talented painter and musician, an accomplished fly fisherman, and the victim of the class bully and his henchman. His only friend is Woodrow, who shares his love of fishing and finally becomes the one to stand up to the mean kids and ultimately see Toulouse for who he really is. Woodrow is a most unlikely narrator, one who embraces his own nerdiness and stammers through most of his conversations. Fans of Jennings's Guinea Dog (Egmont USA, 2010) will find this a delightful book, one that stands with classics such as Avi's Poppy (Orchard, 1995). A remarkable story and a great read-aloud.—Wayne R. Cherry, Jr., First Baptist Academy Library, Houston, TX