The Odd Squad: Bully Bait

The Odd Squad #1

by Michael Fry

Nick is stuffed in his locker. Again.


It's not so bad. Lockers are roomier than you'd think.


Especially when you're the shortest kid on the planet, which is exactly why Bully-Boy Roy stuffed him in there in the first place: he fits.





The school counselor says Roy has issues. The only issue Nick can see is that Roy is a mutant troll.


Nick's friends Molly and Karl think the troll needs to be defeated.


Together, they are THE ODD SQUAD.


If you want to laugh out loud, watch them beat the bullies and see some cool pictures, READ THIS BOOK!

Genres: Humor, Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Childrens, Juvenile, Young Adult, Friendship

240 pages, Paperback

First published February 12, 2013

Reviews

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious in a very middle school way, The Odd Squad is the latest comic/illustrated novel (a la Wimpy Kid or Dork Diaries) to hit shelves; I must say, it's a heap site better than those other two in my opinion. In fact, this is sort of Lunch Lady meets Wimpy Kid: a motley and unlikely collection of 3 misfits learns how to beat the bully with some behind the scenes help from the school janitor (there's more to the janitor than meets the eye!). But it's more than just a lesson in standing up for yourself. Along the way, the three learn how to be friends, how to look past someone's outer exterior to what might be going on inside, and how to be themselves--quirks and all. And there are definitely some quirks. The main character, Nick, reminds me of the main dude in Wimpy Kid, but I like Nick SO much better. He's a jerk at times, but he learns from it and recovers. This will have your 5th, 6th, and 7th graders laughing and nodding along, especially if they're in a school big enough to have lockers! I viewed the ARC, so the artwork wasn't final--but what I saw added to the text tremendously and was well done.

[Sue Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book through the Goodreads giveaway. It couldn't have come at a better time. Both of my kids are having "bully issues" and this book taught them to stand up for themselves and also to learn a little bit about why the bully is a bully. It wasn't boring, because it had them cracking up while reading it. My son was able to identify with the main character (who ended up being kind of a hero, yay!). He also especially loved the illustrations on each page. This is definitely something I would have picked out and purchased from a store.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very cute, quick read, that deals with the topic of bullying. Three outcasts in a public junior high are being bullied, so the principal puts them together in the form of a safety team. The book has nice artwork, but is clearly a Diary of a Wimpy Kid knockoff.

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, this is going to be my recommendation to the young lady obsessed with the "Terrible Two" series by Barnett. It is funny but deals with serious topics (divorce, abandonment, grief, bullying). However, it doesn't beat you over the head with them. It also has great illustrations.

[Jada Coburn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought it was a pretty good book. a little bit weird but it made me laugh most of the time because the protagonist is always getting made fun of but its funny most of the time.

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Three school 'misfits' join forces and work to overcome bullying at their school. Told in a quirky and fun way, complete with illustrations, Michael Fry has done a fantastic job of "putting the lipstick on the bullying pig," and showing that its still what it is, an unfortunate and sometimes unavoidable curse of school life.

Told from Nick's point of view, we are privy to his inner thoughts as he goes through each day, each event at an age when things really get tough for kids, middle school! You will love the illustrations that coincide with Nick's thoughts! You will feel for the kids that are the objects of bullying.

To truly see how good this book was, I shared reading it with one of my grandchildren: The Official Word from Mya: "I like it!" When asked what she liked: "Nick was funny. Bullying is bad."

This copy was provided by NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion in exchange for an honest review.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was genuinely funny with a solid message. I would think that kids would just eat this up! James Patterson has written books for Middle School trying for humor but Michael Fry has him beat by a mile. Three loners at school are being bullied and suffering from peer allergies. The counselor decides they would benefit by being in a group and assigns all of them to Safety Patrol. The janitor, Mr. Dupree, claims to be ex-secret service and has agreed to tutor them in the finer skills of surveillance and disguise. This is one wise, hippy dippy janitor. Meemaw is the grandma that the hero, short but fierce Nick, is living with, making the third generation of the 3-generational home.
Adventures ensue. The bully is found out and reformed. The Safety Patrol are no longer peer allergic and along the way is hilarious fun.

[Sue Bellows · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book deals sensitively and humorously with the complex problem of bullying. Like Roald Dahl, Michael Fry has written beautifully about the lovable oddball who is able to rise above a dastardly situation. Here we have three protagonists, either too short or too tall or just too nerdy to fit in anywhere. But together they make a Mean Machine for combatting the school Bully. Weaving throughout the story is the school janitor, a delightful merging of genius and wackiness, who is able to help them in an unexpected and surprising way. This is a super read for middle-schoolers and the parents who want to understand them better.

[Halley Ortiz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. Yes, there are some common themes here, but as a middle school teacher, what impressed me is that Fry aptly illustrates that the line sometimes is a little more blurry than just bully vs. bully-ee. Just like in real life, not every good guy is always good and vice versa, and not every adult is a saint or an enemy. The characters are real and human and nuanced in a way that previous incarnations have not been. What also distinguishes this book from others is how well the adults are formed. Plus, it's really, really funny. And smart.

[Noah Deluca]

It was a good book but it could be a little more challenging

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book about unusual kids in the middle school! The characters (adult and child) were eccentric and truly funny! The episodes were a funny version of realistic.

[Ben D.]

Nick’s,Molly’s,and Karl’s goal is to prove the whole middle school that they're not lame,odd or nothing.Molly is 12 years old and the tallest girl in the school.Nick is small and weak and gets bullied everyday. An Karl is hopeless because he thinks too much. The three met when Nick formed a club called the odd squad. the book keeps the reader entertain by the odd squad's by the groups what they do, say,and plan and I would recommend this book to readers that like this type of humor and types of characters who overcome obstacles in serious.

[Francesco Marciuliano · Rating 5 out of 5]

As writer for the comic "Over the Hedge" Michael Fry has a great knack for creating odd ball characters who join forces to deal with their strange surroundings. So it makes perfect sense he'd write about one of the most bizarre environments on earth--middle school--in a very funny, endearing illustrated book about unlikely friendships, peer pressure, bravery, the contortions a body must take when shoved inside a locker, and the daily horror that is the school hallway. Highly recommend it.

[Christina Dudley · Rating 5 out of 5]

My eleven-year-old son gave this book its rating. According to him it's about a group of nerdy middle-schoolers who take on the school bully. (Classic!) He liked all the pictures and laughed a lot while reading it and says he'll probably read it again. Not sure he could give higher praise!

THE ODD SQUAD falls in that DIARY OF A WIMPY KID and THE DORK DIARIES genre: text and lots of hand-sketched pictures.

[Louise Bendall · Rating 4 out of 5]

A laugh-out-loud story of life in middle school and how awful it can seem at times. Nicks is picked on because he's short, Molly is picked on because she's tall, and Karl is clueless. At the suggestion of their guidance teacher (okay, she makes it mandatory), the three of them form a Safety Patrol to keep kids safe from bullies. It's an absurdly nuanced story of nerds winning, and bullies being the ones who need your pity. Fantastic illustrations throughout add to the story!

[Samantha]

I thought that this was the best of the 2 books in the series.I read the 2nd one in the series before the 1st one,and I felt like I was missing out.i got this book from the public library near where I live9thanks to my mom)and I wizzed through it.My mom was surprised that at the end of the day she asked me "how are you liking that book?" and I said "Oh it was great.I'm done by the way so you can take it back to the library.".And that is that!

[Leo · Rating 3 out of 5]

i liked this book. it kept me awake when we had a seemingly long ride home from camping. i love how the story has a twist that turns the whole story around, the hilarious drawings that that he puts on each page, its a pretty good book.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this one out loud to my 10-year-old boys- they thought it was hilarious! The illustrations were priceless.

[Harrison Winslow]

I really liked this book because it´s about three kids in middle school that are not popular and get picked on. It was interesting because you never really get that point of view. Most books or Tv shows are about the popular kids. It was fun to read because there was always comedy throughout the whole book. The main character is a kid named Nick that´s always getting bullied by a kid named Roy. Roy Bullies Nick because Nick is super short so Roy always shoves Nick in his locker. The school Counselor takes notice of this and has him, a freakishly tall girl named Molly and a chubby kid named karl become friends. The three kids form a group called the odd squad. The odd squad spend most of the book trying to stop Roy from bulling them and other kids. In the end the odd squad and Roy make a deal that Roy will stop bulling the kids and Nick even says the more time Nick spends with Roy he thinks he´s not such a bad guy.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a fun read, but I feel like it's one that is more enjoyable if you are in the target age range. For kids, this is one I would recommend, especially if they feel like they do not fit in at school, just don't be surprised if they bring the crazy.

Even though this book doesn't translate that well into an adult read, which honestly is not the point of middle-grade books, I kind of want to read the other books in the series because I have one burning question, is the ghost real? Michael Fry, I need answers. I thought I had it figured out, but NO, I don't.

Author: Michael Fry
Publisher: Scholastic
Publication Date: February 12th 2013

[Quinn Thayer]

I think the odd squad bully bait was a very interesting book to read. Because it shows that this boy named Nick has been getting bullied for along time by this big bully Roy and what he doesn't see is that Roy has feelings too. He thinks he's this "mutant troll". This book shows that just cause your tough on the inside doesn't mean that he doesn't have something that he loves. Nick is always trying to find a way to make Roy stop bullying him. After being shoved in a locker a lot of times the guidance counselor puts these three outcasts on a squad called safety patrol. There's a girl named Molly who's "freakishly tall" for her age. There's Karl who was the only member of safety patrol. They are all trying to take down Roy. Nick is trying to find out what Roys weakness is and he's on a mission to find out whatever it is and take it but if he finds out his secret he might just find out his own. Read The Odd Squad Bully Bait to find out.

[Cris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every school has a bully, but what if a group of kids banned together to get revenge on the bully? Would it work? What if the school had a ghost that helps kids? Or does it? You decide! I love Nick. He has the heart of a typical teen and just wants to fit in. He has his eyes on a girl who doesn’t knows he exist. Maybe with the help of his new, oh, his only friends, he can meet her and survive the bully!

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

In all honestly, I needed a quick read for my reading challenge and grabbed this from my classroom. For someone of my, ahem, age, it was just okay. I think kids could find it entertaining. I did think there were a couple of nice surprises near the end.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Comic series for middle grade readers.
Class misfits are connected by the school counselor and attempt to defeat the school bully. Lots of humor for this age reader and messages that everyone has problems and issues blended in.
Not Wimpy Kid but a series for these readers.

[Natalia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Note to self: This book was included in middle school required list for 2017 - 2018. Children and I went over this book and decided we are not interested.

[Zoe Forward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious. Thoroughly enjoyable read and perfect for 8-10 yr old.

[Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

good and interesting !!

[Jurnee Bullock · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is not that funny and I would not read it again

[Wandee’s Thoughts · Rating 4 out of 5]

The characters are funny and the revenge plot kept me hooked can’t wait to read more of their adventures

[Rekha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decent story for kids. The friendships and future aren’t tied up in the end so definitely sets it up for sequels. Somewhat inappropriate for very young kids.