The Outsmarters

by Deborah Ellis

Kate opens a Philosophy Booth ("Get answers to life's big and little questions -- $2 a question") and ends up asking some tough questions of her own. Suspended from school and prone to rages, twelve-year-old Kate finds her own way to get on with her life, despite the messed-up adults around her. Her gran, for one, is stubborn and aloof -- not unlike Kate herself, who has no friends, and who's been expelled for "behavioral issues," like the meltdowns she has had ever since her mom dumped her with her grandmother three years ago. Kate dreams that one day her mother will return for her. When that happens, they'll need money, so Kate sets out to make some. Gran nixes her idea to sell psychiatric advice like Lucy in Peanuts ("You're not a psychiatrist. You'll get sued."), so Kate decides to open a philosophy booth to provide answers to life's big and small questions. She soon learns that adults have plenty of problems and secrets of their own, including Gran. When she finds that her grandmother has been lying to her about her mother, the two have a huge fight, and Gran says she can't wait for Kate to finish high school so she'll be rid of her at last. Kate decides to take matters into her own hands and discovers that to get what she wants, she may have to reach out to some unexpected people, and find a way to lay down her own anger.
Key Text Features quotations dialogue literary references signs
Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.2
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.5
Analyze how a particular sentence, chapter, scene, or stanza fits into the overall structure of a text and contributes to the development of the theme, setting, or plot.

Genres: Middle Grade, Canada, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Young Adult, Family, Addiction

248 pages, Hardcover

First published August 6, 2024

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Deborah Ellis has achieved international acclaim with her courageous and dramatic books that give Western readers a glimpse into the plight of children in developing countries.

She has won the Governor General's Award, Sweden's Peter Pan Prize, the Ruth Schwartz Award, the University of California's Middle East Book Award, the Jane Addams Children's Book Award and the Vicky Metcalf Award.

A long-time feminist and anti-war activist, she is best known for The Breadwinner Trilogy, which has been published around the world in seventeen languages, with more than a million dollars in royalties donated to Street Kids International and to Women for Women, an organization that supports health and education projects in Afghanistan. In 2006, Deb was named to the Order of Ontario.

Reviews

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of, The Outsmarters, by Deborah Ellis, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Twelve year old Kate has been let down, and failed by the adults in her life. People who are supposed to be looking out for her, are not. Kate has some behavior issues, which comes with her home life, or lack there of. This book gave me so many feels, anger, sadness, hope. Such a well written book.

[Katy O. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short middle grade novel has enough heart for the entire genre this year. Another title that I would chalk up to “needs heavy adult selling to get kids to read” or one perfect for a 6-7 grade read aloud. I will be selling it to kids primarily based on its brevity, with the hope that that will hook them into the heart.

As an adult reader, it broke my heart and sewed it back together with the themes of abandonment, abuse, addiction and perseverance amongst extreme challenges. Perfect for fans of The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise and Tig.

Source: school library hardcover

[Vicky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book about Kate living with a grumpy Gran after mom left. Gran owns a junkyard, and Kate decides to open up a philosophy booth to earn money. Gran says six more years and then I’m done. Kate knows she means done with her. Kate decides to go for her GED even though she’s 12. Friends and neighbors help her study even if they say you can’t do it. Does she pass ? Then Kate’s mom shows up saying she’s off pills, but then her boyfriend comes and steals Kate’s money. Police are called and mom and boyfriend end up in jail. Gran decides a change is needed and says let’s go on the road. What is ahead for the two of them?
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

[Sharon Jean M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad read, but I felt like the character changes went too quickly. I was a little shocked because of how quickly some of the characters just had sudden epiphanies to be better people, but it was a decent read.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Middle grade. A departure from everything else I’ve read by Deborah Ellis. Gran was supposed to be a better option than the mom, but she didn’t seem great, either.

[Faye · Rating 5 out of 5]

From my ten year old: I loved this book. I picked it up from my school library as part of the forest of reading program. The opening hooked me with its emotional appeal. Kate’s story is sad but I really enjoyed all the details along the way. I learned a lot about some people’s struggles. This was my first long chapter book I read on my own so I am also proud of myself.

[Cathy Van · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have loved Ellis’s books, shared them with children and strangers. Kate/Krate, the outsmarted here, is a surly, bright, hard working girl who lives with her Gran, a junk shop dealer. Very gradually we learn what makes her life so hard, her mother who not only abandoned her but left her unprotected. I fell in love with K and her grandmother Ed, and through those lens I can see the lives of some of the people I know more clearly. This book is so good I read it twice in a row. Don’t miss The Breadwinner series by Ellis, equally outstanding.

[Tara Mickela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kate has anger issues so when her neighbor doesn’t pay her for yard work done she has to channel the ‘70’s book she’s been reading to help her called Get Back to Groovy. Kate lives with her super cranky grandmother because her mother dropped her off but hasn’t come back. Kate knows she will. Her grandmother tells her it’s her own fault for losing money. Should have gotten a contract. Kate wants to make more money so opens the Wheel of Wisdom where people ask questions and she finds philosophers quote to answer them. Kate’s been kicked out of school until the new school year starts and she is determined figure out another way besides going back to 7th grade.
Super funny and sad at the same time and worth every second of reading. Great characters. Fave is super cranky next door neighbor who keeps bringing Kate’s cat back while it licks and loves the neighbor endlessly.

[Ren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wild ride, but told from such an interesting perspective. I love Kate to bits, and there's something to be said for a character that goes after what she wants. The support she has is so good, too, and there's a lot of really fun dynamics here. For being a story with so many heavy topics, they're handled very well, a great little read!

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another red maple nominee for 2025. I really liked this character and all the supporting ones. That said, I’m not sure it will resonate with intermediate readers.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kate is 12 years old. She was abandoned by her mother when she was nine. Her mother had been on the run from the police, and decided it was best to turn her other to her grandmother. Her grandmother didn’t want her, because she was a terror. She told her she had to earn her keep, and if she ever ran away, she would turn her over to child protection.

Kate and her grandmother live and work in a junk yard. Her grandmother sells the junk to collectors. Kate wants to earn money too, so she opens up a philosophy stand, because she can’t give advice like Lucy of Peanuts, but she can have philosophers give it.

Kate is anti-social, and has no friends. She hates school, and so decides she is going to pass her GED, and never have to school again.

I really fell in love with Kate. She had learned how to self regulate her temper by reading a self-help book from the 70s. So, sometimes she says she has to get back into being groovy. She is trying her best to not miss her mother, but in the back of her mind, she wishes she could see her again. This is so typical of children, no matter how their mother’s treat them.

You might expect this to be a tear jerker, but it is more of a triumphant story, as Kate learns more about her past, and how she can overcome it, and move on. I really enjoyed this fresh take on children with absent parents.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. This book is coming out from Anasia Press on August 6th 2024.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This short novel aimed at preteens is tough. As an adult reader, Kate's story is devastating. Living with her grumpy Gran in a junk yard after being abandoned by her mom, she has anger and abandonment issues. Inspired by Lucy's psychiatric booth in Peanuts, Kate starts a philosophy booth with prewritten responses from famous philosophers and authors and charges $2 for customers to spin the wheel. She discovers a lot about her friends, family, and neighbours through her booth and her takes on these famous quotes is quite poignant. The book is well written and quick to get into, the themes of abuse (drugs, physical, and hints of sexual without anything explicit) are difficult to read. I do think some of it will go over the heads of young readers.

That being said, you can't help but root for Kate. There are elements of a found family troupe, necessary as much of Kate's actual family is terrible (save for Gran, though she has her moments). I want to say the ending is positive with so many characters rallying around Kate and Gran to give them the strength to rally for their family, but it is also just a lot to take in.

[Jan Raspen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ooh, another tough book for me this week... somehow this has turned into a week of heavy reads. This is the story of seventh-grader Kate (Krate), who has recenly been suspended from the end of her sixth grade year. Most of the story takes place over the summer after the suspension, as Kate learns more about her MIA mother (addicted to drugs) and why she is now living with her grandmother.
Both Kate and her grandmother have the scars that come with living with and loving an addict, and they manifest themselves in different ways. It's a pretty unflinching look at the collateral damage addicts cause to their families.
All the professional reviews have this book for grades 5+ (age 10+), but I think it's pretty firmly a MS book. There are a bunch of curse words in it that I know elementary librarians would say place this book in MS territory.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll admit, I found this book to be a hard go of it at first. I didn't like several of the characters and there was so much anger flying around in all directions. However, the further I read--the more I understood WHY there was anger and why the people (especially the grandmother) behaved the way they did. It's a really good youth book read--though might be a bit much for some with the mother's problems and Kate/Krate's angry outbursts. I'll admit, I love the ending. It's hopeful but not a trite happily ever after.

[Francesca Mezzomo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un pugno nello stomaco incredibile! Fantastico, veramente ben scritto, avvincente nonostante tutto il dolore e lo schifo, senza esibizionismo, senza dettagli, ma dove tutto si intuisce perfettamente.

[Vivian Ayabaca · Rating 4 out of 5]

i love u deborah 🤗

[Lesley · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I go to the shelf that holds the Lionel locomotive. I sit on the floor where I used to sit with my mother.
I try to pretend that her arms are around me.
But I can’t remember what that feels like.” (ARC 191)

Sometimes you just fall in love with a character on the first pages. I am not sure what drew me to Kate whose real name we find out later, as does she, is Krate. She has been suspended from school, she is working on her rage issues, she has no friends, and she lives in the midst of a junk store. BUT she is also tenacious, intelligent, independent, resilient, and a problem solver. She is also willing to try new things, like making a new friend or two.

Krate’s mother—a drug addict from pills prescribed by the local doctor—left her with her grandmother when her mother’s boyfriend began harassing her. Grandmother Edna, or Ed as she calls herself, lives in a junk yard and runs a junk store with junk she finds herself and is less than friendly, even to Krate. But she does have dreams for when Krate is 18 and leaves.

Krate has no friends. “I hear the voice of Mom in my head. ‘Don’t try to make friends with other kids. They won’t like you and their parents will just turn us in to children’s services.’” (ARC 126), but then Myndeelee (MD) moves in next store, and, as a lover of horror stories, she just might be strange enough to become a friend.

Karate’s mother also had no time for school, and, bullied at school before she is suspended and the next year after she returns, Krate gets the idea to go for a GED certificate and never have to attend school again.

Trying to make some money in case her mother returns for her, Krate opens a philosophy booth (like Lucy’s psychology booth but without the fear of lawsuits) and learns a lot about the people who stop by for advice. She also meets Chantelle, her mother’s best friend growing up who caused many of her mother’s drug and legal hassles, Chantelle’s son Landon who helps her prepare for the GED, her dead father’s father who wants nothing to do with her, and Old Lady Cormon, the “mean” neighbor who Ed’s cat loves and who just might give her the most help.

Readers will enjoy the different characters with whom Krate comes in contact and will learn a lot about resilience as it is faced by many of them. And Krate herself who outsmarts them all.

[Michelle Quinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Outsmarters was excellent - one of my top three ARC reads ever. Ellis creates a truly memorable main character in Kate, a twelve-year-old Canadian girl struggling due to the trauma of being cared for by her opioid-addicted mother for the first eight years of her life. We meet Kate living with her grandmother at a sprawling vintage shop and junkyard. Kate has explosive rages and struggles to be in school so she spends her suspension time and summer doing school work at home.
She longs to make money so she and her mum can be together again so, inspired by Peanut's Lucy (and not wanting to be sued for bad psychology advice) Kate sets up a Philosophy booth at the junkyard and people come to ask her important questions that are answered randomly by quotes of great thinkers like Audre Lord, Anne Frank, Albert Camus and ancient greek philosophers. With the booth, Kate connects with people around her and develops friendships.
The Outsmarters may sound depressing but it is a book full of hope as you witness Kate's tremendous tenacity and strength. There's sadness and humour and so much heart. Author of the incredible middle-grade classic The Breadwinner, Ellis has crafted another incredible story.
Thank you to NetGalley and Groundwood books for the ARC.

[Susan Dunn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the tough and prickly, yet admirable main character in this book. 11-year-old Kate has lived with her grandmother (also tough and prickly) for years, ever since her addict mother dumped her there. Kate's grandma didn't really want to take on raising a troublesome child, and she's done so reluctantly, but the two of them have managed to carve out a more or less harmonious existence. Altho Kate does keep getting kicked out of school. And doesn't have any friends. And wonders every day about her mother and where she is and if she misses Kate. Since any money she wants needs to be earned, Kate decides to open a Philosophy Booth in the yard outside of her gran's junk shop. She researches philosophers and their best quotes and charges $2 each for a reading. And it works! People start coming to her for advice and she's raking in the money. But can the philosophy house help Kate to find her own place in the world? It's sure a start. Highly recommended.

[Allison Turkish · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story grew on me the more I read. Kate, the main character, is really a quirky kid but then again, she comes from an interesting family. I haven't read many books before with a parent who has a substance abuse problem but this author did a very good job showing the affect it can have on the child.
I think Kate's idea of opening a philosophy book outside her grandma's junk/antique shop is clever and original. "A philosopher is someone who thinks deeply about things and then has something to say," says Kate. The author does a good job of weaving the customer's questions and random answers from the Wheel of Wisdom and Dice of Discernment to their lives.
One of my favorite parts is how wise Grandma takes some of Kate's earnings but has Kate put some away for rent, charity, savings, and business expenses (to put back into the business to improve it).
There are great lessons in this book for kids and adults.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off, thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC. Now onto the book…the main character’s mom is a drug addict and thief. The mom drops her off with her mother and leaves. Krate and her grandma are like oil and water. Obviously Krate has experienced many forms of trauma in her young life. She is violent and was suspended three times, the third for six weeks! Over the summer (when most of the book takes place) she learns how to quiet her rages and starts her own business. She finally makes a friend for the first time ever. Her grandma can be very tough on her, but by the end it is clear she was that way out of love for Krate. I loved the determination and imagination of Krate. There are moments that will break your heart and moments that will make you laugh out loud.

[Jessie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the characters in this book. Their spunk and tenacity reminded me a lot of Sharon Creech’s writing.

Some of the interactions between Kate and grandma made me laugh out loud, especially when Kate discovered her name was misspelled on her birth certificate. I liked the really insightful comments about people's lives and their fears (when they came to the Philosophy Booth with their questions)... it was also sad to see how Kate's relationship with her addicted mother affected her, especially when her mom came back and Kate immediately wanted to believe her and appease her. It must be hard to have someone in your life who breaks their promises over and over again.

(I'm trying to get better about writing more detailed reviews, because I know I'm already forgetting details from books that I've finished less than a month ago!)

[Matt Glaviano · Rating 4 out of 5]

The kind of book you want to hand sell to the right kid. It's not for everyone... but for the right person, it could be a pitch perfect book. Lots of heavy issues along with a teensy bit of philosophy and a whole lot of heart. Great secondary characters and good humor.

A book I really enjoyed.

OH. P. S. The physical edition of this book is superb. I love the throwback cover art. Even more than that, I loved the size of the book. And the font and spacing of words on the page. It's rare that I pick up a physical copy of a book these days and want to read that item - and am more comfortable holding it - than I am my Kindle. A beautiful little object.

[Gabriele Goldstone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gritty and authentic. This middle grade novel left me in tears … a curious emotional reaction for a book filled with rage. Ellis immerses readers into a hard-edged world of outcasts and promises no happy ending. The title refers to the rejection that the 12-year-old protagonist, called Kate throughout the first half, experiences. She’s been ostracized by her addicted mother, her rule-based school and peer bullies; and she tries to avoids her always-angry caregiver/grandmother whenever possible. With exquisite craft, Ellis lets the reader experience the determination, disappointment, anger and ultimately, hope, that empowers the characters throughout a most engaging novel.

[LS Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish I had a Kate in my life when I was a kid. She is spunky, smart, flexible, and quick thinking. This story starts so subtly and when you finally understand what it is about, your heart is totally broken open. Kate's grandmother felt so strict and harsh for most of the book, but a mature reader will soon understand that she has her own story as well. Perfect for the older reader who likes those surprise reveals or heart-grabbing stories.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kate is living with her cranky grandmother having been dumped off by her addict mother. Her grandmother runs the town junk shop and makes Kate earn her keep by doing chores and paying for items she uses. As Kate struggles in school and learns some family history, she also makes some unexpected new friends who step up to help her when she embarks on a new, personal project.

[Emily Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first 5 star book of the year. I was surprised. From the cover and even the first chapter I wasn't completely sold, but as the story progressed I was hooked. I love Kate (or Krate's) character. The grandmother was excellent. Tough love. Love, but tough love. A very true look at addition and the effect of it on a family. A town. A child.

[Nancy Deusterman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it so much!! Unique… a heartbreakingly heroic little girl. A calm look at how addiction happens and works and affects others. Mixed with humor and hard work, on the part of the 12 yr old girl left behind with her hardworking weary grandmother. It sounds familiar, but this one is different. “Whatever is true, noble, right, excellent… think about such things.”
Philippians 4

[Randy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Krate is a many layered character. She’s had a rough life and this continues through the story. Still, she finds people who love her and people who will help her through. Ultimately this is a happy ending.

[Tessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was wonderful. It has characters that use drug, suffer from addiction and are abused. The main characters are smart and different and show that you can change your life and overcome struggles and get what you want.