Synopses & Reviews
Nick, Molly, and Karl have nowhere to turn but to each other in the latest Odd Squad adventure, and they'll need every ounce of wit, resourcefulness, and help they can get in order to rise above their biggest challenge yet.
Review
Gr 3-7 Much like Jeff Kinney's "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" books (Abrams), comic strip creator Fry's latest series entry brings readers a middle school student low on the totem pole, with harebrained schemes that play out through a mix of text and imagery. Lead character and narrator, Nick, also has an astronaut who often appears in his reflective comments, acting like a blend of a conscience and a parent, reminding Nick that his ideas usually look better on paper than in practice. In this installment, Nick and his best friend, Molly, both members of the school's "Safety Squad" (part hall monitors, part crossing guards), begin to worry about him, but not because Karl owns a talking bird who wears a top hat and spends much of his time talking to sea monkeys. Instead, they worry that a "secret" group, known as MELZ (after their school's namesake Emily Dickinson) is recruiting him and not them. Nick also worries about state testing; caring for his grandmother after she "breaks her butt" dancing with her boyfriend, the school janitor; and his maybe crush on Molly. The story is a humorous blend of outrageous and believable. The content is young and the text simple, making this most likely a better fit for upper elementary students than for middle school. Sarah Knutson, American Canyon Middle School, CA--SLJ
Review
Praise for BULLY BAIT: "Bully Bait is a raucous tale about surviving bullying, finding allies, and learning to accept oneself as a work in progress. If laughter is the best medicine, Bully Bait provides a welcome dose for youngsters dealing with the emotional stress of finding a safe niche in the calamitous world of middle school."--The New York Journal of Books
Review
"Funny and sweet with a steely centre." --Neil Gaiman, New York Times best-selling author of Coraline and the Newbery Award-winning The Graveyard Book
Review
A Junior Library Guild Selection A Children's Book of the Month Club selection An Indie Next pick---- BULLY BAIT citations
Review
"The oddball humor is the book's biggest appeal, with plenty of age-appropriate jokes that dabble in both witticisms and more scatological content. Fry (author of the Over the Hedge comic strip) provides grayscale spot illustrations throughout that are essential to the story, often delivering a joke's final punchline or a zingy one-liner."--The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Review
Praise for ZERO TOLERANCE: "Fry hits his stride in this second hilarious exploration of the hazards and histrionics of middle school, as seen through the eyes of Nick, the shortest seventh-grader ever.Amid the laugh-out-loud humor and abundant cartoon-style illustrations is an important message: While all kids may want to be normal, it's OK to be oneself."--Kirkus Reviews
About the Author
Michael Fry is the co-creator and writer of several comic strips, including Over the Hedge, which is featured in newspapers nationwide and was adapted into the hit animated movie of the same name. In addition to his work as a cartoonist, Michael is the founder of RingTales, a company that animates print comics for all digital media, and is an active blogger, tweeter, and public speaker, as well as the proud father to two adult daughters. Originally from Minneapolis, Michael currently lives with his wife in Austin, Texas.