Odd, Weird & Little

Ten-year-old Woodrow Schewette tells of the arrival of Toulouse Hulot, an unusual new student in his class. Extremely short with huge eyes and a pointy nose, Toulouse wears a suit, gloves, and bowler hat and carries a briefcase. He also has a secret (that's spelled out in the book's title). There's genuine humor and heart here, with pacing well suited to middle-grade readers.

In a first-person narration, ten-year-old Woodrow Schewette tells of the arrival of an unusual new student, Toulouse Hulot, to his class. Extremely short with huge eyes and a pointy nose, Toulouse wears a suit, gloves, and bowler hat and carries a briefcase. Woodrow, an easy target for school bullies, can't decide if this might be a new, much-needed friend or a good distraction for his tormenters. Ultimately, Toulouse's interesting point of view and many talents charm not only Woodrow but many others, altering the class dynamic for the better. All the while Toulouse has a secret, and though Woodrow never reveals it, it's spelled out in big clues throughout the plot as well as over and over in an acrostic of the title and the chapter headings. The voice periodically veers into a heavy-handedness that feels especially artificial for a young narrator ("Trying to be something you aren't is such a drag"). The actions of the characters perfectly illustrate this already, and, like the title acrostic, spelling it out diminishes its power. Fortunately, there's genuine humor and heart here, with pacing well suited to elementary chapter-book readers. julie roach