Otis Dooda: Downright Dangerous

Gr 3–5—Potter and Heatley pair up again for the second installment in the series. As in the first book, Otis Dooda, Strange but True(Feiwel & Friends, 2013), there is enough slapstick humor to keep even the most reluctant readers engaged. Otis begins third grade as the new kid in school, and as his brother, Gunther, predicted, the only person who sat next to Otis was the kid who "digs in the treasure box." That kid also happens to be the most annoying kid on the planet—Boris, who lives on the fourth floor of Otis's apartment building. As Otis navigates his new school, zaniness ensues. He annoys Potted-Plant Boy again, who then places a curse on him. Later, Otis and his best friend Perry try out belly button poppers and bubble blasters for Perry's dad, with a range of crazy results. Otis loves LEGOs® and believes himself to be the greatest block-building genius who ever lived. Enter arch nemesis, Sid Frackas. There is nothing Sid won't do to keep Otis from entering the LEGO® contest. Fans of "Captain Underpants"(Scholastic) and "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" (Abrams/Amulet) will enjoy the graphic novel format of this series. With black-and-white line drawings, large font, and gross bathroom humor, reluctant readers will gravitate toward Otis Dooda.—Annette Herbert, F. E. Smith Elementary School, Cortland, NY