Odder

Parents need to know that Katherine Applegate's Odder is a tribute in free verse to California's Monterey Bay Aquarium -- specifically, its program in which resident sea otters nurture and raise orphaned pups for release into the wild. It's seen through the eyes of one of its earliest participants, the title character. There's a lot of grief, loss, and separation as pups lose their moms, moms lose their pups, and friends lose each other -- but also, largely in the background, a large and caring group of scientists working hard and coming up with clever ideas to keep them safe. There are funny moments (like the thoughts of the juvenile great white shark who bites Odder, planning to devour her, finds she tastes just awful, and spits her out). And there are poignant ones (like Odder, separated from her mom in a storm, wondering "where is she, where is she, where is she"). Over the course of the story, Odder goes from orphaned pup to wild sea otter to permanent aquarium resident caring for a new orphan, and most of the story is told from her often conflicted perspective, in which not everything makes sense. Young readers and their parents who find themselves in a similar situation will find the backstory along with a lot of helpful information and resources about the aquarium and its work in the author's note, acknowledgements, and bibliography.