Other editions of book Odd Man Out

Winner of the Sheila A. Egoff Children’s Literature Prize and the TD CCBC Canadian Children's Literature Award Kip is spending the summer with his grandmother and his five eccentric girl cousins, including Emily, who thinks she's a dog. Gran's house is about to be demolished, so anything goes, whether it's drawing maps on the walls or sawing off the knob at the bottom of the banister for a smoother ride. When Kip bashes through an old closet, he discovers the binder his late father kept as a teenager. He's bewildered by what he finds: puzzling lists, hair samples, old newspaper clippings and business cards -- all accompanying a confidential report written by a mysterious young operative who is carrying out a secret plan to infect teenagers with a cell-altering virus. This wonderful novel has all the Sarah Ellis hallmarks -- quirky characters, insight and wit -- underpinned by resonant themes of family, memory and the creative imagination.

Kip is spending the summer with his grandmother and his five eccentric girl cousins, including Emily, who thinks she’s a dog. Gran’s house is about to be demolished, so anything goes, whether it’s drawing maps on the wall or sawing off the banister for a smoother ride. When Kip bashes through an old closet, he discovers the binder his late father kept as a teenager. He’s bewildered by what he finds: puzzling lists, hair samples, old newspaper clippings, and business cards — all accompanying a confidential report written by a mysterious young operative who is carrying out a secret plan to infect teenagers with a cell-altering virus. When the cousins tell Kip he needs to think up something to do for Talent Night, he panics — until he remembers the binder. But Kip's literary reading has frightening consequences that reveal even more strange secrets about his beloved father. This wonderful new novel has all the Sarah Ellis hallmarks — quirky characters, insight, wit — underpinned by resonant themes of family, memory, and the creative imagination.

When Kip arrives for a summer visit with his grandmother and five cousins in British Columbia, he learns that her ramshackle house is to be demolished. This means unfettered fun for Kip and his cousins as they explore every inch of the place. There, Kip finds something unexpected — an old binder kept by his dead father as a boy. It’s a strange scrapbook filled with puzzling lists, newspaper clippings, business cards, hair samples, and intricate drawings — all accompanying a confidential report written by a mysterious young operative with a secret plan to infect teenagers with a cell-altering virus. Kip is both intrigued and alarmed as the fantastic tale offers a window into his father's unsettling imagination. When his cousins start making plans for Talent Night, Kip panics — then remembers the story in the binder. Can he handle what it will reveal about his father? This highly praised novel has Sarah Ellis' trademark quirkiness, humor, and insight. As well as exploring the themes of family, Odd Man Out features intriguing notions about memory and stories, how writers get their ideas, how real and imaginary lives are interwoven, and how the writing life can provide both escape and ballast.