Odder is a novel in verse about otters being nurtured in captivity. Odder is a pup when she is taken in, found without her mother, and the animal caretakers set an ambitious goal to rehabilitate her for release into the wild. This means making sure she does not bond with humans and that she develops a drive to feed herself, among other skills. 

In a such a short package, Applegate creates a beautiful and emotional picture of what life might be like as a wild animal in captivity and what it is like for the humans that hold such an important responsibility to those animals. The poetry is both lovely and written in very accessible language, I think this would be a great read along with a younger middle grades reader or an independent read for an older MG kid. 

Like everything I've read from this author, Odder is a book I happily recommend. If you like animals and a story told in verse, put it on your TBR ASAP!