Otto from Otherwhere [Paperback]

Peni Griffin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 17, 1991

A ten-year-old alien boy travels through an interdimensional doorway to enter the lives of fifth grader Paula and her boisterous family for a year.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A close encounter of the funny kind ensues when Paula passes off an extraterrestrial as her cousin. Ages 9-12.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

The premise of this science fantasy is sound, and the plot moves quickly. While bringing home the sheep, ten-year-old Ahto becomes lost in the mist and stumbles into another world, where Paula and her younger brother Peter are riding their bikes through the fog to school. Paula takes Ahto to school, saying that he's her cousin Otto from Brazil to explain why he can't speak English. Even so, some people assume he's stupid, and others are repulsed by his looks, and he yearns to return to his own peaceful world in which music and song abound. Otto's world is convincingly sketched, and readers learn more about it as he reacts to his new surroundings. The shifts in viewpoint between Otto and Paula give a more complete picture of the action. Paula's fierce protectiveness of Otto will win readers over, even though she is not always likable; Otto commands affection for his gentle nature and the way he speaks up to larger antagonists despite his fear. The prejudice and misconceptions of both adults and children test Paula's friendships and hinder Otto's, but readers are not beaten over the head with the theme of accepting others for what they are and not what they look like. At the satisfying end, both Otto and the human children have increased the boundaries of their worlds. --Annette Curtis Klause, Montgomery County Department of Public Libraries, MD
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 182 pages
• Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers (December 17, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679815716
• ISBN-13: 978-0679815716
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,600,880 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars one of my favourites, April 18, 2006

By 

blaue_augen18 (Pensacola, FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Otto from Otherwhere (Paperback)

Otto From Otherwhere was one of my favourite books as a kid and remains so to this day. Set in San Antonio, its about an extra-terrestrial boy found by two children and adopted into their family until he can find a way home. Due to his unusual appearance (three fingers, no nose, ears, or hair) he is picked on by students at first though later accepted by some. Being an outcast for most of my school years, I found myself identifying with the main character and his struggles in being accepted by a small minded culture. Having been adopted by a loving family, Otto struggles to assimilate in a culture that is considered just as alien as his. Beginning to form a love for the family and a respect for the people around him make it more difficult for Otto to choose whether he will stay or return home when the opportunity arises. During this time he battles a near fatal illness, stares from people he encounters on a daily basis, and the cruelty of school bullies and people who fear that which is different. A heartwarming story to readers both young and old, Otto from Otherwhere is sure to appeal to science fiction fans as well as the general reader.

5.0 out of 5 stars A GREAT Science fiction story!, July 15, 2000

By 

"kraider168" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Otto from Otherwhere (Paperback)

Otto from Otherwhere is a terriffic science fiction book! It is about a boy named Ahto (which sounds like Otto in English), who lived in a different world before coming through the fog on one January day. Paula and her little brother Peter come across him on their way to school, take him with them, and pretend he is a cousin from Brazil. In Ahto's world, everyone has 3 fingers, and no nose. The kids at school think that he is weird because of that. This is a terrific story about having to learn to adjust to a new lifestyle, and others adjusting to having someone new around.