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Rating: 
Summary: Definitely not normal
Review: "Oddballs" is an episodic work: each chapter has its own story. While the book is about the Sleator family as a whole, William himself takes the back seat to his brothers and sisters and even to school friends (or non-friends). Raised by unconventional parents, the Sleator children are distinct individuals, and proud of it; they don't want to be cool or part of the in crowd. Not that the in crowd wanted them, except for Vicky, William's attractive sister, who refused her chance in favour of oddballdom. The Sleators call beautiful people "pituh" and give exaggerated imitations of them on buses by criticising their friend (who's part of the whole scheme). --This backfires. In a chapter reminiscent of "How NOT to have an aunt in one hard lesson" from M. L'Engle's "Meet the Austins," the mother of a school friend of William's comes over and sees the family and the house at first hand. She leaves in horror and William is down one friend. And then, of course, there's the time Tycho is hypnotized. There are parts of the book where, for several consecutive pages, there is nothing to cause the reader to laugh out loud. But that's unusual. While he makes fun of his family, however, it's obvious that Sleator loves them very much. After reading "Oddballs," the dedication to his deceased mother on the title page of "The Beasties" comes as an unpleasant surprise, a cause for mild but genuine sorrow. Sleator asks his family to forgive him for writing the book, but that's not necessary. They should be glad and amused, along with everyone else who reads it.
Rating: 
Summary: Cool!
Review: ARRRRGGGHHH! I am so mad at those other reviewers that are bringing Sleator's star average down with their moronic reviews. Hey you guys: "THIS IS AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL OK, IT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE SCIENCE FICTION. THIS IS FROM HIS LIFE."I can't believe people don't appreciate the first only look we have into the life of the Literary God known as William Sleator. Utterly Hilarious I laughed so hard when I read the Hypnotysm chapter. And its not bad at all that the chapter skip around and the characters are different ages because for one it just doesn't negativly effect the book and B: these are real people. It was so cool to learn about Tycho Sleator, the Authors brother and a Physicist today. If you are a true Sleator fan, then you will love this look into the amazing background of this man. Please enjoy!
Rating: 
Summary: Oddballs
Review: I read the book Oddballs. I think it was a good book. I liked how William Sleator was so specific in discribing the characters in each chapter. I also liked how he used some stories of what happened in his childhood. I think that Oddballs was a very descripteve book. The stories were exciting, and were sometimes funny. I like how Sleator described every setting, in all the chapters. One of the things that I disliked about the book was how each chapter was a different story, and the characters were different ages in all the chapters. So the chapters never contnued, and it kind of left you hanging. In all the chapters the characters would be different ages. So in the chapter Dads Cool, Vicky was 6 at one point of the chapter, and in the same chapter she would be 16.There would also be different settings. I recomend the book Oddballs because it has some interesting stories, and some amazing adventures. You will learn more about Sleator's life. Each chapter is filled with new exciting adventures.
Rating:
Summary: Oddballs
Review: I thought this book was excellent because it was about William Sleator and his family with real funny stories. One of the things that I thinkabout this book was that you don't know if the stories William Sleator is telling are reaaly true until the end of the book.William Sleator shares strange and wacky stories about growing up with his mother,farther,his brothers,Danny and Tycho,and his sister vicky. For example ,William's family never took care of their front yard because they only used their backyard,so they never mowed or planted anything in it. The dad,a physicist,used to blindfold the kids and take them for a ride in the car. He would then drop them off in an unfamiliar area and tell them to find their way home. William's dad would give them one dime to cll home if they could not find their way. This was a weekend game they sometimes played. A positive effect I thought this book might have on its reader is to teach kids that it's ok to not be popular. William Sleator said that people should like you for the way you are, not the way you look or how athletic you are. William and his friends were in an unpopular group because they chose to be happy the way they were. They still had fun. One thing I thought might have a negative effect on readers would have to be stories Sleator tells about him, his sister, Vicky, and their friends doing "pituh-plays". William Sleator says "pituh-plays" are skits "often inspired by real people or situations or by unpopular movies and books". One of the meanest "pituh-plays" they ever played was with Vicki and her friends. They went to a fountain at a park with a watermelon wrapped up like a baby. They pretended to be mad and yelled at the baby (watermelon), held it over the fountain, and then threw it in. The watermelon juice would look like blood at first. Some people watching would call the police. I thought this book was great, but it was a little too short. I would love to hear more funny and exciting things that happened to William Sleator and his family.
Rating:
Summary: autobiography
Review: I was a little surprised to find this book is an autobiography instead of the science fiction and horror that mr. sleator usually writes. It is a must read for william sleator fans who will come to understand the author's source for such amazing ideas for his books. Be warned these are just stories of his typical (or not so typical) youth, and not a mind bending science fiction read. We learn of his unusual upbringing and his off the wall family as the author was growing up. The horrible and funny things his family do to others and each other make for an amusing read.
Rating:
Summary: hahahehe
Review: this book is so funny. i loved it all the way through and couldn't stop laughing my hardest. i have one question, however- would this be an okay book for me to read aloud to my 8 year old sister? she is at about a 9 year old's reading level and i know she'd think it was funny. please answer if you have an opinion- email me at kmbirkel@yahoo.com. thanks!
Rating: 
Summary: Oddballs
Review: This book wasn't as good as I expected it to be. Each chapter is a different story. So, there isn't one main conflict running through it. Yes, the characters were realistic, but that isn't what I look for while reading books. What I do look for is a good plot and a conflict that is solved with a reasonable conclusion. Some strengths in Oddballs were that it is, for the most part, well written. William Sleator does a good job letting us get to know the characters in each chapter, especially Bill, Vicky, Tycho, and Danny. And he makes the situations in the book sound funny when maybe they weren't as funny when it really happened. So, if you like books that are quick-reads and slightly funny, you would enjoy this book. But if you are like me and don't like that type of book, you should consider one of William Sleator's other books such as Beasties or Rewind.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating
Review: This is William Sleator's account of his wacky childhood with his fascinating family of big fat weirdos. Sleator makes it clear that he (along with his family) was an ODDBALL--that is, not a misfit, just somebody who was always doing something weird--these stories are guaranteed to amuse you, no matter what your age. I have read this book many times--and I would've given it 5 stars, but it recently dropped down one spot in my mind. In the last chapter, Sleator tells of one part where he fibbed and stretched the truth a bit--so I had always figured, everything else must be true, if he's willing to say that little part was fictional. And I hate to steal anybody's enjoyment of how amazingly weird the people depicted in this little book are, but I have to tell the truth: The last time I finished reading this, I looked in the very front of the book, at the page with all the publication info-- My feelings were a bit hurt when I saw in small print a few words that changed the way I felt: 'ALL CHARACTERS AND EVENTS DESCRIBED IN THIS BOOK ARE FICTIONAL.' I really hope that's just an obligatory disclaimer. Even if you have to suspend your disbelief, believe me, you'll enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: This is a great book !
Review: You're sitting down about to read Oddballs and the first thing you see is "To my family: Please forgive me." That is a very creative start to a book. The characters include Vicky, who loves to dye her hair with grape juice, Bill, the reassuring older brother, and Danny and Tycho,the youngest of the family. The book also has its downs.I mean one minute the chapter is the funniest, then you get to the next chapter and it is so dull. He should have thought about some of the chapters a little more carefully before writing them. This is a three star book all the way.I would recommend this book for someone who wants a good laugh and wouldn't mind reading something a little different.
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