Quirky outsiders populate children's books in great numbers. But in this humorous novel, Weeks (So B. It) paints Oggie Cooder with enough unusual, endearing details to win over readers quickly. The reluctant fourth-grade hero sports his preferred attire of stripes and checks (often concurrently), which comes from his parents' thrift shop. He chirps a favorite expression, "Prrrrr-ip! Prrrrr-ip!," and his favorite activity is "charving" (a combination of chewing and carving) slices of American cheese into the shapes of the 50 states. With his trusting nature, Oggie easily falls prey to nasty neighbor and classmate Donnica Perfecto, who views Oggie's unusual skill of charving cheese as her ticket to the Hidden Talents TV show and a trip to Hollywood--and tricks him into teaching her nearly all of his secret tips. Weeks gets the dynamics of this age group just right: the tenuous formation of cliques, the dramatic differences in social development among fourth-graders and the way Oggie's untroubled sense of self-confidence gnaws away at Donnica, with her puffed-up sense of self-importance. While comical scenes dominate the novel, Oggie remains a credible character, and the way in which he faces obstacles while remaining true to himself will give thoughtful readers (and perhaps the less popular in the crowd) plenty to ponder. This will be a welcome title for parents, teachers and children alike.--Jennifer M. Brown