Ellen & Otis

Sometimes saying sorry is harder than it seems… Ellen Tebbits is convinced she'll die of embarrassment if any of the girls at school discover her secret. But then she meets Austine Allen, a new girl in class who's hiding the very same secret. Instantly, the two become best friends. They do everything together, from clapping erasers to riding horses. Ellen quickly learns that embarrassing secrets and pesky troublemakers like Otis Spofford aren't so bad when you have someone special to stick up for you. But then Ellen does something terrible that makes Austine stop speaking to her. Will she ever be able to prove how sorry she is?

When it comes to stirring up a little excitement in class, Otis Spofford knows just what to do. He can turn a folk dance fiesta into a three-ring circus, or an arithmetic lesson into a spitball marathon. Even his friends George and Stewy can't keep up when it comes to Otis's mischief. Best of all, Otis likes teasing Ellen Tebbits. She's so neat and well-behaved-there's something irresistible about making Ellen mad! But when Otis's teasing goes too far, he feels sorry . . . and then nervous. For now Ellen isn't just mad . . . she's planning something! Beloved author Beverly Cleary brings real understanding to this wonderful story of a "bad boy."