Curious Misadventures of Feltus Ovalton, The

by Jo Treggiari

Ever since he and his parents moved to the city, Feltus Ovalton LeRoi has been hiding out in his room, reading comics, wishing for something -- anything -- to happen to his miserable life. When, with a loud "Wex Lethoo Radok!" (and much to his mother's horror) his gibberish-speaking, odd-smelling, toad-keeping, mashed-potato-and-tin-foil-hat-wearing Great-Aunt Eunida appears ... and everything changes. Feltus discovers a secret entrance to another world under his dining room table, and befriends a persecuted race of noble PoodleRats, who claim he is their savior. As other parallel worlds start to collide with mixed results, Feltus finds himself shoved into the unlikely role of hero. Suddenly, parents who ignore him and bullies at school are the least of his problems! Does his peculiar great-aunt hold the answers? And could it be true that there is a tiny bit of magic in Feltus Ovalton's blood? This quirky, dexterous novel for tweens has plenty of magic, fantasy, and richly developed characters that range from the angelic to the absurd. In addition to offering hilarious and magical plot lines, the book also touches upon themes such as heroism, bullying, family dysfunction, and the importance of friendship.

336 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2006

About the author

Writer, reader, and bookseller. My newest book, a YA psych thriller, is Blood Will Out (Penguin, 2018). My next book, another YA thriller, The Grey Sisters, will be published in 2019.
I'm always working on the next thing.

Reviews

[Neill Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Feltus Ovalton LeRoi is ignored by his parents and most of the kids at school except for the bullies. When he discovers a book of magic spells in his closet and tries one nothing happens. Then his crazy aunt shows up, a bunch of PoodleRats show up under his dining room table while he is eating breakfast and enlist his aid to fulfill a prophecy in their battle against an invading enemy, and he learns that the veils between the worlds have a gap for which he is responsible. Feltus needs to develop the necessary qualities to help his new friends discover the meaning of the prophecy and to help them in their challenge.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mix between Harry Potter and Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events. Except the would-be hero, who wants excitement in his life, gets a lot more than he bargained for. The story is full of funny twists and turns, and is told through the perspective of a bullied, teenage boy who loves comic books and is always getting into trouble.