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Moving example to correct page.
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* TheComplianceGame: When Otis is helping high-school football star Hack Battleson collect bugs for biology class, he gets the little neighbour boy to help by saying, "Let's pretend we're scientists looking for specimens".
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Per ATT
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* GoneHorriblyWrong: Ellen Tebbits's plan to bring in a beet blossom to class results in her making her clothes filthy from digging the beet up, and getting beet juice all over her dress. Plus she almost gets in a lot of trouble for taking the beet without permission, and does get written up for arriving to school late.
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* EveryoneHasStandards: Otis may be a troublemaker, but he doesn't actually want anyone or anything to get hurt. While thinking of ways to cause trouble, he considers letting the class's rats out of their cage, but decides not to, as they might get lost or stepped on.
to:
* EveryoneHasStandards: While Otis may be is a big troublemaker, but he he's not malicious and doesn't actually want anyone or anything to get hurt. While thinking of ways to cause trouble, he considers letting the class's rats out of their cage, but decides not to, against it as they might get lost or stepped on.
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[[quoteright:215:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/920981.jpg]]
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* GoneHorriblyWrong: Ellen Tebbits's plan to bring in a biennial beet to class results in her making her clothes filthy from digging the beet up, and getting beet juice all over her dress. Plus she almost gets in a lot of trouble for taking the beet without permission, and does get written up for arriving to school late.
to:
* GoneHorriblyWrong: Ellen Tebbits's plan to bring in a biennial beet blossom to class results in her making her clothes filthy from digging the beet up, and getting beet juice all over her dress. Plus she almost gets in a lot of trouble for taking the beet without permission, and does get written up for arriving to school late.
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Less awkward, IMHO.
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* GoneHorriblyWrong: Ellen Tebbits's plan to bring in a biennial beet to class results in her making her clothes filthy from digging the beet up, and ruining her dress by getting it stained with beet juice. Plus she almost gets in a lot of trouble for taking the beet without permission, and does get written up for arriving to school late.
to:
* GoneHorriblyWrong: Ellen Tebbits's plan to bring in a biennial beet to class results in her making her clothes filthy from digging the beet up, and ruining her dress by getting it stained with beet juice.juice all over her dress. Plus she almost gets in a lot of trouble for taking the beet without permission, and does get written up for arriving to school late.
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* TeachersUnfavoriteStudent: Subverted -- Ellen thinks that Miss Joyce does not like her because she's the only student who is never asked to clap the chalkboard erasers, which is considered very enjoyable. It turns out that Miss Joyce never asked her because she thought Ellen wouldn't want to get chalk dust all over her dresses, as she always keeps them so neat and clean.
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Armor Piercing Slap is no longer a trope
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* ArmorPiercingSlap: In one chapter, Austine has been annoying Ellen all day by untying the sash of her dress, and when Ellen feels her sash get untied again, she decides it's TheLastStraw, whirls around and slaps Austine across the face. Only it isn't Austine who untied the sash this time... it's [[spoiler: Otis]].
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* PlotMandatedFriendshipFailure: Between Ellen and Austine, due to the ArmorPiercingSlap the former gives the latter.
to:
* PlotMandatedFriendshipFailure: Between Ellen and Austine, due to the ArmorPiercingSlap slap the former gives the latter.
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"It did have short sleeves and short legs, so it could have been worse. Ellen didn’t know what she would have done if her mother had made her wear long underwear." - Ellen Tebbits, page 10
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* UncoolUndies: Early on, Ellen is fearful that the other kids will find out her mother makes her wear long underwear, so she takes care to get to ballet class ahead of time so she can change early without her classmates noticing. One of the catalysts for her friendship with Austine is that Austine's mother also makes ''her'' daughter wear long underwear.
to:
* UncoolUndies: Early on, Ellen is fearful that the other kids will find out her mother makes her wear long woolen underwear, so she takes care to get to ballet class ahead of time so she can change early without her classmates noticing. One of the catalysts for her friendship with Austine is that Austine's mother also makes ''her'' daughter wear long woolen underwear.
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** Afterwards both Ellen and Otis want to adopt Mutt, and because she's more responsible the teacher lets Ellen have him. When it doesn't work out because he's scared of her cats, she gives him to Otis.
to:
** Afterwards both Ellen and Otis want to adopt Mutt, and because she's more responsible she confessed to feeding him first, the teacher lets Ellen have him. When it doesn't work out because he's scared of her cats, mother didn't want a rat in the house, she gives him to Otis.
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Changed line(s) 43 (click to see context) from:
* EveryoneHasStandards: Otis may be a troublemaker, but he doesn't actually want anyone or anything to get hurt. While thinking of ways to cause trouble, he considers letting the rats out of their cage, but decides not to, as they might get lost or stepped on.
to:
* EveryoneHasStandards: Otis may be a troublemaker, but he doesn't actually want anyone or anything to get hurt. While thinking of ways to cause trouble, he considers letting the class's rats out of their cage, but decides not to, as they might get lost or stepped on.
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None
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* EveryoneHasStandards: Otis may be a troublemaker, but he doesn't actually want anyone or anything to get hurt. While thinking of ways to cause trouble, he considers letting the rats out of their cage, but decides not to, as they might get lost or stepped on.
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Changed line(s) 56 (click to see context) from:
* SadClown: Behind Otis' mischievousness, smart-alceyness, and class clown tendencies, is a kid with no close friends who doesn't quite fit in and knows it.
to:
* SadClown: Behind Otis' mischievousness, smart-alceyness, smart-alecyness, and class clown tendencies, is a kid with no close friends who doesn't quite fit in and knows it.
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** The class does a science experiment on two rats about a healthy diet, feeding one rat (Pinky) healthy food and the other (Mutt) white bread and soda pop. The rat with the unhealthy food looks so miserable that Otis and Ellen, independently, start sneaking him real food. They're both astonished when they realize -- Otis thought Ellen wouldn't care about a rat, and Ellen thought Otis wouldn't care at all.
to:
** The class does a science experiment on two rats about a healthy diet, feeding one rat (Pinky) healthy food and the other (Mutt) white bread and soda pop. The rat with the unhealthy food looks so miserable that Otis and Ellen, independently, start sneaking him real food.
** When the experiment ends and Mutt turns out bigger than Pinky, the teacher immediately tells the class that someone spoiled the experiment by feeding Mutt. Just before Otis is about to take credit, Ellen takes credit. They're both astonishedwhen they realize at each other -- Otis thought Ellen wouldn't care about a rat, and Ellen thought Otis wouldn't care about an animal at all.
** When the experiment ends and Mutt turns out bigger than Pinky, the teacher immediately tells the class that someone spoiled the experiment by feeding Mutt. Just before Otis is about to take credit, Ellen takes credit. They're both astonished
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* HopeSpot: During the spitball punishment, the fire alarm goes off. Otis almost makes it to the water fountain, but just before he can drink he's caught by the principal and dragged back to his class.
to:
* HopeSpot: During Twice.
**During the spitball punishment, the fire alarm goes off. Otis almost makes it to the water fountain, but just before he can drink he's caught by the principal and dragged back to hisclass.class.
**During the ice skates incident, his mother drives by - then just chews him out and drives off without listening to him.
**During the spitball punishment, the fire alarm goes off. Otis almost makes it to the water fountain, but just before he can drink he's caught by the principal and dragged back to his
**During the ice skates incident, his mother drives by - then just chews him out and drives off without listening to him.
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* SadClown: Behind Otis' mischievousness, smart-alceyness, and class clown tendencies, is a kid with no close friends who doesn't quite fit in and knows it.
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* RealMenWearPink: Otis only ever does ballet to mess with the girls taking lessons, but Ellen privately notes that he can do the moves as well as any of them.
* AdultsAreUseless: When Otis' mother finds him walking around on his ice skates in the final chapter, she starts interrogating him without stopping to listen to his answers and then drives away. Otis can't believe it.
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* AssholeVictim: Otis, in the final chapter, when Ellen and Austine finally get the better of him and when even his close friends, Stewy and George, side with the girls against him (of course, they have their own reasons to enjoy witnessing Otis's comeuppance). Even though Otis has it coming, one can't help feeling at least a little sorry for him.
to:
* AssholeVictim: Otis, in the final chapter, when Ellen and Austine finally get the better of him him, and when even his close friends, "friends" Stewy and George, side with the girls against him (of course, they have their own reasons to enjoy witnessing Otis's comeuppance). Even though Otis has it coming, one can't help feeling at least a little sorry for him.
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* HopeSpot: During the spitball punishment, the fire alarm goes off. Otis almost makes it to the water fountain, but just before he can drink he's caught by the principal and dragged back to his class.
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* PetTheDog: A big example from both Ellen and Otis over a rat.
** The class does a science experiment on two rats about a healthy diet, feeding one rat (Pinky) healthy food and the other (Mutt) white bread and soda pop. The rat with the unhealthy food looks so miserable that Otis and Ellen, independently, start sneaking him real food. They're both astonished when they realize -- Otis thought Ellen wouldn't care about a rat, and Ellen thought Otis wouldn't care at all.
** Afterwards both Ellen and Otis want to adopt Mutt, and because she's more responsible the teacher lets Ellen have him. When it doesn't work out because he's scared of her cats, she gives him to Otis.
** The class does a science experiment on two rats about a healthy diet, feeding one rat (Pinky) healthy food and the other (Mutt) white bread and soda pop. The rat with the unhealthy food looks so miserable that Otis and Ellen, independently, start sneaking him real food. They're both astonished when they realize -- Otis thought Ellen wouldn't care about a rat, and Ellen thought Otis wouldn't care at all.
** Afterwards both Ellen and Otis want to adopt Mutt, and because she's more responsible the teacher lets Ellen have him. When it doesn't work out because he's scared of her cats, she gives him to Otis.
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* TemptingFate: When his spitballs aren't getting as much reaction as he'd hoped, Otis spits one just next to his teacher's head. He gets his reaction.
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* GarlicIsAbhorrent: Otis brings some raw garlic cloves to school and tries to eat one. He barely lives through it, but then enjoys using his garlic induced halitosis to mess with Ellen.
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Not So Different has been renamed, and it needs to be dewicked/moved
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* NotSoDifferent: When the class does a science experiment on two rats about a healthy diet, feeding one rat healthy food and the other white bread and soda pop. The rat with the unhealthy food looks so miserable that Otis and Ellen, independently, start sneaking him real food. They're both astonished when they realize -- Otis thought Ellen wouldn't care about a rat, and Ellen thought Otis wouldn't care at all.
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* AmbiguouslyAbsentParent: Otis Spofford's mom takes care of him and runs the dance school, but his father John Spofford never appears in either book, and his name is only known by virtue of the first book referring to Otis's mother as "Mrs. John Spofford" briefly.
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* DisappearedDad: Otis Spofford's mom takes care of him and runs the dance school, but his father John Spofford never appears in either book, and his name is only known by virtue of the first book referring to Otis's mother as "Mrs. John Spofford" briefly.
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* CarRideGames: At one point, Ellen and Austine play the Alphabet Game (searching for letters on signs) in the car.
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* EmbarrassmentPlot: Ellen and Austine met and became best friends because they were both getting changed in the broom cupboard due to their embarrassment about wearing woolen underwear, which they think is too old-fashioned. Ellen also has a moment of trying to awkwardly do ballet while her underwear was slipping.
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* ReboundBestFriend: When Ellen and Austine stop being friends, Austine tries hanging out with Linda instead.
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* {{Unmentionables}}: Early on, Ellen is fearful that the other kids will find out her mother makes her wear long underwear, so she takes care to get to ballet class ahead of time so she can change early without her classmates noticing. One of the catalysts for her friendship with Austine is that Austine's mother also makes ''her'' daughter wear long underwear.
to:
* {{Unmentionables}}: UncoolUndies: Early on, Ellen is fearful that the other kids will find out her mother makes her wear long underwear, so she takes care to get to ballet class ahead of time so she can change early without her classmates noticing. One of the catalysts for her friendship with Austine is that Austine's mother also makes ''her'' daughter wear long underwear.
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''Ellen and Otis'' is a two-book series written by Creator/BeverlyCleary, following the daily exploits of the titular characters in Portland, Oregon.
The series consists of:
* ''Ellen Tebbits'' (1951) -- Third-grader Ellen lives on Tillamook Street and attends Rosemont School, and early on befriends the new girl in town, Austine Allen. However, one day, the two girls have a brief falling-out after a misunderstanding.
* ''Otis Spofford'' (1953) -- Ellen Tebbits and her troublemaking classmate Otis Spofford are in the fourth grade, and the story follows Otis's point of view as he looks for ways to liven up his life, until he goes too far in his teasing of Ellen one day.
----
!!Both books contain examples of:
* BrilliantButLazy: Otis has a tendency to get in trouble during class because he finishes his schoolwork ahead of time.
* DisappearedDad: Otis Spofford's mom takes care of him and runs the dance school, but his father John Spofford never appears in either book, and his name is only known by virtue of the first book referring to Otis's mother as "Mrs. John Spofford" briefly.
* {{Jerkass}}: Otis Spofford. Played straight in ''Ellen Tebbits'' and deconstructed in his own book.
* SitcomArchNemesis: Ellen Tebbits and Otis Spofford, to each other. Otis got started antagonizing Ellen because his mother is Ellen's ballet teacher (and he likes to see Ellen get mad), and he's usually (but not always) the instigator.
* TomboyAndGirlyGirl: Ellen Tebbits is the girly girl to her tomboy best friend Austine Allen.
!!''Ellen Tebbits'' contains examples of:
* ArmorPiercingSlap: In one chapter, Austine has been annoying Ellen all day by untying the sash of her dress, and when Ellen feels her sash get untied again, she decides it's TheLastStraw, whirls around and slaps Austine across the face. Only it isn't Austine who untied the sash this time... it's [[spoiler: Otis]].
* ComedicUnderwearExposure: Pointed out by Otis in the "biennial beet" chapter when he notices that Ellen tore her dress.
* CoordinatedClothes: In one chapter, Ellen and Austine decide to dress like twins for the first day of school and ask their mothers to make them matching dresses. It doesn't turn out the way they hoped, as Austine's mother isn't a particularly good seamstress and Austine's dress turns out badly.
* GoneHorriblyWrong: Ellen Tebbits's plan to bring in a biennial beet to class results in her making her clothes filthy from digging the beet up, and ruining her dress by getting it stained with beet juice. Plus she almost gets in a lot of trouble for taking the beet without permission, and does get written up for arriving to school late.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone:
** Ellen has this reaction in the first chapter of the book, when she lashes out at Austine, who has just moved to Portland from California, for talking about California all the time. She apologizes afterward and the two become friends.
** Later, she has this reaction immediately after slapping Austine across the face for allegedly untying the sash of her dress, thus seemingly ending their friendship. It doesn't help later when she finds out that [[spoiler: the culprit was Otis, and not Austine]].
* PlotMandatedFriendshipFailure: Between Ellen and Austine, due to the ArmorPiercingSlap the former gives the latter.
* SchoolPlay: Ellen's class puts on a production of ''Literature/ThePiedPiperOfHamelin'' with a {{Bowdlerise}}d ending: in their version, the Pied Piper brings the children home and the kids get to do a maypole dance.
* {{Unmentionables}}: Early on, Ellen is fearful that the other kids will find out her mother makes her wear long underwear, so she takes care to get to ballet class ahead of time so she can change early without her classmates noticing. One of the catalysts for her friendship with Austine is that Austine's mother also makes ''her'' daughter wear long underwear.
!!''Otis Spofford'' contains examples of:
* ArcWords: Various adults keep warning Otis that "[he'll] get his comeuppance."
* AssholeVictim: Otis, in the final chapter, when Ellen and Austine finally get the better of him and when even his close friends, Stewy and George, side with the girls against him (of course, they have their own reasons to enjoy witnessing Otis's comeuppance). Even though Otis has it coming, one can't help feeling at least a little sorry for him.
* BigBrotherInstinct: When Austine's older brother Bruce catches Otis bullying her and Ellen one day, he suggests that they turn the tables and bully him (the implication being that he would beat Otis up if he tried to retaliate).
* CantGetAwayWithNuthin: Averted, since Otis does his best to get ''into'' trouble. Otis's class puts on a fake bullfight as part of a school performance, and Otis (as the front half of the bull) goes off script and causes the bull to win the fight. As the teacher is preparing to chew him out, several parents approach and tell her how hilarious the fight was and what a good idea it was to have the bull win. Otis doesn't get in trouble from the teacher, and outruns the two boys who played the toreador and the back half of the bull.
* ADayInTheLimelight: Otis Spofford is the title character of this book after having originally had a supporting role in ''Ellen Tebbits''.
* DudeNotFunny: Invoked when Otis cuts Ellen's hair and, rather than laugh, the class just stares at Otis. Otis even realizes right before he does it that he's [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone going way too far]]; however, when Ellen calls his bluff, pride prevents him from backing down and he does it.
* HumiliationConga: Happens to Otis at the end of his book. Ellen and Austine steal his shoes while he's ice skating in retaliation for Otis having cut Ellen's hair, making him walk home in his ice skates to the amusement of all the kids and irritation of all the adults he meets.
* LyingFingerCross: Invoked by both Ellen and Otis himself or, in the terminology of the book, "having kings." Ellen invokes it when pretending to apologize for having called Otis "Big Chief Pink Underwear." At the end of the book, after Ellen and Austine return his boots to him on the promise that he won't tease Ellen anymore, Otis reveals to Ellen that he had ''his'' fingers crossed when he made that promise.
* NotSoDifferent: When the class does a science experiment on two rats about a healthy diet, feeding one rat healthy food and the other white bread and soda pop. The rat with the unhealthy food looks so miserable that Otis and Ellen, independently, start sneaking him real food. They're both astonished when they realize -- Otis thought Ellen wouldn't care about a rat, and Ellen thought Otis wouldn't care at all.
* ProductionForeshadowing: One chapter has the titular character doing a favor for an older boy from Zachary Taylor High School, and mentions his team will be playing Benjamin Harrison High School. Eleven years later, Cleary would release ''Ribsy'', the final ''Literature/HenryHuggins'' book, in which Ribsy ends up at a football game between these same two schools.
* RadishCure: In one chapter, Otis's teacher has him make spitballs exclusively as punishment for shooting them. Otis sees this as a CoolAndUnusualPunishment at first, until he realizes that it prevents him from participating in class and also dries his mouth out once he's run out of spit.
* RedSockRuinsTheLaundry: Otis comes to school in a pink undershirt at one point. He claims it's because his mom accidentally put one of his glow-in-the-dark socks in with the rest of the laundry, though the other students don't care about the cause; they just mock him for having pink underwear at all.
* TookALevelInBadass / TookALevelInJerkass: Ellen Tebbits gets both in this book. It's hard to imagine the Ellen of ''Ellen Tebbits'' teasing Otis for his pink underwear, or literally shoving Otis to the ground, but she does both here. Just before shoving him down, she tells Otis it's because she's not afraid of him anymore.
* ThoseTwoGuys: Two boys named Stewart and George. They're friends with each other and sometimes friendly but sometimes antagonistic towards Otis.
* TraumaticHaircut: Otis gives Ellen one as revenge for humiliating him in class. At first he doesn't understand why she's so upset, until he remembers that Ellen has been letting her hair grow long enough to braid.
* VillainProtagonist: Otis himself, the class troublemaker and all-around nuisance, is the main character.
The series consists of:
* ''Ellen Tebbits'' (1951) -- Third-grader Ellen lives on Tillamook Street and attends Rosemont School, and early on befriends the new girl in town, Austine Allen. However, one day, the two girls have a brief falling-out after a misunderstanding.
* ''Otis Spofford'' (1953) -- Ellen Tebbits and her troublemaking classmate Otis Spofford are in the fourth grade, and the story follows Otis's point of view as he looks for ways to liven up his life, until he goes too far in his teasing of Ellen one day.
----
!!Both books contain examples of:
* BrilliantButLazy: Otis has a tendency to get in trouble during class because he finishes his schoolwork ahead of time.
* DisappearedDad: Otis Spofford's mom takes care of him and runs the dance school, but his father John Spofford never appears in either book, and his name is only known by virtue of the first book referring to Otis's mother as "Mrs. John Spofford" briefly.
* {{Jerkass}}: Otis Spofford. Played straight in ''Ellen Tebbits'' and deconstructed in his own book.
* SitcomArchNemesis: Ellen Tebbits and Otis Spofford, to each other. Otis got started antagonizing Ellen because his mother is Ellen's ballet teacher (and he likes to see Ellen get mad), and he's usually (but not always) the instigator.
* TomboyAndGirlyGirl: Ellen Tebbits is the girly girl to her tomboy best friend Austine Allen.
!!''Ellen Tebbits'' contains examples of:
* ArmorPiercingSlap: In one chapter, Austine has been annoying Ellen all day by untying the sash of her dress, and when Ellen feels her sash get untied again, she decides it's TheLastStraw, whirls around and slaps Austine across the face. Only it isn't Austine who untied the sash this time... it's [[spoiler: Otis]].
* ComedicUnderwearExposure: Pointed out by Otis in the "biennial beet" chapter when he notices that Ellen tore her dress.
* CoordinatedClothes: In one chapter, Ellen and Austine decide to dress like twins for the first day of school and ask their mothers to make them matching dresses. It doesn't turn out the way they hoped, as Austine's mother isn't a particularly good seamstress and Austine's dress turns out badly.
* GoneHorriblyWrong: Ellen Tebbits's plan to bring in a biennial beet to class results in her making her clothes filthy from digging the beet up, and ruining her dress by getting it stained with beet juice. Plus she almost gets in a lot of trouble for taking the beet without permission, and does get written up for arriving to school late.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone:
** Ellen has this reaction in the first chapter of the book, when she lashes out at Austine, who has just moved to Portland from California, for talking about California all the time. She apologizes afterward and the two become friends.
** Later, she has this reaction immediately after slapping Austine across the face for allegedly untying the sash of her dress, thus seemingly ending their friendship. It doesn't help later when she finds out that [[spoiler: the culprit was Otis, and not Austine]].
* PlotMandatedFriendshipFailure: Between Ellen and Austine, due to the ArmorPiercingSlap the former gives the latter.
* SchoolPlay: Ellen's class puts on a production of ''Literature/ThePiedPiperOfHamelin'' with a {{Bowdlerise}}d ending: in their version, the Pied Piper brings the children home and the kids get to do a maypole dance.
* {{Unmentionables}}: Early on, Ellen is fearful that the other kids will find out her mother makes her wear long underwear, so she takes care to get to ballet class ahead of time so she can change early without her classmates noticing. One of the catalysts for her friendship with Austine is that Austine's mother also makes ''her'' daughter wear long underwear.
!!''Otis Spofford'' contains examples of:
* ArcWords: Various adults keep warning Otis that "[he'll] get his comeuppance."
* AssholeVictim: Otis, in the final chapter, when Ellen and Austine finally get the better of him and when even his close friends, Stewy and George, side with the girls against him (of course, they have their own reasons to enjoy witnessing Otis's comeuppance). Even though Otis has it coming, one can't help feeling at least a little sorry for him.
* BigBrotherInstinct: When Austine's older brother Bruce catches Otis bullying her and Ellen one day, he suggests that they turn the tables and bully him (the implication being that he would beat Otis up if he tried to retaliate).
* CantGetAwayWithNuthin: Averted, since Otis does his best to get ''into'' trouble. Otis's class puts on a fake bullfight as part of a school performance, and Otis (as the front half of the bull) goes off script and causes the bull to win the fight. As the teacher is preparing to chew him out, several parents approach and tell her how hilarious the fight was and what a good idea it was to have the bull win. Otis doesn't get in trouble from the teacher, and outruns the two boys who played the toreador and the back half of the bull.
* ADayInTheLimelight: Otis Spofford is the title character of this book after having originally had a supporting role in ''Ellen Tebbits''.
* DudeNotFunny: Invoked when Otis cuts Ellen's hair and, rather than laugh, the class just stares at Otis. Otis even realizes right before he does it that he's [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone going way too far]]; however, when Ellen calls his bluff, pride prevents him from backing down and he does it.
* HumiliationConga: Happens to Otis at the end of his book. Ellen and Austine steal his shoes while he's ice skating in retaliation for Otis having cut Ellen's hair, making him walk home in his ice skates to the amusement of all the kids and irritation of all the adults he meets.
* LyingFingerCross: Invoked by both Ellen and Otis himself or, in the terminology of the book, "having kings." Ellen invokes it when pretending to apologize for having called Otis "Big Chief Pink Underwear." At the end of the book, after Ellen and Austine return his boots to him on the promise that he won't tease Ellen anymore, Otis reveals to Ellen that he had ''his'' fingers crossed when he made that promise.
* NotSoDifferent: When the class does a science experiment on two rats about a healthy diet, feeding one rat healthy food and the other white bread and soda pop. The rat with the unhealthy food looks so miserable that Otis and Ellen, independently, start sneaking him real food. They're both astonished when they realize -- Otis thought Ellen wouldn't care about a rat, and Ellen thought Otis wouldn't care at all.
* ProductionForeshadowing: One chapter has the titular character doing a favor for an older boy from Zachary Taylor High School, and mentions his team will be playing Benjamin Harrison High School. Eleven years later, Cleary would release ''Ribsy'', the final ''Literature/HenryHuggins'' book, in which Ribsy ends up at a football game between these same two schools.
* RadishCure: In one chapter, Otis's teacher has him make spitballs exclusively as punishment for shooting them. Otis sees this as a CoolAndUnusualPunishment at first, until he realizes that it prevents him from participating in class and also dries his mouth out once he's run out of spit.
* RedSockRuinsTheLaundry: Otis comes to school in a pink undershirt at one point. He claims it's because his mom accidentally put one of his glow-in-the-dark socks in with the rest of the laundry, though the other students don't care about the cause; they just mock him for having pink underwear at all.
* TookALevelInBadass / TookALevelInJerkass: Ellen Tebbits gets both in this book. It's hard to imagine the Ellen of ''Ellen Tebbits'' teasing Otis for his pink underwear, or literally shoving Otis to the ground, but she does both here. Just before shoving him down, she tells Otis it's because she's not afraid of him anymore.
* ThoseTwoGuys: Two boys named Stewart and George. They're friends with each other and sometimes friendly but sometimes antagonistic towards Otis.
* TraumaticHaircut: Otis gives Ellen one as revenge for humiliating him in class. At first he doesn't understand why she's so upset, until he remembers that Ellen has been letting her hair grow long enough to braid.
* VillainProtagonist: Otis himself, the class troublemaker and all-around nuisance, is the main character.
