diff --git a/tablib/formats/_ods.py b/tablib/formats/_ods.py
index f1b0dfa..7b576c1 100644
--- a/tablib/formats/_ods.py
+++ b/tablib/formats/_ods.py
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ def export_book(databook):
 
 
     stream = BytesIO()
-    wb.save(stream)
+    wb.save(unicode(stream))
     return stream.getvalue()
 
 
@@ -63,6 +63,11 @@ def dset_sheet(dataset, ws):
         row_number = i + 1
         odf_row = table.TableRow(stylename=bold)
         for j, col in enumerate(row):
+            try:
+                col = unicode(col, errors='ignore')
+            except TypeError:
+                ## col is already unicode
+                pass
             ws.addElement(table.TableColumn())
 
             # bold headers
@@ -70,14 +75,14 @@ def dset_sheet(dataset, ws):
                 odf_row.setAttribute('stylename', bold)
                 ws.addElement(odf_row)
                 cell = table.TableCell()
-                cell.addElement(text.P(stylename="Bold", text=unicode(col, errors='ignore')))
+                cell.addElement(text.P(stylename="Bold", text=col))
                 odf_row.addElement(cell)
 
             # bold separators
             elif len(row) < dataset.width:
                 ws.addElement(odf_row)
                 cell = table.TableCell()
-                cell.addElement(text.P(text=unicode(col, errors='ignore')))
+                cell.addElement(text.P(text=col))
                 odf_row.addElement(cell)
 
             # wrap the rest
@@ -86,17 +91,15 @@ def dset_sheet(dataset, ws):
                     if '\n' in col:
                         ws.addElement(odf_row)
                         cell = table.TableCell()
-                        cell.addElement(text.P(text=unicode(col, errors='ignore')))
+                        cell.addElement(text.P(text=col))
                         odf_row.addElement(cell)
                     else:
                         ws.addElement(odf_row)
                         cell = table.TableCell()
-                        cell.addElement(text.P(text=unicode(col, errors='ignore')))
+                        cell.addElement(text.P(text=col))
                         odf_row.addElement(cell)
                 except TypeError:
                     ws.addElement(odf_row)
                     cell = table.TableCell()
-                    cell.addElement(text.P(text=unicode(col, errors='ignore')))
-                    odf_row.addElement(cell)
-
-
+                    cell.addElement(text.P(text=col))
+                    odf_row.addElement(cell)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tablib/packages/odf3/attrconverters.py b/tablib/packages/odf3/attrconverters.py
index 6af6ec1..c6cb8bf 100644
--- a/tablib/packages/odf3/attrconverters.py
+++ b/tablib/packages/odf3/attrconverters.py
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ def cnv_NCName(attribute, arg, element):
     """ NCName is defined in http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-xml-names/#NT-NCName
         Essentially an XML name minus ':'
     """
-    if type(arg) in str:
+    if isinstance(arg, str):
         return make_NCName(arg)
     else:
         return arg.getAttrNS(STYLENS, 'name')
diff --git a/tablib/packages/odf3/element.py b/tablib/packages/odf3/element.py
index 00ea088..bd4b5d1 100644
--- a/tablib/packages/odf3/element.py
+++ b/tablib/packages/odf3/element.py
@@ -38,6 +38,12 @@ def _escape(data, entities={}):
         the optional entities parameter.  The keys and values must all be
         strings; each key will be replaced with its corresponding value.
     """
+    try:
+        data = data.decode('utf-8')
+    except TypeError:
+        ## Make sure our stream is a string
+        ## If it comes through as bytes it fails
+        pass
     data = data.replace("&", "&amp;")
     data = data.replace("<", "&lt;")
     data = data.replace(">", "&gt;")
@@ -198,7 +204,7 @@ def _append_child(self, node):
     childNodes.append(node)
     node.__dict__["parentNode"] = self
 
-class Childless:
+class Childless(object):
     """ Mixin that makes childless-ness easy to implement and avoids
         the complexity of the Node methods that deal with children.
     """
@@ -255,7 +261,7 @@ class Text(Childless, Node):
         if self.data:
             f.write(_escape(str(self.data).encode('utf-8')))
     
-class CDATASection(Childless, Text):
+class CDATASection(Text, Childless):
     nodeType = Node.CDATA_SECTION_NODE
 
     def toXml(self,level,f):