The Mighty Odds (The Odds Series #1)

by Amy Ignatow

Overview

From the renowned author/illustrator of the Popularity Papers series, Amy Ignatow, comes The Mighty Odds, first in a new series about a diverse crew of middle school kids who develop very limited superhero powers after a strange accident and manage to become unlikely friends on the adventure of a lifetime.

What do you get when you mix a sci-fi nerd, a cartoonist, a social outcast, and the most popular girl in school with a mysterious bus crash? Some very specific—and mighty odd—superpowers. Martina can change her eye color; Nick can teleport four inches to the left; Farshad can develop super strength, but only in his thumbs; and Cookie can read minds, when those minds are thinking about directions.

Starring a diverse group of kids, this series’ multiple narrators make for a quirky, contemporary read that tackles identity and stereotypes. Praised widely, Ignatow’s characters have been called “very real” by the New York Times and “completely convincing” by TheNew Yorker.

“Ignatow turns on its head the classic middle school good kids-vs.-the populars/bullies trope . . . Hilarious and revealing, this series opener is a must-have.” —Kirkus Reviews

The Odds series:
The Mighty Odds (#1)
Against the Odds (#2)
Odds & Ends (#3)

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781419723711
Publisher:	Amulet Paperbacks
Publication date:	09/19/2017
Series:	Amy Ignatow's Odds Series , #1
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	248
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

About the Author

Amy Ignatow is a cartoonist and the author of the Popularity Papers series, the Odds trilogy, the Jedi Academy: A Christina Starspeeder Story trilogy, and The Cutest Thing Ever. She is a graduate of Moore College of Art and Design and lives in Philadelphia with her family and their loud cat.

Editorial Reviews

**STARRED REVIEW**
"Ignatow turns on its head the classic middle school good kids-vs.-the populars/bullies trope... Hilarious and revealing, this series opener is a must-have."—Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

07/04/2016
This snappy social drama hinges on the power—and danger—of nicknames and stereotypes within the middle school social scene. A bus accident throws popular student Cookie together with some of the students she normally wouldn’t be caught dead with: friendless Farshad, deemed “Terror Boy” by a racist joke he can’t shake; overweight, nerdy Nick; and quiet Martina, whom no one really notices. After the four sixth-graders discover that they have developed unusual superpowers and there is actual danger at hand, they have to decide if they will “band together to become some sort of crazy explosive-substitute-teacher fighters” or just the “League of Incredible Nerds with Nearly Useless Powers.” Emotions in this group of reluctant friends run from anger, disbelief, and disgust to eventual admiration, dependence, and trust. Framed by posts on a popular gossip blog and peppered with playful comics-style illustrations, this series opener from Ignatow (the Popularity Papers books) packs in plenty of action and edgy dialogue. Though the ending is a bit abrupt, it sets the scene for future installments. Ages 10–14. Agent: Daniel Lazar, Writers House. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

"This fast-paced story is part graphic novel, part traditional text with a story that shows how diversity can be a strength."

School Library Connection

"There’s plenty here to spark curiosity, and the characters are memorable—it will be interesting to see how their wonky powers can be used in future outings. Fans of the author’s Popularity Papers series will be pleased to see this new outing."

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

08/01/2016
Gr 5–8—Martina, Nick, Farshad, and Cookie are classmates who barely know one another. After a field trip to Philadelphia, the four students end up on the same bus back to school. Disaster strikes when the bus gets in a bad accident. Nick is flung from the vehicle while Martina, Farshad, and Cookie are trapped. The tweens manage to save one another and their substitute teacher, Mr. Friend, in the nick of time, with the help of a local Amish boy. Unfortunately, the accident is only the beginning of trouble for this quartet. After getting out of the hospital, each notices that something is different. Martina's eyes change colors. Cookie can read minds when it involves directions. Farshad has incredible strength…in his thumbs. Nick can teleport but only four inches to the left. What actually happened in the crash, and why is their substitute teacher after them? Ignatow brings humor and a big dose of silliness to this new series. Superpowers always seem tempting, but, as these four tweens discover, there's a downside that comes with their new abilities. This is also the case for the book itself. The cast is diverse, but some of the language is troublesome. Cookie is referred to as a "beautiful black pearl" and a "dearest chocolate-skinned empress" by Nick's best friend, Jay. Farshad is nicknamed "Terror Boy" throughout most of the story. Though Ignatow works to unpack the language, and Farshad's nickname in particular, the descriptions of Cookie remain problematic. VERDICT This offering has plenty of reader appeal, with an ending designed to hook kids into the next installment. However, the microaggressions will be an issue for any librarian.—Sarah Wethern, Douglas County Library, Alexandria, MN

School Library Journal

★ 2016-06-22
Ignatow turns on its head the classic middle school good kids-vs.-the populars/bullies trope.Four students, a teacher, a bus driver, and an Amish teen are involved in a bus accident that leaves each of them with bizarre superpowers. Cookie, the only black teen in the school and a powerful popular kid, finds she is now able to read minds, but only when someone is thinking about directions. Nerdy, overweight, white Nick (who likes to hang out with his funny but overbearing BFF in the safety of the Understeps) can teleport, but only 4 inches to the left. Iranian-American Farshad, systematically shunned once he was marked with the moniker Terror Boy, has amazing strength in his thumbs. Martina, a white girl nearly invisible to all who draws the graphic novel panels that accompany this romp (in which she depicts herself as having horns), now has eyes that keep changing color—and can see the bus driver, who is suddenly invisible. The teacher uncontrollably lights fires, and Amish Abe can resist those fires (and as an added bonus, his horse has developed superspeed). Thrown together by their new powers, the group must learn to navigate their unexpectedly evolving, eye-opening relationships. Even with plenty of near-farcical action—and a cliffhanger—this engaging read is effectively character-driven. Hilarious and revealing, this series opener is a must-have. (Fantasy. 10-14)

Kirkus Reviews