Parents' Guide to

The Mighty Odds

By Terreece Clarke, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Fun, thoughtful mystery deals with superpowers, bullying.

Book Amy Ignatow Science Fiction 2016
The Mighty Odds Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

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age 11+

Based on 2 parent reviews

Dcl1
Dcl1 Parent of 11-year-old
March 13, 2021
age 12+

Careful of the sequel!

I had to post this here because there is no existing review of the next book in this series, Against All Odds. These books are fun and often funny but they try to depict elements of middle school social life realistically, and the second book veers even farther in that direction — one boy is called a “faggot” and a Black girl is taunted by a classmate making monkey noises and actions. Yikes!! Luckily I was reading this book aloud with my 11-year-old. She mostly reads on her own these days and I would not have wanted her to read this book without having some conversations and supplying context.
shaungallagher
shaungallagher Parent of 10-year-old
October 3, 2020
age 10+

Some mild language, reinforcing stereotypes

Some mild language (e.g. "slow the hell down") but no strong curse words. A lot of the bullying, stereotypes, and general nastiness is meant to depict middle school life realistically, and it is not condoned. But it's not necessarily appropriate for younger middle grade readers who may be drawn to the book based on the superhero story. A few examples: "Oh my God, what is she, Amish?" (about a girl's poor fashion sense) "One day my gorgeous Nubian queen will come to understand the glories of being with me, and we shall fall in love and make coffee-colored babies." (about a nerd's persistent interest in a girl who has made it clear she doesn't like him) "For a while, Farshad was sure that everyone would get bored with calling him Terror Boy and move on to torturing some other poor kid for no good reason. But the name stuck. When he was out of school sick for a week it was because he had gone to terrorist training camp, where he'd learned how set up a suicide bomb." As far as the writing and story itself, my 8- and 10-year-old boys liked it, but I found it to be unimpressive.
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In THE MIGHTY ODDS, three outcasts, their teacher, and the class bully are packed together on a hot, smelly school bus when the worst happens: A terrible crash leaves them stuck on a lonely road. After the bus driver disappears and they're rescued, strange things begin to happen as each student discovers a really odd superpower as a result of the chemicals released during the crash. When buildings connected to the kids start blowing up and burning down, they band together to figure out the threat, their powers, and the mysterious people who are suddenly interested in finding them.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (2):
Kids say: Not yet rated

Smart, engaging, thoughtful, and addictive, the story has a quick pacing and perfectly timed mystery that hits all the right notes. The Mighty Odds delves into the trials of middle school -- including bullying -- but layers in the particularly difficult issue of bullying based on a character's Middle Eastern descent.

The way author Amy Ignatow conveys each character's emotional response to the bullying is nuanced and genuine. The addition of superpowers and a mega mystery give readers a story that's meaty and fun while conveying great messages about friendship and taking responsibility for your actions.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how The Mighty Odds deals with the subject of bullying. What are smart ways to stand up and stop bullying? Do you have an adult you can trust to help in a bullying situation?

  • Families can also talk about how racist bullying differs from bullying for looks or "cool status." How has the media made it OK to view people from the Middle East as enemies?

  • Finally, families can also talk about the superhero craze in pop culture right now. If you had an odd superpower what would it be? How would you use your power? Why are so many people into superheroes right now?

Book Details

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