Amy Ignatow

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 col∨ 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 the New Yorker.

The Mighty Odds (the Odds Series #1)

Lynn Braden

On the way home from a school field trip, Nick, Farshad, Martina, and Cookie are all on a bus that turns over onto the side of the road. It isn't long after, that each of the four notices that they have developed quirky superpowers. While they are dealing with adjusting to a superpower, explosions keep happening all over town. They soon realize that their teacher is setting things on fire and making them explode, so the four kids try to figure out a way to stop their teacher.

The Mighty Odds is an interesting story about everyday kids with superpowers, but it also presents several messages, including, having patience, being bullied, and being a bully. The powers developed by the characters are quirky enough, but another layer is added with a couple of distinct personality traits that stand out even more as the story goes on. Otherwise, however, there is very little character development. Overall, The Mighty Odds is a unique book about dealing with change and making the most of fate.

The Mighty Odds (the Odds Series #1)

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