Against the Odds
Kiki’s father is a doctor who travels to countries in crisis, providing medical aid to people in need. Soon after he leaves on his most recent trip, Kiki’s mother, in response to Kiki’s worry, explains that the “odds” of something bad happening to Kiki’s dad are small. Kiki begins fixating on the idea of odds: The odds may be small something will happen to her dad, but the odds of something happening to both her dad and her pet are even smaller. Kiki doesn’t much like the family dog, so she would happily sacrifice Mona for her dad’s safety—but what are the odds Mona will die? Everything escalates in Kiki’s mind—and in reality when her dad does, indeed, disappear. Kiki’s anxiety leads her to act out in ways that are once extraordinary and achingly believable in a story that acknowledges the dark thoughts of childhood with honesty. Author Marjolijn Hof maintains great tension and quiet drama before a resolution that offers relief and hope but is not unbelievably bright. ©2009 Cooperative Children's Book Center
Translated by Johanna H. Prins, Johanna W. Prins. Translated from the Dutch
CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 9-12
Age Range:
Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Grades 6-8 (Ages 11-13)
Format:
Novel
Subjects:
Anxiety
Behavior
Fathers
Translated Books
Worry
Publishers:
Groundwood, House of Anansi
Publish Year: 2009
Pages: 124
ISBN: 9780888999351
CCBC Location: Fiction, Hof