Against the odds

Author: Marjolin Hof
Ages: 9-12
Rating: 5/5

About: Kiki's father is a doctor who has a passion for helping others in war torn countries, much to Kiki's dismay. She worries about stray bullets and illness, until her mother explains to Kiki about odds -The odds of a little girl having a father are high, while the odds of a little girl not having a father are low. But when her father goes missing, Kiki takes it upon herself to raise the odds in her father's favour. She begins this thought with the idea that the odds are quite low for a little girl to lose her pet dog and her father. And she doesn't much like her pet dog anyway.

Thoughts: I really enjoyed this little novel. It was quirky and made me laugh, but at the same time it made me want to cry. This little girl was so stressed out about her father being missing she contemplates murdering her dog if it means that her father would come home safe. It was interesting to read about Kiki's logic and her feelings watching her mother and grandmother deal with her missing father, all while trying to sort out her own feelings. I liked how forthcoming Kiki was with the reader about her worries and anxiety. And I liked the rapport that Kiki had with her father and mother, it was endearing and made me root for the family's happiness all the more.

I think that this would be an important book for kids to read if they have parents going away to war or if a child has high stress about parents going away from them. The author addresses not only a child's anxiety about what could go wrong, but what happens when a parent is missing or becomes wounded while away. A lot of changes go on in that time. Kiki sees her grandmother unable to handle the stress; Kiki doesn't like being around her best friend, and she doesn't want to go to school; Kiki experiences thoughts and acts out in ways that surprise her. But throughout the novel Kiki's mother loves her, and she knows her father loves her too, and knowing this helps Kiki to deal with everything.