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sandra4475's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
erincataldi's review against another edition
5.0
What an amazing book for children!! Lucky, the main character, is a down on her luck 10 year old living in the desert in the middle of nowhere. However, she refuses to look at the negatives of her life however and is very grateful for everything that is good, no matter how small.
Lucky's mother died when she was only eight years old and her father (someone she's never even met) brought his ex-wife from France to watch over the daughter he never wanted. His ex-wife, Bridgette, agrees because she always wanted a child and had no job prospects in Paris. Lucky looks up to her "guardian" very much but is always scared that she will leave her to go back to France.
The "town" that Lucky and Bridgette live in only has a population of 43 and is just a bunch of dusty old trailers in the middle of the desert. Everyone is so poor, that once a month, all the adults go to the nearest city to pick up their government surplus. I think this little tid bit was one of the reasons I liked this story so much. Lucky isn't your average kid, she's at the bottom of the food chain and she knows it, it's her reaction however, to the world around her that makes her special. She never thinks about how little she has, she thinks about what she can do with what she has.
Some of her friends consist of, Lincoln, a boy her age who is constantly tying knots, Miles, a 5 year old that goes house to house begging for cookies and for someone to read him "Are You My Mother," and HMS Beagle her trusty mutt that always follows her on adventures. How can you not love the story with characters like this!?
It's a short little story and I would definitely recommend it to anyone. It was well worthy of the Newbery Medal it received.
Lucky's mother died when she was only eight years old and her father (someone she's never even met) brought his ex-wife from France to watch over the daughter he never wanted. His ex-wife, Bridgette, agrees because she always wanted a child and had no job prospects in Paris. Lucky looks up to her "guardian" very much but is always scared that she will leave her to go back to France.
The "town" that Lucky and Bridgette live in only has a population of 43 and is just a bunch of dusty old trailers in the middle of the desert. Everyone is so poor, that once a month, all the adults go to the nearest city to pick up their government surplus. I think this little tid bit was one of the reasons I liked this story so much. Lucky isn't your average kid, she's at the bottom of the food chain and she knows it, it's her reaction however, to the world around her that makes her special. She never thinks about how little she has, she thinks about what she can do with what she has.
Some of her friends consist of, Lincoln, a boy her age who is constantly tying knots, Miles, a 5 year old that goes house to house begging for cookies and for someone to read him "Are You My Mother," and HMS Beagle her trusty mutt that always follows her on adventures. How can you not love the story with characters like this!?
It's a short little story and I would definitely recommend it to anyone. It was well worthy of the Newbery Medal it received.
bubblybing's review against another edition
I have no memory of this book, but remember loving it and feeling very impacted by it when it came out
mbrandmaier's review against another edition
5.0
Excellent story, I loved the beautiful way the author wrote.
kmcneil's review against another edition
3.0
I've been reading a lot of intermediate fiction this summer, and I'm so glad The Higher Power of Lucky was on my list. It's quirky and delightful, and a book that pulls at your heart-strings gently but effectively. I wasn't sure how I would feel about the book as it opened with the main character, Lucky, listening in on an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting and hearing Short Sammy tell his story about hitting rock bottom. But the theme of finding a Higher Power is woven throughout the book, and ultimately I felt that the opening and the story was quite suitable. Author Susan Patron doesn't sugar coat the difficulties in life, nor does she shine a bright light on them. Rather, they are presented as just ... well... part of life. You'll see from the SLJ review below that the story line seems quite intense. It is, but Patron manages to keep the intensity muted and, in the end, gives us a gem that you won't regret reading.
Newbery Medal Winner in 2007
Reading level: 5.9
Interest level: 4 - 6
Gr 4-6-When Lucky's mother is electrocuted and dies after a storm, Lucky's absentee father calls his ex-wife, Brigitte, to fly over from France to take care of the child. Two years later, the 10-year-old worries that Brigitte is tired of being her guardian and of their life in Hard Pan (pop. 42) in the middle of the California desert. While Lucky's best friend ties intricate knots and the little boy down the road cries for attention, she tries to get some control over her life by restocking her survival kit backpack and searching for her "Higher Power." This character-driven novel has an unusually complicated backstory, and a fair amount of exposition. Yet, its quirky cast and local color help to balance this fact, and the desert setting is fascinating. Lucky's tendency to jump to conclusions is frustrating, but her struggle to come to terms with her mother's death and with her new life ring true. Phelan's cover and line drawings are simple and evocative, a perfect complement to the text. Fans of novels by Deborah Wiles and Katherine Hannigan will be happy to meet Lucky.-Adrienne Furness, Webster Public Library, NY Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
Newbery Medal Winner in 2007
Reading level: 5.9
Interest level: 4 - 6
Gr 4-6-When Lucky's mother is electrocuted and dies after a storm, Lucky's absentee father calls his ex-wife, Brigitte, to fly over from France to take care of the child. Two years later, the 10-year-old worries that Brigitte is tired of being her guardian and of their life in Hard Pan (pop. 42) in the middle of the California desert. While Lucky's best friend ties intricate knots and the little boy down the road cries for attention, she tries to get some control over her life by restocking her survival kit backpack and searching for her "Higher Power." This character-driven novel has an unusually complicated backstory, and a fair amount of exposition. Yet, its quirky cast and local color help to balance this fact, and the desert setting is fascinating. Lucky's tendency to jump to conclusions is frustrating, but her struggle to come to terms with her mother's death and with her new life ring true. Phelan's cover and line drawings are simple and evocative, a perfect complement to the text. Fans of novels by Deborah Wiles and Katherine Hannigan will be happy to meet Lucky.-Adrienne Furness, Webster Public Library, NY Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
meghan111's review against another edition
3.0
Ramona-esque. Quirky details, loving attention given to what I would think of as a horrific climate out in a tiny town in a California desert.
amyinthewind's review against another edition
5.0
It's hard to know how to write a review of this book. Let me begin by saying that I thought it was absolutely wonderful! I laughed out loud in several places, and when I tried to read the amusing passages aloud to my husband, we both laughed ourselves nearly to tears.
This is the story of Lucky, a 10 year old girl who lives in a tiny desert town where there are hardly any jobs and everyone is poor. The town's greatest asset is the Found Object Wind Chime Museum and Visitor center, where there are a number of weekly twelve step meetings. Lucky's job is to pick-up trash around the museum, where she also eavesdrops on the twelve step meetings and becomes fascinated with the search for a Higher Power. Lucky's mother died two years ago, and she is a ward of the state being cared for by her father's French ex-wife, Brigitte. Lucky is convinced that a Higher Power would help assure that she gets to continue life in her small town, and a Higher Power would convince Brigitte to stay with her.
I find Lucky's character to be well-developed. It's hard for an author to really take on the character of a 10 year old, and Patron does this well. The other characters are viewed through Lucky's eyes, and they take on character and meaning as described by Lucky.
The book has been criticized for it's use of the word "scrotum" in the first & last chapters and for the mention of alcoholism, smoking, and drugs. As a book written for the 9-11yr old crowd, I could see how this would offend some and not bother others. I'm among those who would not be bothered. I *do* want to know what my daughter is reading, which is why I'm reading the 4th-8th grade books now (while she's going into 3rd grade), but there wasn't anything explicit in this book. "Scrotum" is in reference to a story Lucky overhears about a dog, and at the end of the book Brigitte gives a very straight-forward answer when Lucky finally asks what a scrotum is. As for the alcohol, smoking, and drugs: these are not glorified or even discussed explicitly. They're discussed in the context of twelve step meetings from the innocent perspective of a ten year old, who doesn't really understand what it's all about anyway. My 8 year old is well aware of alcohol, smoking, and drugs. These are things we've discussed since she was very small, and I'm not concerned about her reading books that mention these things. We live in an urban area where these discussions cannot be avoided. (I should also mention that she knows what a scrotum is, too. It's a very obvious part of basic human anatomy.) Overall, none of these things seem like major themes in the book. They're part of the context of a larger story.
This is the story of Lucky, a 10 year old girl who lives in a tiny desert town where there are hardly any jobs and everyone is poor. The town's greatest asset is the Found Object Wind Chime Museum and Visitor center, where there are a number of weekly twelve step meetings. Lucky's job is to pick-up trash around the museum, where she also eavesdrops on the twelve step meetings and becomes fascinated with the search for a Higher Power. Lucky's mother died two years ago, and she is a ward of the state being cared for by her father's French ex-wife, Brigitte. Lucky is convinced that a Higher Power would help assure that she gets to continue life in her small town, and a Higher Power would convince Brigitte to stay with her.
I find Lucky's character to be well-developed. It's hard for an author to really take on the character of a 10 year old, and Patron does this well. The other characters are viewed through Lucky's eyes, and they take on character and meaning as described by Lucky.
The book has been criticized for it's use of the word "scrotum" in the first & last chapters and for the mention of alcoholism, smoking, and drugs. As a book written for the 9-11yr old crowd, I could see how this would offend some and not bother others. I'm among those who would not be bothered. I *do* want to know what my daughter is reading, which is why I'm reading the 4th-8th grade books now (while she's going into 3rd grade), but there wasn't anything explicit in this book. "Scrotum" is in reference to a story Lucky overhears about a dog, and at the end of the book Brigitte gives a very straight-forward answer when Lucky finally asks what a scrotum is. As for the alcohol, smoking, and drugs: these are not glorified or even discussed explicitly. They're discussed in the context of twelve step meetings from the innocent perspective of a ten year old, who doesn't really understand what it's all about anyway. My 8 year old is well aware of alcohol, smoking, and drugs. These are things we've discussed since she was very small, and I'm not concerned about her reading books that mention these things. We live in an urban area where these discussions cannot be avoided. (I should also mention that she knows what a scrotum is, too. It's a very obvious part of basic human anatomy.) Overall, none of these things seem like major themes in the book. They're part of the context of a larger story.
ckausch's review against another edition
4.0
I read this back when it was the center of a ruckus because it won the Newbery award this year, and has the word "scrotum" mentioned a few times in it. I guess a bunch of people don't think the word scrotum is appropriate for kids who might read this. I tend to disagree with them. It is a chapter book; School Library Journal puts it in the grades 4 - 6 range. The book centers around Lucky, who is a 10 year old kid, living in a trailer in the middle of the desert. Her mom died and she lives with her "Guardian" who happens to be an ex-wife of her father, from France. Lucky constantly fears that her Guardian will return home to France and leave her in an orphanage. Lucky has spent some time listening in on 12 step meetings and has decided to find her Higher Power. She's definitely a lovable, quirky character, as are the people around her. It's a really great book and I hope the scrotum controversy dies down and the book is just remembered for how great it is.
ccornejo's review against another edition
3.0
Newberry Award Winner. Grades 4-6. Good story about a girl who ends up being raised by her dad's first wife who comes from France. At the end Brigette will adopt Lucky.