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The Higher Power of Lucky

Sep 13, 2011

The Higher Power of Lucky
By Susan Patron
Age Group: 9-12
My Rating: 4.56 stars out of
Awards and Recognition: 2006 John Newbery Medal, New York Times Best Seller, ALA Notable Children’s Book, Kirkus Reviews Editor’s Choice, JLG Selection, and winner of the FOCAL Award.
 5 stars.

Lucky lives in the tiny town of Hard Pan (Population: 43) with her Guardian Brigitte. Lucky’s mother died before the beginning of this book because she had been out in a rainstorm and touched some power lines that had fallen down, and got electrocuted. Her father didn’t like children, so he called up his first wife, Brigitte, whom he had divorced and who lived in France, to come take care of Lucky.

One day, Lucky sees a suitcase that Brigitte has taken out and sees Brigitte’s passport in it. Lucky hasn’t seen a suitcase in her trailer home for 2 years. This, along with a booklet entitled  “Certified Course in Restaurant Management and Administration with Diploma from the Culinary Institute of France in Paris” that Brigitte is studying convinces her that Brigitte really does not want to be her guardian anymore
and wants to go home to France where her family lives to open a restaurant.

The budding young scientist plans to run away, and on the worst day possible, it seems, for the day she chooses is the day a horrible dust storm is coming to town. This fact doesn’t seem to bother her: in her opinion, it’s to her advantage because the principal of her school let all the kids who lived in nearby Hard Pan go home early, and Lucky thinks this will allow her to have more time to prepare and run away.

There are questions swirling about this “small gem” of a book, full of mystique and suspense. What will happen to Lucky? Does she get injured in the dust storm? Does Brigitte leave, officially and truly? Would she really be that cold-hearted? And if she stayed, would she ever forgive Lucky for running away? Readers who cherish Because of Winn-Dixie, The Tale of Despereaux, or The Red Blazer Girls series will find this book has a permanent spot in their home library.

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