Another Newbery Award Book

2007 Medal Winner:

The Higher Power of Lucky

By: Susan Patron

Illustrations by: Matt Phelan

Lucky is a ten year old girl who is full of worry. She spends her days worrying that her guardian, Brigitte, will send her to an orphanage so that she can go back to live in France. Lucky was left in Brigitte's care when her mother died and her father did not have the desire to care for her. Brigitte happened to be Lucky's father's previous wife. Throughout the book Lucky searches for a Higher Power to help her through this difficult time but doesn't understand how to find it. She often eavesdrops on a local Twelve Step program to help her figure out how to find the Higher Power. She spends her days with Lincoln, her knot-making friend, who she claims will be the president one day. Her dog HMS Beagle is her loyal companion, along with Lincoln. There are also adventures sprinkled in with a neighbor boy, Miles, and a recovering alcoholic, Short Sammy. This is a tale of loss and grief that is lighted by interludes by Sammy, Miles, and Lincoln. Although Lucky struggles with the fear of losing Brigitte, she plays the tough card to keep from looking soft. This book takes you through the mind of a child who is dealing with the loss of a parent. From my perspective, it was hard to understand how she must feel because I have not experienced such a sad fate. However, it could be very comforting for a child that has had to deal with such a tragedy.

I enjoyed this book because it gave me hope for Lucky. Although, I spent most of the book worrying about her, much like I do the children in my classroom. I guess it is my nurturing spirit to worry about the children that I encounter. I wanted things to work out for her, just like I do the other children in my life.

Lucky's character reminded me of Leslie in the book Bridge to Terabithia by: Katherine Paterson. She is a free spirit, with lots of imagination. Both girls see the world in a way that others do not, making them refreshing characters that are outside of the "norm".

This book helped me realize that a book about death doesn't have to be depressing. Although there was a deep underlying theme of death in the story, it did not overwhelm the book. I was delightfully surprised at how well the book honored the death but also focused on life going on afterwards. This is book that offers a true-to-life circumstance without the dark cloud covering it.