Genre 6: Fiction, Fantasy & Young Adult: THE HIGHER POWER OF LUCKY

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Patron, Susan. 2006. THE HIGHER POWER OF LUCKY. Ill. By Matt Phelan. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing. ISBN: 100545036143

PLOT SUMMARY
In this book we are introduced to a spunky child named Lucky. She has had a turbulent life for a child that is only ten years old. She lives in a trailer in a small town called Hard Pan. Her mother died when Lucky was eight years old, and her lame father called his ex-wife in from Paris to care for her. He occasionally sends some money to them, but that is about the only time we here about her father. Lucky listens in on some meetings and hears about people finding their “higher power”. Lucky begins a quest to find her own higher power. She is also very worried that her guardian, Bridget, will leave her. She cares deeply for Bridget, but she knows that Bridget is not truly tied to her and could leave at any time. The reader briefly meets many of the quirky people in this little town, but the story revolves mainly around Lucky. She gets it in her ten year old little mind that Bridget is planning on leaving her. Lucky decides to take matters into her own hands by running away first.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This children’s book is well written. It has a beginning, middle and end that flow together very well. Everything does get wrapped up into a happy ending. The setting is a believable small town. The plot is interesting, but I’m not sure that children would be that interested in it. I asked my daughter to read it and after the first few pages she put it down, and never went back to it. The character of Lucky is original and entertaining. The other characters are also very interesting in this story. I often found this story had funny and enjoyable reading moments, and then there were some incredibly dull and boring chapters that made it hard to keep reading. For a children’s book is does touch on some very adult themes, such as alcoholics, gambling and smoking. It is almost written as if it were for adults, but in the simple language of a children’s book. It has some simple illustrations throughout the book that help the reader to visualize the scenes. The illustrations are appropriately done in pen and ink and pencil, and add a nice visual touch to the story.

Lucky is an interesting character. The story is told through her eyes. She is a well developed heroine. She is a good person, but we see that she is not perfect and has her flaws. Lucky has what she calls the “meanness gland” and feels that she likes being mean. She also realizes that this is a flaw in her nature. Lucky had to learn at an early age that life is not always fair, but that one can go on. She personally goes on a search for her own “higher power” to gain control of her life. One of the other characters in this story is very unique. The character of Lincoln is very interesting. He was named Lincoln by his parents in the hopes that he would someday become president. Lincoln sees things differently than most people, which is evident in his “sign changing” act. He sees a sign go up in his town that reads “SLOW CHILDREN AT PLAY”, and he believes that people driving through his town will think that the kids in his town aren’t too smart. Lincoln then “fixes” the sign by adding a colon to it so that it reads “SLOW: CHILDREN AT PLAY”. This type of humor is present throughout the book, and is what makes the book enjoyable to read. Overall it was a good book, but I was expecting “more” from a Newbery Award winner.

REVIEW EXCERPTS
From School Library Journal
"Grade 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."

From Booklist
"Lucky, age 10, lives in tiny Hard Pan, California (population 43), with her dog and the young French woman who is her guardian. With a personality that may remind some readers of Ramona Quimby, Lucky, who is totally contemporary, teeters between bravado--gathering insect specimens, scaring away snakes from the laundry--and fear that her guardian will leave her to return to France. Looking for solace, Lucky eavesdrops on the various 12-step meetings held in Hard Pan (of which there are plenty), hoping to suss out a "higher power" that will see her through her difficulties. Her best friend, Lincoln, is a taciturn boy with a fixation for tying knots; another acquaintance, Miles, seems a tiresome pest until Lucky discovers a secret about his mother. Patron's plotting is as tight as her characters are endearing. Lucky is a true heroine, especially because she's not perfect: she does some cowardly things, but she takes pains to put them to rights. Francisca Goldsmith"

CONNECTIONS
Do a “Brown Bag” book report – (gather artifacts related to the book)
Write “Part II” – Students can write about Lucky’s future, and how her life turns out.