Wednesday, September 9, 2009

The Higher Power of Lucky, by Susan Patron

The Higher Power of Lucky, by Susan Patron. Illustrated by Matt Phelan. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2006. 134 pp. ISBN-13: 9781416901945


“Maybe Hard Pan was Short Sammy’s Higher Power because of its slowness and peacefulness and sweet-smellingness, even though it was old and junky and out in the middle of nowhere. Lucky wondered if she could ever get Brigitte to love Hard Pan as much as she loved France.” p. 61


Reader's Annotation
Lucky Trimble’s got a best friend, a great dog, a very cool collection of insects in Altoid tins, and concrete plans to become a world-famous scientist. But what she doesn’t have is certainty that her guardian Brigitte won’t move back to France and leave her an orphan. Lucky hatches a plan…

About the Author
After her fourth grade teacher read E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web to her class, Susan Patron decided to become a writer. For over 30 years Patron worked as a children’s librarian at the Los Angeles Public Library, and in 1991 published her first book. She alternates living in Los Angeles and her writing cabin in the Eastern Sierra desert.

Genre
Realistic Fiction

Reading Level/Interest Age
Although it does contain some advanced vocabulary, I would put its range at ages 9-11, as Lucky is ten years old. I disagree with some ratings of it as 6th-8th grade reading level, as many tweens may prefer to read about protagonists their age or older.

Plot Summary
Fifth-grader Lucky lives in the small desert town of Hard Pan, California, with her French guardian Brigitte. Lucky’s mother passed away a couple years ago and her father has never been a physical presence in her life. But regarding the absence of her biological parents and the financial strain of Lucky and many of her neighbors, Lucky is almost always too busy doing something interesting or fun to notice. She’s an energetic, inventive, introspective, and often brave girl, who is busy collecting insect specimens, having adventures with her friend Lincoln, hanging out with colorful neighbors, and making plans for the future. She also works a few hours each week sweeping the patio of a local museum, taking the opportunity to eavesdrop on the adult participants in various twelve-step programs inside as they describe how they found a mysterious “Higher Power” and thus gained control over their lives. Lucky believes that if she could find her own Higher Power, she could prevent Brigitte from ever returning to France and abandoning her. When Lucky thinks that she sees proof of Brigitte’s intent to leave, she decides to take matters into her own hands and run away.

Series Note
The sequel to this novel is Lucky Breaks (2009).

Critical Evaluation
I found this to be a very believable portrayal of a ten-year-old’s experience of the world and of her need for a constant parental figure in her life. Patron clearly shows how Lucky's fear of abandonment develops logically from the evidence which she thinks she sees regarding her guardian's possible desire to return to France. True, for her years, Lucky is more independent than many children in some ways (e.g., her plan to prevent her guardian from leaving, the fact that she has a part-time job, etc.). But she is overall a realistic character, very much a child in her lack of realization of the possible consequences of her actions. The novel is a lot of fun to read: a great combination of interesting plot developments, introspection on the part of Lucky, and background story at appropriate points. This novel is also extremely strong in the area of “showing, not telling”, in the small details which demonstrate Hard Pan’s poverty, the mixed feelings Lucky has about her unofficial role as Miles’s big sister/babysitter, and the very subtle first indications of possible attraction between Lucky and Lincoln. The dialogue is another strong point, very realistic and age-appropriate for each character. Lucky is a great role model for children as she is very willing to problem-solve in order to get herself and others out of danger (the snake in the washing machine and the cholla burr!), a good reminder to all of us that in life, where there is a will, there really is a way. I really cannot find anything lacking in this novel; it is truly a lovely, insightful, and very funny look at life, misunderstandings, the value of curiosity and resourcefulness, and our human need for family and social connections.

Booktalking Ideas
• Talk about what Lucky carries in her survival kit backpack.
• Demonstrate tying one or two of Lincoln’s knots.
• Talk about the different kinds of families children have, including those led by: a guardian like Brigitte, foster parents, adoptive parents, biological parents, etc.

Curriculum Ideas: Text → Classroom
• Lucky’s love and knowledge of insects → biology: entomology, bug collection and study
• The novel’s desert topography, flora, fauna → earth science: discussion of geography and ecology, and how students’ own natural environment is unique
• Several mentions of repurposed art (Lincoln’s string scrap knots, Sammy’s sardine can frame, etc.) → art: hands-on craft activities with the power to change students’ view of “trash”

Challenge Issues
Some libraries have pulled this book from their shelves due to its brief mention of the word “scrotum”. To fight this censorship, defenders of the book could stress the superlative quality of this Newbery-winner, and explain that the mention of “scrotum” is only part of a brief sidebar story, and that the scrotum in question actually belongs to a dog.

Why I Chose This Book
I picked up this book because it’s a Newbery winner, but chose to read it because I laughed out loud at Patron’s opening description of Lucky surreptitiously listening in on an alcoholics anonymous meeting!