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. Fans of novels by Deborah Wiles and Katherine Hannigan will be happy to meet Lucky.–Adrienne Furness, Webster Public Library, NYCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Classroom Implications: Despite the nationwide controversy over this pick, LUCKY is filled with beautiful language, rich characterization and dynamic plot. This is an excellent text for intermediate and young adult (YA) readers to follow a character journey to find a place for her in the world. Patron provides a much needed text to support critical literacy in upper grade classrooms.
Skills and Strategies
- Setting
- Characterization
- Envisioning
- Making Connections
- Questioning
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