Susan Patron
Hardcover | Pages: 144 pages Rating: 3.58 | 12713 Users | 1523 Reviews
List Books In Favor Of The Higher Power of Lucky (The Hard Pan Trilogy #1)
| Original Title: | The Higher Power of Lucky |
| ISBN: | 1416901949 (ISBN13: 9781416901945) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Series: | The Hard Pan Trilogy #1 |
| Characters: | Lucky Trimble |
| Setting: | California(United States) |
| Literary Awards: | Newbery Medal (2007), Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award Nominee (2008) |
Description During Books The Higher Power of Lucky (The Hard Pan Trilogy #1)
Believing that her French guardian is about to abandon her to an orphanage in the city, ten-year-old Lucky runs away from her small town with her beloved dog by her side in order to trek across the Mojave Desert in this Newbery Medal–winning novel from Susan Patron.Lucky, age ten, can't wait another day. The meanness gland in her heart and the crevices full of questions in her brain make running away from Hard Pan, California (population 43), the rock-bottom only choice she has.
It's all Brigitte's fault -- for wanting to go back to France. Guardians are supposed to stay put and look after girls in their care! Instead Lucky is sure that she'll be abandoned to some orphanage in Los Angeles where her beloved dog, HMS Beagle, won't be allowed. She'll have to lose her friends Miles, who lives on cookies, and Lincoln, future U.S. president (maybe) and member of the International Guild of Knot Tyers. Just as bad, she'll have to give up eavesdropping on twelve-step anonymous programs where the interesting talk is all about Higher Powers. Lucky needs her own -- and quick.
But she hadn't planned on a dust storm.
Or needing to lug the world's heaviest survival-kit backpack into the desert.
Details Appertaining To Books The Higher Power of Lucky (The Hard Pan Trilogy #1)
| Title | : | The Higher Power of Lucky (The Hard Pan Trilogy #1) |
| Author | : | Susan Patron |
| Book Format | : | Hardcover |
| Book Edition | : | Deluxe Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 144 pages |
| Published | : | November 7th 2006 by Atheneum/Richard Jackson Books |
| Categories | : | Realistic Fiction. Childrens. Middle Grade. Fiction. Young Adult. Juvenile. Chapter Books |
Rating Appertaining To Books The Higher Power of Lucky (The Hard Pan Trilogy #1)
Ratings: 3.58 From 12713 Users | 1523 ReviewsWrite-Up Appertaining To Books The Higher Power of Lucky (The Hard Pan Trilogy #1)
My elder daughter and I went to a book reading by Susan Patron this evening which inspired me to finally write a review of The Higher Power of Lucky. This was, frankly, one of the most inspiring children's books that I've read in years. How often is it that authors tackle life, death, addiction and meanness without tottering over into Monday Night Movie territory? Patron handles these topics with class and style, or as her character Brigitte might say, "panache."Lucky is 10 years old and livesI really like this book! Its the kind of story I would have read over and over as a preteen. Ten-year-old Lucky lives with her guardian in a vivid little desert town. Lucky has been abandoned before and sees her guardians homesickness for France as a sign that she will soon be abandoned again. To avoid being dumped in an orphanage, Lucky decides to run away and live in the desert.Every character in this novel is realistically flawed. Lucky has a mean streak and sometimes lashes out at her
Everyone's life story has the capacity to guide someone else who is searching for a thread of reason through their own. This is a special book, perfect for children. The plot is fairly simple but is riddled with complex themes--just like childhood. I found it difficult, at first, not to pathologize the behavior of each character. But the story serves as a great reminder that we all have our own struggles and our quirks. Those who listen carefully can find comfort in the experiences of others.
I'll admit that aside from reading mostly serious fiction, I read a lot of children's books as well, although only seldom do I review one. To be perfectly honest, most kids' books do not grab me or portray any life lessons, but there are some exceptional authors out there that I praise whenever i have the chance. The benchmark, for me, was set by Kate DiCamillo (almost all of her books) and Suzanne Collins (The Underland Chronicles). Not many authors succeed to come close to this benchmark, but
There is a lot of talk about scrotum in this story. Strange and somewhat funny. I do like that Brigitte is French. What can I say? I love the French. This story did not draw me in. It really didn't land much for me. There were some character moments that were good, but I didn't feel the story had much direction or a whole lot to say. I did appreciate Lucky searching for her higher power. That was interesting.Otherwise, I don't have a whole lot to say on the book. It did win the Newberry and I
The Higher Power of LuckyNewbery MedalGrades 5-7I understand this book is recommended for ages 9-11, and while I agree that the reading level is suited for that age range, the detailed accounts given by characters during 12 step meetings are not. Patrons writing is about as fluid and graceful as the alcoholic characters in the book. There are a few black and white illustrations throughout the book, very minimal in style, to help give the younger readers a visual sense of the characters emotions
Overall, I just can't understand why this book won the Newbery, unless it was a sad year for children's lit. I just started listening to another Newbery book, A Wrinkle in Time," and in the introduction, the author comments that adults don't understand this book, but children "get it." I feel like this book is the exact opposite; I'm sure some adults felt like it was deep and meaningful and rich, but I suspect many children will find it a bit dull and depressing. Also, I found the book to be a
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