Nice read. Reminded me how little exposure I have to the west. Some humor and sweetness a d so e realistic behavior on the part of the main character, Lucky, who really is ( )

This is one of those books I picked up because of it's Newbery medal, but was not expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. The characters were true sounding, full of unusual quirks. The story, set in a tiny desert town was well crafted and the townsfolk and town itself was unusual and interesting. I genuinely liked Lucky, and even when she was not being her best, still looked forward to a happy ending. ( )

In case you don't know, this is the book that won the Newbery medal and caused all the fuss over the word scrotum. Scrota (I had to look up the right plural) aside, it's a neat little book about a young girl looking for answers to life's tough questions, which is all the more interesting in her case because she has a nontraditional family and an obsession with 12 Step groups. (And Lucky is a really cute name for a kid, though it's kind of always been a dog's name in my book.) ( )

The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron reminds me (in all the best ways) of the Ramona books I loved as a kid.

Lucky is smart, observant, and quirky, and it's fun to see her navigate her world. That world has its issues (deep poverty and absent parents among them). But it's also a world full of love and hope.

If you like realistic middle grades, and you haven't read this one yet, I strongly recommend it. ( )

It's easy to see why The Higher Power of Lucky won the Newbery Medal, but not so easy to see why such a fuss was made when it came out over the author's use of the word scrotum. Seriously? Oh well. Lucky's story does touch on some heavy subjects (addiction and 12-step meetings, death, jail, poverty) that parents of ambitious younger readers might want to be aware of, but Patron tackles them with a tender, discerning eye, and the book's beautiful illustrations further soften their impact. I suspect this is one that resonates differently with children and adults too. Personally, I cried my eyes out (happy/bittersweet tears) over one scene towards the end, but a child might have a different reaction. Lucky, Lincoln, and Miles are wonderful characters, and Patron paints the adults of Hard Pan, California with a colorful brush too. Good stuff here all around! ( )