The Higher Power of Lucky

Title: The Higher Power of Lucky

Author: Susan Patron

Illustrator: Matt Phelan

Novel for ages (approximately) 8 and up

Rating: 5of 5 stars

Summary:

This book is about a ten-year-old scientist, Lucky, who fears her guardian will leave her so she searches for her higher power to make her life better and more stable.It is the winner of the 2007 Newbery Medal.

Opinion:

This is a wonderful story written by Patron. It envelopes many elements of good story telling such as humor and mystery. The mood she imposes on the reader is equally as stimulating. You feel what Lucky feels. When Miles shows up to have her read him the same story for the thousandth time you feel her slight annoyance. When her dog, HMS Beagle is sitting, waiting for her at the bus stop, you feel her joy and pride. When Lincoln gives her one of his many knots you feel her happiness and while she may not know it yet, you as the reader can tell there’s a childhood crush going on. The setting Patron uses adds even more to the story. Lucky and her story would not be the same if this story took place in an urban area. The charming, yet floundering town of Hard Pan, California is perfect for Lucky and her story. Patron also uses symbolism throughout the book which is another reason this book is a great piece of literature. Not only is there the surface meaning of the text, but there’s a message underneath it all too. Bridget’s passport is much more than a passport to Lucky, it is the symbol of abandonment.

The illustrations in this book are few but fit it to a tee. They are wispy and soft and add that little extra detail to help cap off the story. They let you see into Patron’s head a little bit. What was she envisioning when she was writing these pages? You could have this story without them, but I’m not sure it would be quite as enjoyable.

I would most definitely use this book in my classroom, not only on my library shelf, but for read-alouds and possibly for an assigned reading project. This is a wonderful book to use if you want to demonstrate and teach the literary elements.