The Higher Power of Lucky
Written by Susan Patron
Children's Novel Ages 9-11
Rating: 5/5

Lucky is in search of her higher power. After her mother died her father's previous wife, Brigitte, comes to take care of Lucky until she gets a new family. When Lucky figures out Brigitte has plans to leave, she makes her own plans to leave...for good!

Opinion: I loved this book! I thought it was well-written and developed. I loved the idea of Lucky trying to find her "higher power," which i think a lot of young kids can relate to, just trying to find themselves and where they fit in. The characters are phenomenally developed: Brigitte and her naive French ways, Lincoln and his knots, and Miles and his cookie fetish. Each character has a "claim to fame" that makes them lovable and easy to understand. And don't forget HMS Beagle! I love how he dutifully follows Lucky everywhere, and has so much to say without even speaking. The language is descriptive and really paints a picture. I love how Lucky describes herself as "sand colored." The symbols in the book really add to the meaning as well. Her mother's urn being a symbol of letting go and moving on, Brigitte's red dress as a symbol of becoming a woman, even the parsley grinder and Lincoln's knots. Lucky's search for herself is also showed throughout the story, rather than told. This includes her eavesdropping on A.A. meetings and constantly adding to her "survival kit." It is very easy to empathize with her because she really is a dynamic character. The ending is of course, satisfying too. The plot moves along smoothly while building tension: Brigitte's suitcase, the phone-calls, etc. Even the little pictures add meaning to the book and contribute to the mood. I am glad I got to read this award-winning book!

Curriculum Connection: This could be used in a number of different ways with older children. They could each be assigned a chapter and create a visual representation of the chapter, sort of what we did with The Giver, or this book would even be fun to do a book report on I think. It is a good book to teach children about literary elements such as tone, plot, style, themes, and symbols, which this book is full of. I think the book is good enough to just have a basic discussion on, and the children can talk about their favorite character or scene in the book, because they are all so relatable. It's an easy read but is full of so many teachable moments and good information, so it would be perfect for a unit or lesson.