Chapter Book #6 Newberry #1

Title:  The Higher Power of Lucky

Author:  Susan Patron

Illustrator:  Matt Phelan

Genre:  Fiction

Sub genre:  Chapter Book

Theme:  Runaway children, Fear

Characters: Lucky Trimble, Short Sammy, Lucky's dog, Brigitte, Lincoln, Miles, and Dot

Awards: Newberry

Publishing Date: 2006
Publisher: Atheneum Books

Summary:  Lucky is a ten year old who can't wait another day to runaway from her hometown, Hard Pan, California, which has a population of 43. Lucky fears that her legal guardians plan to abandon her to return to France. Lucky wants to be a scientist and has a wild imagination that aspires to seek the "higher power" that will bring stability to her life. All she wants is to have a stable home that is exciting, not in the small town that has very little people in it. Lucky finds listening to Short Sammy through a hole in the wall at the wind chime museum who talks about how hard he has fallen rock-bottom. She likes listening to the conversations because the people in the alcoholic meetings end by saying that they have met the higher power when they hit rock-bottom. Lucky wants to find her higher power.

I would use this book for independent reading, or use it for a class reading. Each student will read part of the book aloud. This will address feelings of a runaway child. The students will be get in a literature circle in groups of five and discuss the book. The students will discuss the feelings of the child and what they would do if they were in her shoes.