The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron

Patron, S. (2006). The higher power of lucky. New York, NY: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron was published in 2006 and won the Newbery Medal for outstanding children’s literature in 2007.  It is an uplifting story about a 10 year old girl named Lucky who lives in a small town, Hard Pan, in the desert of California.  After losing her mother and having an absent father, she’s under the guardianship of Brigitte, a young woman from France. Lucky is looking to find her “higher power” and ultimately her place in life.

This book could be used in the classroom to make a connection with science. Lucky has a strong desire to be a scientist and feels a connection with Charles Darwin.  In fact, her dog, HMS Beagle, is named after Charles Darwin’s ship used for research.  Lucky collects bugs to study and wants to set up a museum exhibit.  Students could do a study on the animals and insects found in the setting of the novel and then set up their own exhibit in the classroom.

While I found this novel a bit hard to “get into”, I think children would really enjoy this story for it’s heartwarming characters and positive outcome. The characters are believable and interesting. Some are less developed than others, like Brigitte, but Lucky’s character is dynamic and her personality is charming. She is simply a young girl looking for her place in the world which I think many children would be able to relate to and connect with personally. Overall, this is a good book that I would recommend for elementary aged children.

(Image retrieved from amazon.com)