The Higher Power of Lucky Reviews

• Here's an idea: read beyond the first page

  
  By AIWDJ3S85O10Q on 2007-02-20
  Boy, a lot of people need to quit clutching their pearls in horror and just get over it. To dismiss a book entirely because of a word (and the CORRECT word at that, not a crude euphemism) is ludicrous; one wonders what would have happen if the slang equivalent had been used. There's a lot more to this book than the "s" word. The opening of the book establishes that this story takes place in a plain-spoken town in the real world. Unfortunately, the controversy over the word has overshadowed this bittersweet tale.
  
  There is a silver lining to the controversy: nothing is more tempting than forbidden fruit. Those who may not have considered reading this book will be sure to seek it out, and many will then end up reading a story they enjoy. I'll bet they won't even think much about the "word" once they get into it.
  
  I enjoyed reading about Lucky's world: the hard, dusty life in a remote California town, and the people who populate it. My favorite character was Miles, a five year old boy with a penchant for cookies and a certain picture book that, in the end, proves to be a much more poignant choice of a book than it first appears. But that's the joy of this book: even in such a relatively small book, all the characters, even those who only appear briefly, are multi-layered people with their own history. That's good writing.
  
  Susan Patron (a librarian herself) has written a good book. Just read it and enjoy it. As for the rest, just let it go.
  
  

• Beautiful book, not for the faint at heart, every word relevant

  
  By A7V2W9GI73078 on 2007-02-19
  I bought this book for my 8 and 11 year old boys. And then I bought more for presents for my friends' kids.
  
  The idea that some librarians are choosing to keep this book off the shelves due to the use of the word "scrotum" right at the beginning of the book is more offensive than the word. Reality check: my boys have lots of words for that part of the anatomy, it's about time they read the proper word used in context of another boy saying it.
  
  Surprisingly, if it is the "word" that stuns people, then they haven't read the book and thought about how stunning it is to consider a child (Lucky) listening in on a variety of 12-step groups. But those two aspects, and all the rest of the "shocking" things that happen in this book, are all absolutely appropriate, and beautifully written, to make this book something special.
  
  I highly recommend "Lucky", and I fully agree with the age suggestion assigned it (9-12). My 8yo thought it was awesome, but then, he is in the 4th grade. My 11yo loved it.
  
  The reality is kids in this age range have all kinds of scary ideas and powerful curiosities. Being able to read about Lucky going through such things gave my kids the opportunity to think about and talk about all kinds of things. As a family, we thought this was an excellent book.
  
  As for the librarians and teachers who think they don't want to have to give a vocabulary lesson on the word scrotum, ask them how many times they have heard boys in the 9-12 age range yell a variety of less savory words for that part of their anatomy. The scientifically correct word is always worth teaching.
  
  Read it for yourself, and see.
  
  

• Yes, here is another Newbery medal book to argue for . . .

  
  By A393SW83L4WH3G on 2007-02-02
  . . . yet oddly, Amazon reviewers seem to be coy about mentioning the shock factor in Susan Patron's winning book for middle-schoolers. Will readers divide into two groups: those who quit at the "s" word, and the others who continue beyond page 1 to discover the same word in the story's almost-last page? Regarding the first group, is the author saying "well, that's their problem"? The only objectors MAY turn out to be practiced book banners and parents who cannot bring themselves to teach their children biological terms, or school board members who dread to spend time defending freedoms. Does Susan Patron ponder whether someone writing about hope & growing up needs to fall back on the shock factor?
  
  There are other attention-getters such as young friend Lincoln & his passion for the International Guild of Knot-Tyers, revelations of members practicing twelve-step programs, the seldom-used topic of 'cremains.' The Found Object Wind Chime Museum & Visitor Center could also qualify as unusual.
  
  A ten-year-old girl living in Hard Pan CA acquires a live-in guardian, Brigitte, from France. The desert town is a dot on the map with 43 inhabitants. Some attend "anonymous" meetings & Lucky listens to their witnessing surreptitiously. Her goal is to discover a Higher Power and surmount her own life problems; in particular, to prevent her guardian from returning to Paris.
  
  When the 'signs' are right Lucky takes her survival backpack & HMS Beagle, her loyal canine companion, on a carefully planned getaway. This does succeed in drawing attention to her fears & subsequently those needs are properly buttoned up because Lucky, a smart young fan of Charles Darwin, has Patron's young audience latching on to the story like tagalong Miles.
  
  Two mentions regarding a shock element: I had just begun reading "Lucky" before watching the 1987 film "I Heard the Mermaids Singing." It included a too-funny shocker: a Kabayaki eel (?) entree served at a Japanese restaurant. And that brought back a quotation of Frank Lloyd Wright about the Soldiers & Sailors monument in the center of Indianapolis: "I remember that . . . and I presume that was its purpose."
  
  If this Newbery medal winner elicits negative reactions from you, try to remember the word "scrotum" is not a serpent arranged artistically on a dinner plate, or something to detour school board members from getting beyond tests & standards. This is not an example of tabloid mentality invading our brains. Reviewer mcHAIKU finds this a thought-provoking, entertaining story that is cooky-coated to allow childhood realities to filter through. It is as beautifully crafted as the intricate rose knot presented to Lucky by an admiring future president, and as 'swift' as her improvised disposition of her mother's ashes. Lucky is neither 'slow' nor lacking ingenuity.
  
  
  
  

• Lucky is as lucky does

  
  By A1EK2A5V0A1OHF on 2007-01-22
  Lucky has not had it, well, lucky. Her father has abandoned her, her mother died in the desert, and she lives in a tiny dusty town of 43 residents.
  
  Lucky's town, Hard Pan, doesn't have much going for it. There's an improvised beauty salon, a post office, and the Found Object Wind Chime Museum and Visitor Center. Lucky cleans up the Visitor Center, and spends her time eavesdropping on the Anonymous meetings (smokers, drinkers, overeaters, and gamblers). She likes their stories and she's especially inspired by their search for the Higher Power. If only she, Lucky, could find the Higher Power. Then she could stabilize her life.
  
  At the moment, Lucky doesn't feel that stable. She lives with her guardian, Brigitte, a Frenchwoman and Lucky's father's first wife. Brigitte is homesick, still speaks to Lucky with French terms of endearment, and, most importantly, has kept her passport. Lucky knows what that means: Brigitte will leave her in Hard Pan and head back to France.
  
  Brigitte and Lucky live in an improvised home, comprised of three trailers linked together and mounted on concrete blocks. She has one friend in town, a knot-fantatic named Lincoln, and is followed around by a sad 5-year-old boy named Miles with a penchant for cookies and "Are You My Mother?"
  
  Lucky resolves to follow the twelve step program, embarking on the "next step after rock bottom, the getting-control-of-your-life step." She decides to run away during a dust storm, taking a survival pack of her own design with her. Better leave than be left.
  
  "The Higher Power of Lucky" is a charming, powerful tale for the younger Middle Grade reader (7-11). Susan Patron uses the Anonymous metaphor to good effect here. As Lucky herself explains, "It's almost impossible to get control of your life when you're only ten. It's other people, adults, who have control of your life, because they can abandon you." Isn't that the truth?
  
  Lucky is a scrappy young protagonist and a straightforward narrator. She's also an intelligent girl, interested in biology and Charles Darwin, and means well in her search for the truth. The reader roots for her in her attempt to take control of her life, even when she makes mistakes, and is thrilled when she finally finds home.
  
  
  

• Shouldn't be banned

  
  By A1I7QGUDP043DG on 2007-02-18
  I was surprised to hear that some libraries were banning this delightful book for one word, 'Scrotum'. A word I used to refer to 'that place' from the time my son was two years old without embarrassment or making him feel uncomfortable about his body. Since when was scrotum a dirty word? It reminds me of a time when my son was five and overheard the word 'vagina' while we were in the waiting room of my doctor's office. When he curiously asked me what it meant, I was able to explain it in a way appropriate for his age without a red face or the type of reaction that would make him self-conscious. Perhaps grown-ups need to do a bit more 'growing up', for these words are 'out there' in the real world and banning a book isn't going to take away all exposure to commonly used dialogue about the human anatomy (unless you raise your child in a bubble). This is a good children's book, and obviously I'm not the only one who thinks so or it wouldn't have won an award. As parents, perhaps we need to help children feel good about themselves on the inside, and our reactions to words that describe them on the outside can sometimes make the difference between them feeling comfort, or discomfort about their own bodies. As for my own son, he's a mature, confident twenty-one year old in college who shows no signs of 'mental damage' from hearing the words scrotum, vagina, rectum, (he was present when our dog had to have a 'rectal' thermometer), etc. at a young age. I believe many adults have to get over their own childhood memories of unnatural reactions to medical terms for the anatomy, and that's the real reason they avoid books that might put them in the position of explaining anything 'natural'.
  But enough of that. This is a fantastic children's story with great illustrations that I found very enjoyable to read, and I plan on reading it to my future grandchildren.
  
  Chrissy K. McVay
  Author of 'Souls of the North Wind'
  
  
  
  
• Richie's Picks: THE HIGHER POWER OF LUCKY
  By A38TN3W164HE9K on 2007-02-10
  Richie's Picks: THE HIGHER POWER OF LUCKY by Susan Patron & Matt Phalen (ill.) Atheneum/Richard Jackson, ISBN: 1-4169-0194-9
  
  "Ain't got nothin' but my name,
  And I'm the only man I know to blame.
  But I'm livin' I'm happy and I'm free."
  --Marshall Tucker, "Desert Skies"
  
  "Past the town the desert rolled out and out like a pale green ocean, as far as you could see, to the Coso foothills, then behind them, the huge black Coso Range like the broken edge of a giant cup that held tiny Hard Pan at its bottom. The sky arched up forever, nothing but a sheet of blue, hiding zillions of stars and planets and galaxies that were up there all the time, even when you couldn't see them. It was kind of peaceful and so gigantic it made your brain feel rested. It made you feel like you could become anything you wanted, like you were filled up with nothing but hope.
  "HP, she was thinking. HP stood for Hard Pan, but, she realized, it could also stand for Higher Power. Maybe Hard Pan was Short Sammy's Higher Power because of its slowness and peacefulness and sweet-smellingness, even though it was old and junky and in the middle of nowhere. Lucky wondered if she could ever get Brigitte to love Hard Pan as much as she loved France."
  
  Why, you might very well ask, am I bothering to write about the book that has already won the 2007 Newbery Medal? Everybody's going to buy a copy anyway, right?
  
  Well, not so fast. First of all, I'd never gotten a shot at reading the book or talking about it. And secondly, just before the DHL van splashed up the gravel road and into the farm amidst the wind and rain yesterday, delivering my very own gold medal-emblazoned copy, I had the opportunity to read the listserve posts that are causing a little bit of an uproar, posts from a number of school library folk who are vowing to protect their school's children from exposure to any book - Newbery or no Newbery -- that contains the word that is spelled s-c-r-o-t-u-m. Says the word on the very first page, no less!
  
  So you have some elementary librarians - apparently part of the Harris and Emberley Fan Club (Not!) -- claiming this is a dangerous YA book. Then you have a bunch of middle school librarians who have seen reviews that don't mention Short Sammy's Page 1 recounting of the life-altering incident when his dog Roy is bitten on the s-c-r-o-t-u-m by a rattlesnake. (Yes, Roy lives.). Some of these folks are assuming that a 130 page illustrated chapter book -- a la White and Williams -- is going to be too young a read for their Tween students. And then there are those librarians who will dutifully buy it for their school collections because it won the Newbery, but then will simply shelve it and let it die a quiet death by benign neglect without ever taking the opportunity to read and booktalk it.
  
  The fact is that following any of these scenarios would be an absolute crime because THE HIGHER POWER OF LUCKY is both a thoroughly enchanting and truly profound tale of a young girl who is clinging to a seemingly precarious family situation while trying to find her own place in the world.
  
  And just as it would be nuts to not have a copy of, say, WINN-DIXIE or HOLLIS WOODS in both the elementary school's collection and the middle school's collection, THE HIGHER POWER OF LUCKY is one to which students in both age ranges should have access.
  
  "I've been walking
  Along a crooked path
  Where the walls have fallen
  And broken me in half"
  --Martin Page, "In the House of Stone and Light"
  
  THE HIGHER POWER OF LUCKY is set in the world of Hard Pan, California, a place seemingly devoid of cellies, I-Pods, pimped-up rides, and Prada; a place where the only reality show is life, death and the weather, and where social networking is what takes place at the Found Object Wind Chime Museum and Visitor Center -- the closest thing the town has to a church or synagogue - where meetings of the various twelve-step anonymous groups -- alcoholics, gamblers, smokers, and overeaters -- take place on different days of the week.
  
  Unbeknownst to the members of the various Twelve Step groups, ten year-old Lucky Trimble is regularly listening in when they are sharing their "hitting rock bottom" stories at the meetings while she does her vital job of cleaning the patio outside where the members gather after the meetings. ("The recovering alcoholics hated to see or smell beer cans left by the recovering smokers and gamblers; the recovering smokers could not stand cigarette butts left by the recovering drinkers, and the recovering overeaters hated to see candy wrappers left by the recovering drinkers, smokers, and gamblers.")
  
  And so, armed with the collective wisdom of the recovering members of her little desert community, Lucky tries to figure out how to overcome her own problems.
  
  "Lucky pounded the Formica table with both fists, which made HMS Beagle leap to her feet and look at Lucky worriedly. It's almost impossible to get control of your life when you're only ten. It's other people, adults, who have control of your life, because they can abandon you.
  "They can die, like Lucky's mother.
  "They can decide they don't even want you, like Lucky¹s father.
  "And they can return to France as suddenly and easily as they left it, like Brigitte. And even if you carry a survival kit around with you at all times, it won't guarantee you'll survive. No kit in the world can protect you from all the possible bad things."
  
  The serenity that Lucky discovers within Hard Pan, population 43, is something that you truly do not want to miss.
  
  
  
  
• The Higher Power of Lucky
  By AK0N9NB3BD2E2 on 2007-04-24
  In the dusty California town of Hard Pan, Lucky is searching desperately for something to believe in, her Higher Power. Having lost her mother in a horrifying accident, Lucky is now raised by her "guardian" Brigitte, as her father was not up for the job. Lucky fears that Brigitte (Bree-JEET, not BRIDGE-it) is planning on abandoning her to return home to France. With her survival kit in tact, Lucky plans an escape of her own into the desert, hoping the town of Hard Pan comes to realize what they've lost.
  
  There's so much I could say about this book because there's just so much that doesn't make sense. For instance, why would a woman like Brigitte ever agree to fly to America and raise a child that isn't hers, that's her ex-husband's? Why in a town of only 43 (well, actually 42) people are there AA meetings for every sort of addiction known to man? Things that are supposed to seem interesting and unique have a tendency to come off boring and often times, forced in this book. I just didn't find any of it as special or meaningful as the author would've liked me to.
  
  My biggest problem with the book is that Patron's voice is too scattered. It's not clear who she's writing this for. Lucky is nine years old, the same age as the fifth graders I teach, however a lot of the subject matter discussed in this book would mean nothing to them. At times Patron tries to write and sound like a nine year old, but she has difficulty making this believable because Lucky doesn't think and talk like a normal nine year old. It seemed to me that Patron was trying too hard to write how a child would write and this effort didn't carry evenly throughout the book. To be quite honest, it doesn't work and I think most children Lucky's age that pick up this book, will end up putting it down out of boredom.
  
  There were a few things I didn't hate though. Lucky has a list of "good mother" qualities and "bad mother qualities". This list was adorably touching and heart wrenchingly sad at the same time. I lightly chuckled when Lucky, who wants badly to run away, can only think of places in Hard Pan to hide. She doesn't know how to actually "leave" Hard Pan and like the previous example, it's funny but somehow sad at the same time. Matt Phelan's subtle pencil drawings add a lot to the story as well. Cute as these scenes were, I just couldn't escape the fact that this book is flat out boring most of the way through.
  
  Maybe I didn't read between the lines enough. Maybe I'm nit-picking. Maybe the things I just couldn't get over really aren't that important when telling the story. But don't we have the right to be a little nit-picky when we're talking about the Newbery Award winner? This is the book that is supposed to stand above all other children's books in a given year and I found it incredibly dull. I continue to be disappointed in the Newbery Honor and Medal books year in and year out. They've lost touch with who these books are supposed to be written for and most of the time, I'm left scratching my head.
  
  Now let's get this straight, I don't like to write negative reviews. I don't get a thrill out of tearing down someone else's hard work. However, I happen to believe that a bad or negative review, is better than no review. It's in all fairness to the author, Susan Patron, that I write this, whether she or anyone else cares to read it or not. I guess I wouldn't have disliked this book as much as I did if it wouldn't have won the Newbery, but when a title has that shiny medal gracing its cover, it better darn well live up to the hype. Sorry folks, this one didn't.
  
  
• What sort of Horror is THIS?
  By A2NG6BDTGTAIP2 on 2007-02-19
  I'm sorry but as a writer I fail to comprehend the motive of anyone, anywhere to promote this as an appropriate story for a CHILD! I don't even consider it of any value for an adult to read.
  
  "Sammy told of the day when he had drunk half a gallon of rum listening to Johnny Cash all morning in his parked '62 Cadillac, then fallen out of the car when he saw a rattlesnake on the passenger seat biting his dog, Roy, on the scrotum."
  
  "The question of Short Sammy's dog's scrotum settled into one certain brain crevice as she picked her way among the weedy bushes of the dry wash. Even though Lucky could ask Short Sammy almost anything and he wouldn't mind, she could never ask about the story of Roy, since she had overheard it. If she asked about Roy, then he would know that she'd been eavesdropping at the anonymous twelve-step meetings.
  
  Scrotum sounded to Lucky like something green that comes up when you have the flu and cough too much. It sounded medical and secret, but also important, and Lucky was glad she was a girl and would never have such an aspect as a scrotum to her own body. Deep inside she thought she would be interested in seeing an actual scrotum. But at the same time -- and this is where Lucky's brain was very complicated -- she definitely did not want to see one."
  
  While there maybe some sort of redeeming literary and moral attributes hidden somewhere within this book; I fail to discern them in THIS offering. Why exactly does a child have to read the word scrotum a number of times to be entertained and/or educated on the social deficiencies of mankind and to perhaps figure out a way to heal problems?
  
  What in heavens name is Newberry thinking of with this? What are librarians thinking?
  
  Stories connecting to a Higher Power can be uplifting, but THIS retched book deviates from anything remotely uplifting that I can imagine. I wish there were negative stars...this one would earn at least -5.
  
  
• Despite the controversey, it's still not that great a read
  By A335FLTX9SDQN9 on 2007-02-20
  Now that more and more librarians have read the 2007 Newbery Award winner, everyone is up in arms over the use of the word "scrotum" in the second paragraph of the book. I'll admit I am a bit shocked over the use of this word in a book that is considered "children's literature." I work in a children's library and have read my share of books deserving of awards, and books that aren't even worth the shelf space they take up. In my humble opinion, "The Higher Power of Lucky" does not fall into the former category.
  
  This is not a Young Adult read, as the writing itself is geared towards 8-9 year olds and up. But some of the themes are definitely not appropriate for that age group. Being an award winner, I am assuming that as time goes on it will become required reading for elementary school age children. I want to hear what parents across the country are going to tell their children when they start asking what a scrotum is and why the main character of this book wants to see one. Something else I find bothersome is the fact that Lucky, the 10-year-old main character, is searching for a Higher Power, and that she's trying to find it by eavesdropping on 12-step meetings (such as Alcoholics, Smokers, and Gamblers Anonymous). It bothers me that 10-year-olds are hearing a story about a child their age who is trying to find some sort of Higher Power so she does not "hit rock bottom" (a phrase Lucky overheard at an AA meeting).
  
  Oftentimes controversial award winners become that way because they ask questions or raise issues that are considered taboo in our society. This book does not ask those kinds of questions, or raise those types of issues. The only taboo, I thought, was the use of the word scrotum in a piece of children's literature! I am not a huge supporter of censorship, but I do feel that a line was crossed with this book. I'm not suggesting the book should be banned or anything to that extreme. I just think that when considering this year's award winner, this book should not have made the cut. Even if it wasn't for the discrepancy over the use of the word scrotum and a 10-year-old's search for a Higher Power at AA meetings, I honestly did not think this book was all that great anyway. It certainly is not a Newbery Winner in my mind.
  
  
  
• Newberrys are no longer for target audience
  By A2RV5JOTCEWGIM on 2007-02-21
  I just finished reading this book, and I am concerned. The fact that unnecessary and innapropriate content is being placed in a book that received the highest honor a children's book can have in our country really worries me. I have been concerned about the downward trend in books awarded the Newbery in the last few years. I no longer consider these books appropriate for children of elementary age to read aloud (or to have them read on their own) because of inappropriate content (language, sexual terms, sexual references, and sexual situations). It is sad to me as a parent and lover of children's literature to see this happening. I wonder how many other parents feel the same way I do. I can no longer feel comfortable giving my children a book just because it won the Newbery! I spoke with my local elementary school's librarian and she is also worried. She does not feel like she can carry it on her shelves and worries that parents and teachers will blindly recommend this book to children just because it won the Newbery. It is sad that the problems in today's society have permeated into our children's literature. I feel the content being presented in these latest Newbery books is inappropriate for children. Do they need to be given this type of information at this early age? I think not. These issues are private and should best be discussed in the privacy of children's own homes with their parents.
  
  Well, on to the book. As noted, the use of the word "scrotum" at the beginning and the end of the book left a very bad taste in my mouth. It actually tainted my view of this book, which could have done very well without it. I think the author had a very good story line and the concept of a young child dealing with death and the possibility of losing those close to them is a very really issue in many children's lives. I think this author really condemned her book by adding this content and I am so disappointed.!!!!!!
  
  
  
  
• Great Book - grown ups need to grow up!
  By A3R0UC0B30RUUN on 2007-02-21
  Kids want books that make them THINK, GROW, QUESTION and LEARN ... like everything, edgy is fun and when done right (like this book) it will encourage reading - and teach them to love reading their whole lives.
  
  This book has a great story and scrotum is a part of any boy's venacular starting about age 8(I don't have girls so cannot speak to that)
  
  Just be sure to read books before your children if they are that fragile. Someone called this a horror? Scrotum? Oh please.
  
  
• Wonderful Sense of Place
  By A1TINQZYRFAWAF on 2007-01-23
  This fabulous (now Newbery-Award-winning!) book is a story of healing and hope, and provides a superb example of how a sense of place contributes to a deeply satisfying read for kids and adults alike.
  
  
• a book to read again
  By A1QERST35UYM0D on 2007-02-12
  As an adult, I still remember, and read again, some books that I read as a child. The same thing happens with Jane Austen, Somerset Maugham and a few other authors. Although I am no longer a child, this is still a book that I look forward to reading again when I want to feel that the world is right.
  
  The story is that of the young girl, Lucky, who is trying to make sense of her world, but also has great dreams for her future. She is everything but orphaned, living with her "guardian". Her father is an absent man who sends a small check each month.
  
  Lucky's strong determination to make her dreams come true entranced me. She goofed (yes, that is the word I meant to use) sometimes. But, she is honest in her dreams, and hopes for her future.
  
  Lucky's efforts for her future, and her regard for her friends entranced me. I hope that the next book from this author will be a sequel...I want to know how Lucky fares in her future.
  
  Oh, one comment on the book...I totally approve of the use of an indelible marker....
  
  Read the book and find out why.
  
  
• Seriously
  By AM9YB0BKXFH7Z on 2007-02-23
  I was surprised at all of the hoopla over this book given the use of one word. Its hard to think there are people out there who deem this book inappropriate over the word, scrotum. I'm surprised by people who have had issues with book solely for this reason. It makes me wonder if these critics really live in the reality of our times where there is far more offensive language on television, advertising and even t-shirts.
  
  People complain that they don't trust Newbery books now. Newbery winners have always been a rather mixed lot. Some books are enjoyed by many children and some are tedious reads even for adults. What they represent are pieces of young literature that have been deemed excellent for a number of reasons. I can recall being bored by "Sarah, plain and tall" but enjoying "Island of the blue dolphins" even though my mother was concerned about the more violent aspects of the book.
  
  As for "the higher power of lucky" this is another slice of life tale dealing with the difficult and stressful events today's kids deal with. Lucky lives in fear of abandonment uses fanciful ideas to help empower herself to overcome some of the challenges she faces and depends on her friends to help her. What better lesson can there be than empowerment?
  
  
  
  
  
• An amazing book
  By A60KRO8I52U3O on 2007-02-23
  This is an amazing children's book and deserved its award. I've purchased 2 for my nieces and one for a friend's child. The story is rich and vibrant and the artwork is bold. Its refreshing to see a book for young readers that tackles a topic harder than who should be allowed in the treehouse.
  
  As for the hoopla surrounding one single word in the book, grow up.
  "Heather Has 5 Husbands" would be an INAPPROPRIATE book for children, "The Higher Power Of Lucky" by contrast, is highly APPROPRIATE.
  
  A+
  
  
• Misses the target...
  By A1FRFGLCV48JQR on 2007-03-04
  I have read this entire book and leaving the whole "scrotum" controversy aside I thought this author missed the mark for child readers. The book reads and looks like a book for third to fifth graders, but children that age are less likely to be familiar with much of the information in the story like 12 step meetings, addicts, and seeking your Higher Power. In addition the characters are so unusual that they are flatly unbelievable. I know fiction is fiction, but no one would move to a new continent to live on welfare and take care of a child that was fathered by her ex-husband. I think both the author and the Newbery committee missed the mark on this one.
  
  
• Don't let little things turn you away.....
  By on 2007-02-24
  Lucky Trimble is a 10-year-old scientist living in Hard Pan, CA, a town with only 43 citizens. Her best friends, a dog named HMS Beagle, a recovered alcoholic cowboy named Short Sammy, a knot tying president-to-be named Lincoln, and a cookie-eating five-year-old named Miles. She lives in a series of 3 connected trailers with her Brigitte, a young French woman who loves to cook but (according to Lucky) probably doesn't always love her job as a gaurdian ever since Lucky's mom died after a desert thunderstorm, whose ashes still sit in the urn Lucky cannot let go of.
  
  I am a teen and I loved this book. It was nice, unique, and short, too, and wasn't 100 pages too long like last year's Newbery Metal, "Criss-Cross". It is very original with simple pencil illustrations, which was a nice touch, and will probably keep its young readers interested. I cannot think of any other book that is similar to "The Higher Power of Lucky".
  
  Don't let the use of the "s" word on the first page turn you away. Of course, I was surprised and for this reason it may be an iffy read-aloud. I do believe the author could have chosen many other more appropriate places for the dog to get bitten on, but that is beyond the point. Ms. Patron chose this word and that is what is published; that was her own free choice as an author to include that in her book, just as it was to include Lucky listening in on people's testimonies in the Smoker, Alcoholic, and Drug meetings. You can make your own choice whether to include this in your children's library or not, but the "s" word reference seems to be causing a stir and I can completely understand why, but kids need to read, and this is literature, and literature and books are very important. A few sentences shouldn't let a child miss out on the tale of Lucky and her adventures in Hard Pan and her search for a Higher Power. Who knows, maybe it'll just go right over some kids' heads?
  
  Without a doubt, "Lucky" is truly a unique story without any comparisons!
  
  
• Read past the first page and it's still, "eh"
  By A1BKMYEQ6BP5B5 on 2007-05-02
  There's a temptation to rate this with one star just to try to balance out all the backflips other reviewers have done for reasons I don't understand.
  
  I have no problem with the word scrotum, especially used correctly. I do have a problem with it in this book by this character, because that's not the likely word for that Sammy to use. (As someone else noted, he seems more like a "family jewels" man.)
  
  That's a difficulty in the book--none of the characters seems consistent to me. Lucky is supposed to be ten but doesn't act like any ten year old I know--she sometimes talks like a 6 year old, and sometimes like a teen, but rarely does her thought or speech make me think of someone ten years old. And Brigitte, her French guardian, is strangely uneuropean. For example, Patron has Brigitte obsessively putting towels in the dryer for what she calls California softness. Even wealthy people in Europe are likely to dry clothes on the line (think of Bend it Like Beckham where the banker's daughter is hanging the clothes)and in that setting, not Seattle but the desert, the clothes are sure to be dry soon. Brigitte and Lucky both complain there is never enough money, and they are grateful for the government surplus food; I just can't see a frugal French person wasting electricity under those circumstances.
  
  And how does a town with 43 people support a half-dozen "anonymous" programs? I could go on, but there is no need. The setting just doesn't work.
  
  OK, the characters don't make sense. The setting doesn't make sense. Is there anything to like? I found flashes of brilliance here and there. When Lucky's friend realizes that his mother is not nursing a sick friend, but is actually in prison, his relief that she is not ignoring him on purpose is both understandable and poignant. When Lucky gives in to her mean side, finding she just can't help it, but regretting it anyway, that was painfully real. And the idea of a young person working to achieve her (higher power, happiness, fulfillment, bliss) is heartwarming.
  
  In all, I had the feeling I was reading someone's very-beloved rough draft for a final literature project, not a finished novel.
  
  
• Not My Favorite Book
  By A2WZBMC52ULVBX on 2007-05-09
  Put aside the controversy surrounding this book. This book was definitely not as well written as some of the other contenders for the Newbery this year.
  
  The story seemed to come together in the end with the dust storm, however at that point it was too late. I only finished it because I wanted to see why it won the Newbery, and I can't explain why. Why would Brigitte come to America from France to raise her ex-husband's daughter? Why is Lucky so obsessed with 12 step meetings?
  
  I would definitely not recommend this book to read, because it seems to contrived and definitely not deep enough.
  
  
• Great Read
  By A3LW120MGD36SV on 2007-06-06
  
  A few weeks ago my mother sent me the link to a New York Times' article: With One Word, Children's Book Sets Off Uproar. Why are some people so shocked? Why has this book already been pulled from the shelf? Because the word "scrotum" appears on the first page.
  
  Thus in my unfailing curiosity I checked this book out from work to actually see what all the hubbub was about. The word "scrotum" does indeed appear on the first page as our young, heroine Lucky eavesdrops on a conversation and overhears a story about Short Sammy's dog Roy being bit on the scrotum by a rattlesnake.
  
  Following the use of the "scrotum" in the book it reappears a few pages later as: "Scrotum sounded to Lucky like something green that comes up when you have the flu and cough too much. It sounded medical and secret, but also important, and Lucky was glad she was a girl and would never have such an aspect as a scrotum to her own body. Deep inside she thought she would be interested in seeing an actual scrotum. But at the same time--and this is where Lucky's brain was very complicated--she definitely did not want to see one."
  
  Now if we move beyond this atrocious and horrible idea of using anatomically correct terms in children's books The Higher Power of Lucky is the story of a young girl living in the Mojave Desert. The population is 43 and the history we're given is that Lucky's parents are divorced and two years ago Lucky's mother dies accidentally from stepping on a fallen but live electrical line after a storm. Rather than her father taking care of her, Brigitte--Lucky's father's first wife--comes to California from France to take care of her.
  
  The big concept in the book is the idea of finding your "higher power," which Lucky picks up (as well as the "scrotum" story) from eavesdropping on the local 12 Step-esque programs. These programs occur at Hard Pan's local Found Object Wind Chime Museum where Lucky holds the wonderful job of sweeping the front porch. The programs include Gamblers, Alcoholics, Smokers and Over Eaters Anonymous groups and those members who have beaten their addictions share stories of how they hit "rock bottom" and managed to find their "higher power."
  
  The word choice of "scrotum" is entirely appropriate as Short Sammy explains "even though it bit him in the worst place it can hurt for a male" his dog Roy still managed to rescue Short Sammy--who was too drunk to even notice the snake--by killing the snake. Waking into sobriety Sammy makes a deal with himself that if Roy is okay that he'll stop drinking, go clean, and join AA. Realizing that he was too drunk to even care for himself and could have been killed in the situation Short Sammy realizes that he's "hit rock bottom" and now attends AA-meetings to share how he found his "higher power."
  
  The book becomes a story of the complications and trials and tribulations in a child's life that may not seem quite so serious to adults to downright serious concerns for some children in non-traditional family units. The book becomes a tale of Lucky hitting "rock bottom" and ultimately finding her "higher power" by the end of the book. Also at the end of the book the reader will find:
  
  After a moment Lucky said, "Brigitte, what is a scrotum?"
  
  "It is a little sack of the man or the animal which has in it the sperm to make a baby," said Brigite in her deep, quiet voice. "Why do you ask about that?"
  
  "It was just something I heard someone say," said Lucky."
  
  Overall I don't think there is anything objectionable in this book but only librarians (for the most part) worried about parent's squeamish reaction. And can you blame them? In the United States where sex ed largely seems to have gone the way of the dodo as we're replaced more and more with abstinence only courses how often does the public school have to explain or even say the word "scrotum"? The Higher Power of Lucky is an excellent choice for the Newbery medal and if you find yourself with a few free hours on a rainy Sunday I do suggest you visit your local library or bookstore to take a look.
  
  
• Let's keep our children dumb and safe!!
  By A1YJZPANVP78TS on 2007-03-03
  Susan Patron is one lucky author! On top of being awarded the Newbery, she also garnered more free publicity than she could ever hope for. I am of the opinion that anything that censors or dumbs-down a child's perspective of the world around them, in the end, is far more damaging than the word "scrotum". How is it that the word "scrotum" is even offensive? Males are born with them, they are there with us our entire lives (unless something incredibly unfortunate befalls a fella.) So, what? It somehow becomes evil and wrong if its given a name? A correct anotomical name at that. Maybe we should now deem "thumb" or "ankle" offensive as well. Parents that wish to shelter and shade their children from all the "offensive" language and imagery out in the "real" world worry me. Not because they are damaging their own children, but many of them do not stop at that, they want to command the world and parent everyone else's children as well. The last place this kind of facism should exist is in the library system. I applaud all the wonderful librarians out there that have stood their ground not only with this book, but with all potential book-burnings that many a Christian Coalition member wishes upon their communities. All the best to Ms. Patron and her wonderful book. I hope that all the children of the detractors of this book make an extra effort to seek out and read it. Usually, that's the end result of this kind of attack, anyway. Recommended.
  
  
• Patron's Good Sense
  By A13PNQHZAMEXIU on 2007-03-06
  I must applaud Susan Patron's good sense in choosing the word "scrotum" in her children's book, "The Higher Power of Lucky". I think it would have been totally inappropriate of her to have used more common terms like "nut sack" or "jewel bag" or any of the many other slang names our children hear. She even offers a wonderfully accurate and inoffensive definition of "scrotum" at the end of the book for those adults who have trouble defining it for children.
  
  Anatomy aside, Patron does a wonderful job of capturing the fears and sometimes distorted thinking of children, especially those in stressful circumstances. I have experience as a foster parent and have seen the same kinds of thinking in kids whose place in the world is uncertain. Having a book which talks about those fears outright can help those young people deal with their own fears.
  
  My only wish is that Patron had included an explicit observation that Lucky would have been better off if she had talked about her fears. I think this is a lesson kids (and most adults) need to learn. But then, the adults reading the story to their children can add that lesson themselves.
  
  Highly recommended.
  
  
  
• Read the book before you condemn it!
  By A20RYVQV7TFLTS on 2007-03-08
  I decided to purchase this book based on early reviews, and after the controversy over the author's use of the word "scrotum," felt a moral obligation to buy it. I found the book to be a charming and engaging work about an inquisitive little girl. Patrone adeptly chronicles a young girl struggling to identify herself as an individual. Lucky's life mirrors the lives of so many children: exposed to adult themes/settings without fully understanding them. Eventually Lucky turns to a trusted adult for clarification. If only other children were so lucky. This is a great book for parents to read and then to discuss with their children.
  
  
• Maybe I read more into this...
  By A2OOUULK02VNQ3 on 2007-04-23
  Maybe I'm wrong, but it seemed like there was a lot more to this book than just a whimsical story. Reading the book, it didn't seem like the author was going for the cheap laughs with the scrotum reference. What does it mean to be a father? Was Lucky's father a total jerk or did he at least find a good guardian, pay some support, and give Lucky his approval in regards to the ashes of her mother? Also, when Lucky is bitten in the ear when she is down and out, does she consider Sammy's dog being bitten? Lucky's ears have been important to her as she's heard the town's secrets...
  
  Anyway, even the names of Bridgette (the bridge between Lucky and her parents) and Lucky (she was lucky to have a community to care for her)were worth considering.
  
  I enjoyed the imagery of the Mojave desert town -- been through a few of those. Also, I can think of students at our school who are rasied by grandparents or are wards of the state that might enjoy the ultimate hope of the book.
  
  Read it and enjoy! You might not want it for the youngest of elementary grades, but I'd feel comfortable with it with older elementary and beyond.
  
  
• A Newbery winner?
  By A22RAK48P9HDOQ on 2007-06-20
  I was very disappointed in this book as a Newbery winner. It is not in the same league as recent winners. It is a cute story, but not great literature.
  
  
• Sensitive and intelligent...
  By AUBU301SQ0J42 on 2007-03-07
  I ordered this book just in defense of the correct use of the word "scrotum." I'm curious as to what other word could be preferable to the critics--? The "f" word recently in the news deserves such an outcry of objections!
  
  I started the book late at night and didn't put it down until the Serenity Prayer. A terrific book beautifully written. Yes, I was surprised (shouldn't a good book be surprising?); I admired; I laughed; I wept. I am online to order more copies.
  
  Regardless the video/consumer pablum they are fed, children know life has its tough patches. Losing one's mother, not having a father, are there greater fears? The resistance to foreign language is almost a national pasttime, and how many adults recognize the name HMS Beagle? "Slow Children" has always been a rude cultural curiousity corrected in the book by a real (imaginary) contender for a more just US. The use of lowercase for the "anonymous people"--perfect. A ten-year old's perspective all the way...especially when Lucky "would be interested in seeing an actual scrotum," while being definite that she "did not want to see one."
  
  Life is like that.
  
  I would have loved this book at ten. And, even now, it's right up there with my other two favorite books this spring: Castles by Kyle Olmon and Being Singular Plural by Jean-Luc Nancy.
  
  Lucky and Brigitte got stuck with each other through not-lucky events. Then they chose each other. HP.
  
  
• Understanding Lucky A Lesson
  By A1MOXAGVLNUIZX on 2007-06-02
  When my friend, librarian/ neighbor put this book in my hands and insisted I read it, I was in the middle of "The World is Flat" and cramming to finish it in time for a discussion; however, it proved to be the perfect time to take a break from the flat world and enter into the world through the eyes of Lucky. Perhaps the psychology in this book and the need I feel for closer relationships between parents and their children today caused me to find this such a worthwhile read that I passed the book on. It has been going around the neighborhood with all favorable responses even from other writers. Ironically, there is a story in "The World is Flat" on page 53 that involves a frog who was born and lives his entire life in a well. Lucky needed to break out of her well and find someone she could feel secure communicating with...don't we all? It is a precious and relevant-to-our-world today kind of story. The word in question could have been omitted to avoid the criticisms, but makes a point; when a child is left to figure things out alone, misconceptions will occur and simple explanations can save much misunderstanding. The humor was a tonic. It is for adults and children.
  
  
• Ten Steps?
  By A21BRLVFJJ7T6D on 2007-04-22
  Just a reminder that "scrotum" is in the 7th grade California State Adopted science textbooks which are written for 12 year olds. At a small rural school in Northern California, eight 8th graders given the assignment of reading the book and then guessing why some people wanted to ban it. 50% of those 8th graders thought it was because of the 10 step program and promoting religion. None of them even mentioned the "s" word.
  
  
• Good but not spectacular
  By APS380370UU6W on 2007-03-15
  I enjoyed the book but I don't think it is the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children this year...or if it is, we must have had a sorry lot of children's books this year. I can't go beyond discriptives such as "nice", "cute", "sweet", "charming", and such...definitely better than a lot, but nothing I would recommend to a reluctant reader. It's not (to me) controversial or surprising in the least. It seems like a pretty safe read, actually, even if she did use the word "scrotum". Funny place to get a snake bite!
  
  
• A book to help us be better people
  By ABY77ZEHN9WLU on 2007-03-24
  Opening sentence: "Lucky Trimble crouched in a wedge of shade behind the Dumpster."
  
  What a heartwarming book for modern children, and also for adults who still enjoy young adult fiction. The story neatly ties together all the threads by the end, so it's a very satisfying read. Since too many children these days don't have both parents - or even one - living with them, it's vital that they see their own lives reflected in books they read, so they don't grow up like I did, comparing my unhappy home life with "The Brady Bunch."
  
  Even if the people you loved most are gone, love and help are available, and that's what I found most inspiring about this book. The characters are complex, mixtures of common sense and phobias and obsessions, but the book shows each person's motivation and that they all want to be good at heart. It's also quite a funny book. Who doesn't know some of those 12-steppers, and it's great for the non-"anonymous" person to hear some of the stories of people hitting rock bottom. (The smoker's rock-bottom story was hilarious AND touching.)
  
  My only complaint was that it was a bit much in the "Honk and Holler" ain't-they-quirky-out-thar vein, and you never find out why one of the main settings is called the Found Object Wind Chime Museum and Visitor Center. It sounds like a name that came to the author before she had started writing, and she was so enamored with it that she never changed it to something more integrated with the rest of the book. But I was otherwise completely charmed and won over. The story and characters and scenes really stick with you. This book can help us understand ourselves and become better people.
  
  
  

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