The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron
Winner, 2007 Newbery Award
Quick Summary
Lucky adjusts to life with her French guardian (her father's first wife) after the accidental death of her mother.
Favorite Quote
Lucky wished she were an artist too, and could organize all the complicated strands of her life—the urn she still had, the strange crematory man, Brigitte and Miles, HMS Beagle and Short Sammy, the Captain and the anonymous people and Dot and even Lincoln himself, and weave them into a beautiful neat ten-strand knot.
About the Author
Susan Patron is a children's author and librarian (now retired) for the Los Angeles Public Library. She published her first book in 1991. She has written two other books about Lucky titled Lucky Breaks and Lucky for Good.
My Project
The book's setting (Hard Pan, California) is a community that is all about "making do," so I made a special effort to only use materials that I already had in my studio. I used dark red sari silk ribbon for the background of this piece to symbolize the red silk dress that Lucky's guardian Brigitte wears when she arrives from France. The dress suffers a bit of wear-and-tear late in the story, so I left the fraying, wrinkled pieces of the silk as they were. I hand stamped the "Hard Pan" population sign on a recycled piece of brass framed with copper, wood, and my hand cut brass disc spacers. The population number (43) is poignantly significant, as the population goes down one with the death of Lucky's mother, but up one with the arrival of Brigitte.
The main character Lucky enjoys insects (she thinks of herself as a scientist), so I included a spiderweb and spider charm. (By happy chance, the author reports a special childhood connection to the book Charlotte's Web on her website.) I painted the spider black and added a little sparkly paint to the metal web so it glistens in the light. The date of the award (2007) was added in pen the same way another sign in the book was also altered by pen. (That yellow "Slow Children" road sign message has always bugged me, too, so I was delighted by the innovative way that the young characters fixed it.)
Final Thoughts
This book had a melancholy undercurrent, but at the same time, it wasn't depressing, just thoughtful. The small town is cash poor; they all qualify for government assistance food and live in non-traditional houses such as multiple trailer homes joined together and a retrofitted water tower. The children are bused to a larger town for school. Even the most minor characters are rich in quirky details. (If you're a jewelry designer, you'll love the tidbit that the woman who runs the town's hair salon also sells her handmade jewelry and is known for having all sorts of useful tools.) I found the main character Lucky spunky and resourceful. I was happy to see that the author ended up writing two more books about her.
Your Turn
Readers: If you read this book, I'd love to hear what you think in the comments.
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