Susan Patron specialized in Children's Services for 35 years at the Los Angeles Public Library before retiring in 2007, the same year her novel The Higher Power of Lucky was awarded the John Newbery Medal. As the library's Juvenile Materials Collection Development Manager, she trained and mentored children's librarians in 72 branches. Patron has served on many book award committees, including the Caldecott and Laura Ingalls Wilder Committees of the American Library Association. She is currently a member of the Advisory Board of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.
Patron's previous books for children include the Billy Que trilogy of picture books; Dark Cloud Strong Breeze; and a chapter book, Maybe Yes, Maybe No, Maybe Maybe. All earned starred reviews, and the latter was named an ALA Notable book. The Higher Power of Luck will be translated into twelve foreign languages and has been optioned for a motion picture. Married to a rare book restorer from the Champagne region of France, Susan is working on the final book in the "Lucky" trilogy.
Matt Phelan's black-and-white illustrations first appeared in The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs by Betty G. Birney. His picture books include The New Girl...and Me and Two of a Kind, both written by Jacqui Robbins. Matt lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Gr 4-6-Lucky is about to turn 11 and she knows that this is a special birthday. She's ready to be intrepid, which isn't easy in Hard Pan, California, with a population of 43. Her best friend Lincoln is still tying knots, his little brother Miles is an endearing genius, and Brigitte, her French-born new mother, is studying how to become more American and a good new parent for Lucky. When Paloma, a fun and smart girl tagging along with a group of geologists, comes to Brigitte's cafe, Lucky knows she would be a perfect best friend. The trouble is that Lucky must overcome many obstacles, including Paloma's overprotective parents, tomato worms, and her own decidedly not sensible decisions. In this sequel (Atheneum, 2009) to Susan Patron's Newbery Award-winning The Higher Power of Lucky (Atheneum, 2006), the youngster's inquisitiveness and sincerity is balanced by her occasional selfishness and impatience. The way she looks at the world makes Lucky a character to remember. Cassandra Campbell provides superb narration, making each character's personality believable. An interview with the author concludes the audiobook. Lucky's story is a great mix of humor, worldly insight, relationships, and intrepid adventure that will appeal to listeners.-Teresa Wittmann, Westgate Elementary, Edmonds, WA Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.
|
Ask a Question About this Product More... |
|
