Lucky Breaks

At age 10 Lucky Trimble survived running away from home, finding her Higher Power and all the craziness the town of Hard Pan, California --- population 43 --- has to offer. All of this, though, is nothing compared to what awaits her at 11 years old. After all, eleven is much more intrepid than only ten. The more Lucky looks for intrepidness, the more things seem the same --- or do they? Lucky's best friend, Lincoln, is gaining recognition with his world-class knots. His latest obsession is safely hidden away for the upcoming International Guild of Knot Tyers contest that promises fame and the possibility of leaving Hard Pan --- and Lucky. Brigitte, Lucky's legal guardian, has created her own niche in Hard Pan with a delightful French cuisine restaurant open for lunch on the weekends. Everyone has a piece of advice for Brigitte as she continues to adapt to the American way of life while staying true to herself. Miles --- newly certifiable genius --- is excited to share his sixth birthday celebration with Lucky, and he wants the whole town invited. Lucky has come to the conclusion, however, that only a girl best friend will truly make her 11th year unforgettable. Enter Paloma Wellborne, niece of a geologist who happens to stop at Brigitte's cafe for lunch on the way to surveying rock layers in the desert. Paloma and Lucky hit it off right away --- laughing hysterically at gifts for chickens, swimming lessons in a bucket, and other all-important girl conversations. When Paloma's parents agree to let Paloma spend the weekend, Lucky makes plans to impress her with all the wonders Hard Pan has to offer. Lucky plots to uncover the mystery surrounding the rather large box sitting in Short Sammy's yard, stay far away from Lincoln and Miles, bake over 50 cupcakes for the birthday celebration, and perhaps search for a long-lost broach hidden outside of Hard Pan. While Lucky promised both Brigitte and Paloma's parents that she would make good decisions, Lucky also promised herself that she would be intrepid from now on. Lucky doesn't live up to her namesake, however, when things go unplanned and she puts both Paloma and herself in danger. Her fearlessness starts to break, and she is forced to make some tough decisions that impact others more than she had imagined. Susan Patron created magic in her Newbery Award-winning THE HIGHER POWER OF LUCKY, and fans will not be disappointed with this rewarding sequel. Matt Phelan once again sprinkles elegant drawings throughout that bring an added depth to the story. I appreciate that as this series grows so do all of the characters. They have learned from their mistakes, but they still continue to make new ones. I also enjoyed the ease in reading the book. You feel as though you're tagging along with Lucky and are in the center of the action. It's a fast read, but a very rewarding one. LUCKY BREAKS is the second book in the Lucky trilogy, and readers can expect a satisfying conclusion in the future. --- Review

LUCKY BREAKS is the second book in Susan Patron's THE HIGHER POWER OF LUCKY trilogy. It continues the story of Lucky, who lives in the middle of the desert in a tiny town called Hard Pan. Lucky is about to turn eleven, and she can hardly wait. She is sure that being eleven will cause her life to be much more exciting than being ten. After all, being eleven is at "the door of becoming a teenager." Not a whole lot has changed in Lucky's life. She still lives with Brigitte, her French adopted mother. She helps run the Hard Pan Cafe, which is open on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. Business is good, and Lucky is proud that Brigitte has made it such a success. When she's not helping at the Cafe or busy at school, Lucky spends time with her two good friends, Lincoln and Miles. Lincoln, also eleven, is a world-class knot tier determined to win a knot competition that could earn him a chance to live and study in Europe for a year. Miles is about to turn six. He has been tested at school and told he has a genius IQ. With the help of Lucky and Lincoln, he is studying to be a brain surgeon. Together they make an interesting and unforgettable trio. Not much changes in Hard Pan, but one day Lucky meets a new friend. One of the guests at the Cafe is another eleven-year-old named Paloma. She turns up with her uncle, a geologist, and becomes fast friends with Lucky. Lucky can't believe what she has been missing. Having a girl as a best friend is much more satisfying than hanging around with two boys. Lucky continues to think of herself as self-sufficient and independent, but being so enthusiastic and adventurous almost turns out to be Lucky's downfall. She and Paloma venture into the desert on a mission that almost ends in tragedy. Her experience teaches her lessons about respecting danger and preserving friendships. Author Susan Patron won the 2007 John Newbery Medal for THE HIGHER POWER OF LUCKY, and this second book is surely medal-quality, as well. She keeps Lucky true to her original character and adds just the right combination of adventure and new intrigue to keep readers waiting anxiously for the final episode. I applaud Lucky's freshness and purity, and Patron's determination to include plot elements previously attacked by critics. Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"

LUCKY BREAKS is the sequel to THE HIGHER POWER OF LUCKY. Who is Lucky? She is a soon to be eleven year old girl. She lives with her stepmother in a tiny desert -like town of Hard Pan. In LUCKY BREAKS, Lucky meets a girl. Paloma arrived with one of the geologists who came to her mother's restaurant, Brigitte's Hard Pan Cafe. Immediately, Lucky wanted to be her best friend and invites her over to her birthday party. A few hours before the birthday party, Paloma and Lucky decide to go on a treasure hunt. Rumor has it there is a part of a dove brooch in an abandoned well. Using a ladder, Lucky goes down to the bottom of the well. She didn't discover the brooch, but did find she couldn't get out. In the first book, Lucky explores this mysterious Higher Power she heard mentioned in the Twelve Step meeting. This wonderment she had in the first book continues as she waits on help to arrive. Fans of the first book will delight in the return of Lincoln, a genius at tying knots, Miles, and Short Sammy - all very colorful characters. If you haven't read THE HIGHER POWER OF LUCKY prior to this book, I highly recommend you do so first. It will make the reading adventure more pleasurable.

I really enjoyed this book. It reminded me of my favorite series books, Trixie Belden. "Lucky Breaks" is the sequel to "The Higher Power of Lucky." In this book, Lucky is turning eleven and life just has to get more exciting for her. She meets a new girl who is visiting her uncle in Lucky's small town, Hard Pan. This new friendship develops into some very exciting and more often dangerous situations for Lucky and her friends. Along the way Lucky realizes that old friends are just as wonderful and exciting as new friends and all experiences can be shared with one another. Susan Patron writes this story using a well rounded group of words...nothing overly difficult, yet not overly simple. She writes with enthusiasm using very well rounded characters to completely engage the young adults that will undoubtebly love this book.

Eleven is a great age to be. It's a time for change. And in the beginning of the book, Lucky is feeling that need to be intrepid. She is such an endearing character with her scientific thoughts. Susan Patron gives her a distinct voice but a recognizable one, especially if you've ever been a pre-teen girl. There were many moments that rang so true, they made me (almost) nostalgic for the years when I was eleven. "...being bored is actually almost worse than being sad. When you're sad, your heart pumps the tragedy all through your body and fills your mind with the story of your suffering, and you tell that story to yourself over and over. But when you are bored, your mind has no stories and is a gray lump, a lump with soggy crevices of longing for something to happen." Lucky longs for a girl best friend, her father, and adventure. It's a tall order that leads to another Lucky-esque scrape. But she comes out of it a little more mature and two best friends instead of one. I think I enjoyed this as much, if not more, than "The Higher Power of Lucky".