Orwell's Luck

I don't as a general rule go around reading books classified as children's or young adult fiction, but I happened across this book while helping inventory the children's literature section at the library where I work. There was just something about this book that made it jump right out at me, and since I don't believe such things to be coincidental, I checked it out, took it home, and read it in one sitting. Even as a child, I moved quickly beyond children's books to the world of adult fiction, and now I am starting to wonder how many wonderful children's books such as Orwell's Luck have I missed out on enjoying over the years.The Orwell of this novel is not George Orwell; he is in fact a cute little cottontail rabbit whom the unnamed, twelve-year-old female narrator finds lying atop the morning paper one day. The poor thing has no use of its hind legs, and our narrator naturally takes the rabbit in, sets him up in as comfortable a lifestyle as possible, and tries to nurse him back to health. Despite predictions of doom from her father, Orwell not only survives but begins to thrive, although his legs remain basically useless at first. The little girl is as precocious as she is darling, and her nurturing efforts are rewarded in an extraordinary way. An avid follower of daily horoscopes, she is soon quite surprised to find seemingly personalized messages appearing in her daily newspaper, messages that are coming from none other than Orwell. Orwell predicts the final score of the Super Bowl on one occasion, he gives his human nurse the winning lottery numbers that would have made the family fabulously rich had the girl been able to buy a ticket, and he waxes somewhat philosophical at times. The girl learns a lot from the rabbit about life, herself, and her family. Things are not exactly rosy at home during Orwell's early days as a member of the family. Her father loses his job for one thing, and the girl struggles to find friends at her new school. Through her rabbit, she learns that things happen for reasons, that one must look at things in different ways and from different viewpoints, that waiting can be part of a cure rather than a source of pain. Orwell's Luck is as philosophical and enlightening as anything you will find among books written for a 9 to 12 age level.This is not some little children's book that can be read in the course of half an hour; it's not overly long, but it is quite substantive. Richard Jennings displays the remarkable ability to write for children without seeming to be writing for children. By this I mean that he does not "write down" to a child's level at all, yet the entire story is easily comprehensible and, for a majority of youngsters, inherently interesting. There is much truth, advice, and knowledge in these pages; as an adult, I feel that I too learned something from the remarkable Orwell, enjoying every minute of this well-told, nothing short of beautiful little book. I know very little about children's literatur

This is one of the most charming examples of juvenile literature that I have read in a long time. The young narrator--7th grade--is very real and incredibly charming. Her concerns are are those of my young people--male or female--her age, certainly were some of the issues I pondered at that age--from worries about friends to philosophizing about god to planning a life's career. The writing is filled with wonderful metaphors and similes. Don't let that put you off--they are perfect, both humorous and descriptive. As a school librarian, I am giving this to everyone who is willing to try it, and my enthusiasm is getting many people waiting for their chance.