Angeline Reddy is the daughter of a famous lawyer, but she's no stranger to rulebreaking. Growing up in the wild goldmining town of Bodie, California, in the 1880s, Angeline has seen it all saloons, brawls, dance halls, and a whole lot of desperation. But nothing's more exciting than seeing her daddy, Patrick Reddy, in action in the courtroom. Yet when Angeline's beau, a detective, ends up on trial, she finds herself tangled in a dangerous mystery as she attempts to help clear his name. In the pages of her diary, Angeline begins to piece together the clues stumbling across more than one murder and plenty of people with secrets they're fixing to keep. In a time and place where folks would rather settle up with a gunfight than a jury, Angeline must work quickly if she hopes to save her beau.
For eleven-year old Lucky, the universe is full of questions. Is that mysterious woman at the cafe Miles's mom? Does her father not talk to her because he hates her? Will the Health Department ruin everything? Is she really going to go to hell? The answers are, in no particular order, nearly, no, yes, and a big fat "who knows." But, answers-like every little thing in the whole universe-are constantly evolving and sometimes, the biggest questions have no answer at all. The best Lucky can do is never give up on maybe, maybe understanding things a little better before she turns twelve. It will take a punch in the face (not her face), a near cafe disaster, a trip to the principal's office-and both male and female sofas-- but in the end, she'll see that there are loopholes in life and, thankfully, in county health codes!
The Hard Pan trilogy that began with the Newbery-winning The Higher Power of Lucky concludes with Lucky and all of Hard Pan a little wiser and a lot closer to all out hearts. As always, Lucky is brave and foolish, impulsive and tender, vulnerable and determined. Ultimately, Lucky forges her own path: Lucky for Good.
From Newbery Award-winning author of The Higher Power of Lucky, comes another gorgeously-written literary middle-grade novel.
Lucky makes a new friend, gets stuck in a well, meets up with a wild burro, discards something she didn’t know was precious, and discovers the secret of the universe in this charming and funny sequel to the Newbery Award-winning The Higher Power of Lucky.
Praise for The Higher Power of Lucky:
“This Newbery winner is filled with superb characterizations,
and the talented Cassandra Campbell turns each into a splendid dramatic
opportunity.”—AudioFile
BONUS FEATURE: Exclusive Author Interview
Lucky, age ten, can’t wait another day. The meanness gland in her heart and the crevices full of questions in her brain make running away from Hard Pan, California (population 43), the rock-bottom only choice she has.
It’s all Brigitte’s fault–for wanting to go back to France. Guardians are supposed to stay put and look after girls in their care! Instead Lucky is sure that she’ll be abandoned to some orphanage in Los Angeles where her beloved dog, HMS Beagle, won’t be allowed. She’ll have to lose her friends Miles, who lives on cookies, and Lincoln, future U.S. president (maybe) and member of the International Guild of Knot Tyers. Just as bad, she’ll have to give up eavesdropping on twelve-step anonymous programs where the interesting talk is all about Higher Powers. Lucky needs her own–and quick.
But she hadn’t planned on a dust storm.
Or needing to lug the world’s heaviest survival-kit backpack into the desert.
