Patron, Susan. The Higher Power of Lucky. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2006.
Lucky is a regular kid: she has one awesome friend who’s going to be president one day, one annoying little kid friend who survives entirely on cookies, a paying job cleaning up litter after the 12-step meetings, and an impressive collection of bug specimens for future scientific exhibits. Her mom died when she was eight, but she’s got a pretty good life with her Guardian, Brigitte. One day, though, Lucky finds something that changes everything…
“Heading into the wind turned out to be way, way harder, even without her backpack and supply sack. Lucky had to scuttle along doubled over, like an old woman, keeping her squinted eyes on the road. Without the mask or the dishcloth her face was completely exposed. She couldn’t see more than a few feet ahead. She almost tripped over HMS Beagle, who trotted up to her with her head low to the ground, he ears whipping forward. She touched Lucky with her nose and then abruptly turned and bounded back toward the town. Maybe HMS Beagle was right and they should go home. Lucky stopped. “Hey, Beag!” she yelled. Then, faintly, she heard a cat or some other animal crying, and saw that HMS Beagle was nudging that pile of rags. Very carefully Lucky approached the thing, which was huddled in a tight ball. It looked like the thing was rolled up in an old tablecloth or sheet. Sticking out of the roll was a small sneaker with a toe poking through a hole in the side…” (p. 111)
