The Higher Power of Lucky: Difference between revisions
Tim Capehart (talk | contribs) |
Tim Capehart (talk | contribs) |
||
| Line 34: | Line 34: | ||
The American Library Association responded to the NYT article with a statement regarding the value of the book [http://www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2007/february2007/hpls07.htm]. |
The American Library Association responded to the NYT article with a statement regarding the value of the book [http://www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2007/february2007/hpls07.htm]. |
||
It went viral from there. Neil Gaiman blogged it February 20th.[http://www.neilgaiman.com/journal/2007/02/absence-of-scrota-your-guide-to-quality.html]. Julius Lester followed the next day. [http://acommonplacejbl.blogspot.com/2007_02_18_archive.html]. |
It went viral from there. Neil Gaiman blogged it February 20th.[http://www.neilgaiman.com/journal/2007/02/absence-of-scrota-your-guide-to-quality.html]. Julius Lester followed the next day. [http://acommonplacejbl.blogspot.com/2007_02_18_archive.html]. Articles began to pop up in every local news paper and in countries as far away as Argentina and Australia. None managed to produce one librarian who said they did not plan to purchase and circulate the book. Author Susan Patron appeared on NPR's Talk of the Nation to defend her choice of words. [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7644587&ft=1&f=5&sc=emaf&sc=emaf&sc=emaf ] |
||
==References== |
==References== |
||
Revision as of 19:46, 2 March 2007
 Cover | |
| Author | Susan Patron |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Matt Phelan |
| Cover artist | Matt Phelan |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Simon & Schuster |
Publication date | 2006 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover) |
| Pages | 144 pp. |
| ISBN | ISBN 1416901949 Parameter error in {{ISBNT}}: invalid character |
| Preceded by | None |
| Followed by | Lincoln's Knot |
The Higher Power of Lucky is a children's book written by Susan Patron and illustrated by Matt Phelan. Released in 2006 by Simon & Schuster, it was awarded the 2007 Newbery Medal.[1]
Plot Summary
Template:Spoiler The novel features Lucky, a 10-year-old girl who lives in a small town named Hard Pan (population 43) in the California desert. After her mother died two years ago, her father called upon his ex-wife, Brigette, to come to the United States from France to take care of Lucky. Lucky fears that Brigette is tired of being her guardian and of their life in Hard Pan. Her experiences lead her to believe that Brigette will abandon her and return to France. This anxiety prompts Lucky to seek help from her "Higher Power," a notion she gets from eavesdropping at her town's 12-step meetings.
Controversy
Controversy has arisen over the book due to the word "scrotum" being used on its first page. A number of school librarians and teachers have called for banning or otherwise censoring the book. A number of states in the South, West, and Northeastern United States have already decided to ban the book while other schools are still deciding.[2] While some accuse the author of endorsing "shock value," Patron described the event in question as being based on an actual occurence, using it to explain anatomy to developing readers. There has also been some question about the title's use of Alcoholics Anonymous as major subject matter as well.
The controversy started with a listserv posting in which a school librarian at Sunnyside Elementary School in Durango, Colorado claimed that 24 out of 25 respondents to her query agreed with her that the use of the word was age-inappropriate and that their schools would not buy the book. The claim was just that, specious at best. However, Publisher's Weekly printed it, and the New York Times followed suit with the aforementioned article.
The American Library Association responded to the NYT article with a statement regarding the value of the book [1].
It went viral from there. Neil Gaiman blogged it February 20th.[2]. Julius Lester followed the next day. [3]. Articles began to pop up in every local news paper and in countries as far away as Argentina and Australia. None managed to produce one librarian who said they did not plan to purchase and circulate the book. Author Susan Patron appeared on NPR's Talk of the Nation to defend her choice of words. [4]
References
[5]Wicked Witch of Publishing Joins Great Scrotum Debate of 2007. February 18, 2007. Includes comments from blog visitors.
 | This article about a children's book is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |