| 9780545592178 |
| (hardcover |
| : |
| alk. |
| paper) |
| 0545592178 |
| 9780545592185 |
| (pbk. |
| 0545592186 |
Available:*
Library | Material Type | Call Number | Shelf Location | Status | Item Holds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Searching... Cheyenne Library | Children's Book | PYRO | Children's-J-Fiction | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
Searching... Penrose Library | Children's Book | PYRO | Children's-J-Fiction | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
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Summary
Summary
Nate Harlow would love to be lucky, just once!
He'd like to win a prize, get picked first, call a coin toss right, even! But his best friend, Genesis Beam (aka Gen), believes in science and logic, and she doesn't think for one second that there's such a thing as luck, good or bad. She doesn't care what names the other kids call them. She cares about being right, about saving the turtles of Paradise Beach, and she cares about Nate.
Then, on his birthday, at the Goofy Golf mini-golf course, Nate is struck by lightning -- and survives! Suddenly baseballs are drawn to his bat-popular kids want HIM on their side. It seems the whole town of Paradise Beach thinks Nate has the magic touch.
But is there room for Gen in Nate's lucky new world?
Lucky Strike tells the unforgettable story of two vulnerable outsiders and what luck is really all about.
Author Notes
Bobbie Pyron is the author of The Dogs Of Winter , which received three starred reviews and was named a KIRKUS Best Children's Book of the Year. She grew up in Florida, now lives in Park City, Utah, and works as a librarian in Salt Lake City.
Reviews (3)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-6-Wherever Nate Harlow goes, bad luck seems to follow. He has never even won a coin toss, so it comes as no surprise to many residents of Paradise Beach that it is Nate who gets struck by lightning out of the literal blue on his 11th birthday while playing mini-golf with his friend Genesis Beam. What does come as a big surprise is that Nate's luck seems to change drastically after the strike. All of a sudden, he is winning. Everything. Nate has to decide how he is going to handle this change-he is now surrounded by friends and opportunities whereas before it was only him and Genesis sticking together. Will she stay by Nate's side while he finds his feet, and, more importantly, will he support her when she needs it most? This well-told story of growth, friendship, and small-town life hits all the right notes. The quirkiness of the characters and the town never goes too far, and there is an overall cozy feeling to the book. Genesis's dad is the preacher at The Church of the One True Redeemer and Everlasting Light, but she is a scientist through and through, which adds complexity to the text, including musings on destiny, fate, probability, and weather. Fans of Susan Patron's Higher Power of Lucky (S. & S., 2006), Sheila Turnage's Three Times Lucky (Dial, 2012), and Ingrid Law's Savvy (2008; both, Dial) will find something new for their to-read shelves.-Stacy Dillon, LREI, New York City (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Pyron offers a gentler take on survival and friendship than in her gritty novel The Dogs of Winter. Nate Harlow, who has lived in a trailer with his grandfather since his parents' death, is "the unluckiest boy" in Paradise Beach, Fla. On his 11th birthday, Nate wishes for something lucky to happen that day, and is subsequently struck by lightning-"right out of the clear blue sky"-while playing miniature golf with his friend Gen, who's an ardent believer in logic and probability. Nate survives just fine, and, suddenly, his luck changes for the better. Moreover, he becomes something of a local hero after it appears that his good fortune is rubbing off on others, and a group of popular kids befriend Nate after he displays his newfound (and inexplicable) baseball skills. Nate's decision to hang with these kids and desert Gen and their mission to protect nesting turtles brings the themes of luck and friendship to a crest. A dramatic and sweetly poignant story, enlivened by a dash of magical realism. Ages 8-12. Agent: Alyssa Eisner Henkin, Trident Media Group. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
Nate Harlow figures he is the least lucky kid on the planet. He has lost his parents. He has lost his dog. He has called a coin toss and got it wrong 53 times in a row. His best friend, Genesis, eldest daughter of Reverend Beam of the Church of the One True Redeemer and Everlasting Light, doesn't believe in luck, putting her money on the science of probability. But neither can explain it when Nate is struck by a freak flash of lightning on his eleventh birthday and his luck, and fortunes, change. All of a sudden, everything Nate comes in contact with is charmed, and soon the entire population of Paradise Sands, Florida, is vying for his Midas touch. But this newfound popularity threatens his relationship with Gen. Will he show up when she and the loggerhead turtles nesting on the beaches really needs him? Pyron displays a fine sense of the shifting allegiances of tweendom, and while many of the homespun secondary characters read as stock, the tender relationships will nourish readers in search of belonging.--Barthelmess, Thom Copyright 2015 Booklist
