“The Higher Power of Lucky”-more than just one word.

This is not a sponsored post, this is just me giving my opinion on a book.

Are you familiar with the controversy that has heralded the book that won the 2007 Newberry Medal, which is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children?

“The Higher Power of Lucky“, by Susan Patron, is a charming tale of ten year old Lucky Trimble who lives in Hard Pan, California, Pop. 43, with her dog HMS Beagle and her Guardian Brigitte. Brigitte was Lucky’s father’s first wife, and she came from France to stay with Lucky after Lucky’s Mother died. Lucky has a job at the Found Object Wind Chime Museum and Visitor Center, sweeping up after the Alcoholics, Gamblers, Smokers, and Overeaters Anonymous meetings. She listens from the other side of the fence to the stories they tell, and on the first page of the book, she overhears a man tell the story of how he hit Rock Bottom and knew he needed to stop drinking.

You see, this man fell out of his parked car after a day of drinking rum and listening to Johnny Cash, because he saw a rattlesnake bit his dog ON THE SCROTUM. That’s right, the SCROTUM. The part of a man’s or animal’s body that holds his testicles. A body part just like the elbow, the foot, the belly button. The SCROTUM.

And because of this word, school libraries are BANNING THIS BOOK. They are calling the word SCROTUM Age-INAPPROPRIATE and saying that it is only in there for shock value.

The author said she used to word because it is a place snakes bite dogs, and to give teachers a chance to discuss the anatomically correct words for body parts.

But school librarians and teachers who are protesting say it is PARENTS who should teach kids those words, not BOOKS.

Excuse me while I throw up a little.

Good gods almighty, it is a WORD. And because of all of the fuss, what was completely missed is how WONDERFUL the book is. When I got to the last page, I wanted more. I want there to be a whole series of books about Lucky Trimble, her dog and her friends Lincoln and Miles, and her Guardian who at the end of the book was getting ready to adopt Lucky. I want Lucky to be the next Ramona Quimby.

Oh, the other reason for all the kerfuffle over the story is because of it’s unabashed mention of Twelve Step meetings and finding one’s Higher Power, hence the title. According to the aforementioned librarians and teachers, it is Age-INAPPROPRIATE to have kids reading about AA, GA, SA, and OA. We don’t want them to drink, gamble, smoke or overeat, but gods forbid we should let them know that should that happen, there are PROGRAMS THAT MIGHT HELP.

I am feeling righteously indignant about this subject. I can not believe that this charming tale about a little girl trying to find her place in the world was reduced to a condemnation of a word. A WORD. I would like to encourage you all to read The Higher Power of Lucky. If the word SCROTUM offends you, skip the second paragraph. But I guarantee, that one word will not take away from your enjoyment of this wonderful book.