Lucky Luna

by Diana Lopez (Author)

Lucky Luna
Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade

Luna Ramos has too many primas to count, but there's one cousin that's always getting her into trouble, Claudia. After locking her in the bathroom at their other cousin's quinceañera, Luna is grounded for a month. Her punishment? Not being allowed to wear her signature hats, which she uses to hide her birthmark, a streak of white in her otherwise dark hair. The only thing that gives Luna the tiniest bit of satisfaction is knowing that Claudia is also being teased because she has a big nose.

Eventually, Luna discovers that Claudia was not being teased after all. Every joke Luna heard was actually directed at her! Luckily, Claudia comes to her rescue, standing up for Luna by telling the other kids to leave her alone. That's when Luna realizes the true meaning of her grandmother's wise advice -- blood is thicker than water. She and Claudia may not like each other, but they are still primas. And it's the job of primas to stand up for each other.

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School Library Journal

Gr 4-6—The only lucky thing that has ever happened to Luna Ramos is having Mabel as a best friend. Luna has just found out that her cousin Claudia will be attending her school, and will even be in the same class. With so many other primas, why did she have to get stuck with Claudia, who cannot mind her own business and is always getting her in trouble both at school and at home? It's bad enough that Luna is struggling in Spanish class and is now forbidden from wearing her adorable collection of hats to school for locking Claudia in the bathroom at her cousin Mirasol's quinceañera. Now all the kids will see her white hair due to poliosis and call her a skunk! When Luna turns to her primas and abuela for advice, she ends up getting it all wrong and getting deeper into trouble. Lopez depicts a modern-day Latina who embraces her culture even if she is still learning about it and doesn't speak Spanish. VERDICT Readers will find themselves chuckling at the situations Luna gets herself into and smiling at a satisfying ending.—Martha Rico, El Paso ISD, TX

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

Praise for Ask My Mood Ring How I Feel:

A VOYA Top Shelf for Middle School Readers Pick
2nd Place Winner of the 2014 NACCS Tejas Award for Young Adult Fiction
A Bank Street College Children's Book Committee Best Book of 2014 Selection

A funny and heartfelt story... Balancing the heavy subject matter with generous doses of humor and an authentic young teen voice, López crafts a story that blends family and middle school drama successfully. — Kirkus Reviews

López (Choke) skillfully balances emotional moments with humorous ones, offering an honest portrait of a family under strain. Chia's clever, cheeky voice and a strong cast contribute to an inspiring story about developing a special kind of bravery. — Publishers Weekly

The many characters in Chia's life are individually and lovingly drawn... Readers will feel like Chia's family and friends could do anything as long as they stick together-and they may be right. — Booklist

Chia's voice shines... A fast-moving, absorbing read about how one person's illness can affect the whole family in many different ways. — School Library Journal

An honest, sometimes uncomfortable, but always hopeful look at how cancer affects family... Erika's story is full of the healing power of love. — Guadalupe Garcia McCall, author of Summer of the Mariposas and Pura Belpre Award winner Under the Mesquite Tree

[This is a] story of struggle, of surviving, and what is oftentimes a difficult healing, but a healing nevertheless. My own promesa after reading Lopez's wonderful novel: to run alongside my wife and hundreds of thousands of others on that day of the Race for the Cure from here henceforth. — René Saldaña Jr., author of A Good Long Way

There is much substance and a powerful story here. — Library Media Connection

Praise for Confetti Girl:

This debut novel puts at its center a likable girl facing realistic problems on her own terms. — Booklist

An appealing coming-of-age novel set in a traditional Mexican-American town. Kirkus Reviews

López delicately displays the power of optimism and innovation during difficult times. — Publishers Weekly
Diana Lopez
Diana López is the author of Confetti Girl and several other books for young readers. She also has several primas, who she gets along with most of the time. Currently, Diana teaches literature and creative writing at the University of Houston in Victoria, Texas. For more information about Diana and her books, visit her online at dianalopezbooks.com.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781338232738
Lexile Measure
730
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Scholastic Press
Publication date
August 20, 2018
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV013030 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | Multigenerational
JUV039230 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Bullying
JUV011030 - Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | United States - Hispanic & Latino
Library of Congress categories
Family life
Bullying
Cousins
Hispanic Americans
Practical jokes
Hispanic American families

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