Review for Lucky Strike by Bobbie Pyron

Lucky Strike by Bobbie Pyron

A rich, southern voice tells the unforgettable story of two vulnerable outsiders, the lightning strike that turns their world upside down and the true meaning of lucky.

Nate Harlow has never had a lucky day in his life. He's never won a prize, he's never been picked first, he's never even won a coin toss. 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. But only an extremely unlucky person could be struck by lightning on his birthday... and that person is Nate Harlow. By some miracle, though, Nate survives, and the strike seems to have changed his luck. Suddenly, Nate's grandpa is the busiest fisherman in their small, beachside town. And Nate finds himself the center of attention, the most popular kid at school, the one who hits a game-winning home run! This lucky streak can't last forever, though, and as a hurricane draws close to the shores of Paradise Beach, Nate and Gen may need more than just good luck to save their friendship and their town: They need a miracle.

• Age Range: 8 - 12 years
• Grade Level: 3 - 7
• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books (February 24, 2015)
• ISBN-10: 0545592178
• ISBN-13: 978-0545592178 

Review:

Lucky Strike is your typical story about two unique kids who get picked on at school. Genesis Beam is a brilliant, and at times, annoying walking encyclopedia, while Nate Harlow is the most unluckiest child in the world. Being bullied is not uncommon with these two. What changes everything is that Nate gets struck by lightening, but not directly. Though it didn't kill him, it did leave a scar on his hand and arm. It also changed his luck. For once in his life, everything seemed to work out for him. He was becoming friends with the most popular kids in school, he didn't get bullied, he even brought luck to the people who were around him. The problem was, as his popularity began to grow, so did his ego. He forgot what was important to him---it was his great friendship with Genesis, the one who liked him for who he was not who he was becoming. He didn't realize until it was almost too late how good he had it. The grass is greener on the other side, is what comes to mind when reading this book, but as we know the grass is only greener where you water it. 

What is great about this story is how Nate realized what was truly important. It's not getting everything you want, it is to appreciate what you have. Though Nate liked helping other people he also saw the ugliness in people when they couldn't use him for what they wanted. They began turning his good fortune into something bad and it began to hurt the ones he loved. That certainly wasn't what he wanted. In fact, he wished that the lightening strike never happened to him and if he could have he would have reversed everything. But then a hurricane hit their town and instead of thinking about himself, Nate reached out to help others.  When Genesis needed him that was when the lightening strike had become a true blessing. A broken friendship was immediately mended and the gift was no longer a curse. With supporting friends and family around him he was indeed the luckiest boy in the world. 

Children of all ages will enjoy this 263 page novel and relish in the lesson it provides.