Lucky Strike

"A not-to-be-missed, begs-to-be-read-aloud,
once-in-a-blue-moon book."
   —Katherine Applegate, Newbery Award winner

Wherever Nate Harlow goes, bad luck seems to follow, so it that it is Nate who gets struck by lightning out of the blue on his 11th birthday while playing mini-golf with his friend Genesis Beam. What is a big surprise is Nate's luck seems to change drastically after the strike. Suddenly, he's one lucky, popular boy. Or is he?

Inspiration

I grew up on the Gulf Coast of the Florida panhandle, where I was very lucky to experience the everyday magic of the sea. I was very unlucky when my father was killed in a car accident. Like a bolt out of the blue, everything changed. This book is a meditation for me on loss, and love, and magic. And hushpuppies.

Praise

• Kirkus Best Books of The Year
• Finalist, William Allen White Children's Book Awards
• Finalist, Texas Horned Toad Tales
• Finalist, Virginia Reader's Choice Award
• Finalist, Oklahoma Sequoyah Awards

"Amusing, endearing and sometimes even electrifying."
   —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"This well-told story of growth, friendship, and small-town life hits all the right notes."
   —School Library Journal, starred review

"A dramatic and sweetly poignant story, enlivened by a dash of magical realism."
   —Publishers Weekly

"If you're holding Lucky Strike, consider yourself lucky. Open it and read immediately."
   —Barbara O'Connor, author of How To Steal A Dog