The Thing About Luck: National Book Award Winner

The National Book Award Finalists were announced earlier this fall, and this past week, the winners were announced. This year’s winner for Young People’s Literature is The Thing About Luck–a book I read earlier this fall. I enjoyed others that I read on the NBA shortlist (and longlist) more, but I can appreciate the choice. There are a couple of titles on the long/short list that I don’t care to read because they are about content that is either offensive to me (Two Boys Kissing) or more mature than my usual middle grades fare. My review below is based on my memory of this book, so I apologize for lack of specifics.

The Thing About Luck by Cynthia Kadohata and illustrated by Julia Kuo. Atheneum, 2013. 288 pages.

Reading Level: Middle Grades

Recommended for: ages 9-12.

This is a quiet, contemplative book that sort of meanders along at the slow pace of a wheat combine (which I now know is a speedy 2-5 miles an hour). It’s more about the internal development and maturation of the characters than a “plot.” Summer is a young Japanese American who, along with her younger brother Jaz, must spend the summer in the care of her (very traditional) Japanese grandparents. They are part of a wheat harvesting family; they work the combines and travel around harvesting wheat. It’s a hard life in many respects and very different from what most contemporary American middle schoolers experience. But in the midst of harvesting wheat, Summer still struggles with many typical middle school concerns: her first kiss and liking a boy, learning to appreciate her younger brother despite himself, growing to understand her grandparents better and view them as individuals–not just in relation to herself, and striking out on her own in a new independence. All of these thematic elements are classic middle grades literature “stuff.”

What sets The Thing About Luck apart, in part, is the setting. Readers will learn a lot about wheat harvesting in this book. Wheat harvesting is an extended metaphor that carries through to the end and is remarkably executed. Frankly, I thought it was kind of interesting, but I’m not sure how many kids will think so.

Another distinguishing feature of The Thing About Luck is Summer’s family and their relationships. Her fully Japanese grandparents act differently from many contemporary parents (including her own) and that forms the crux of one of the central conflicts in the story. Kadohata shows Summer’s middle school coming-of-age; by the end, Summer is trying hard to atone for her mistakes and does something rather extraordinary for her eleven years–something very independent. In the end, she comes to believe that it’s up to her to save the day even while she comes to a better understanding of her grandparents as individuals. And that’s where it ends. It would be more complete if she realized that–in addition to stepping up to take responsibility for her actions–there’s more to it. Thankfully, it’s not up to us all on our own! The Lord himself has promised to help us, and he’s placed many resources around us to that end–not least of which is the church.

Readers who enjoy slower paced novels that focus on character development will enjoy this book more than those who prefer action and adventure. It’s thought-provoking for those who want to take the time to think about it (which is not true for many middle schoolers I know), but it’s not a book that the entire classroom will love as an assigned novel.

• Literary merit (out of 5): 4
• Worldview merit: 3.5

I reviewed a National Book Award shortlist title in October: Boxers and Saints. We often look at national award winners; for coverage of previous Newbery winners, see our Newbery Round-up from 2012 and the list from 2013.

 Cover image from goodreads