A Whole Lot of Lucky

by Danette Haworth

Hailee Richardson never realized how much she hated her Salvation Army life and Goodwill accessories until the night her family wins the lottery. All of a sudden she's no longer the only girl at school without a cell phone or a brand-new bike! And the newfound popularity that comes with being a lottery winner is just what she's always dreamed of. But the glow of her smartphone and fancy new clothes wears off when Hailee is transferred to Magnolia Academy, a private school. All of a sudden, her best friend and parents seem shabby compared to the beautiful Magnolia moms and the popular bad-girl Nikki, who seems to want to be her friend. Now, Hailee wants nothing more than to grow up-and away-from her old life. It'll take one very busy social networking page, a stolen first kiss, and a whole carton of eggs for Hailee to realize that not all luck is good, not all change is bad, and a best friend who's just a call away will always be more valuable than a phone.

Genres: Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Friendship, Family, Young Adult, Contemporary, Juvenile

304 pages, Hardcover

First published September 4, 2012

Reviews

[Danette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me: I LOVE this book!
Son: You wrote it.
Me: I LOVE this book!

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

**Putting a special star next to this one for my friends who teach 5th-7th grade because this novel has one of those pitch-perfect middle school voices that don't come along all that often. Watch for it in September!**

When Hailee's family wins the lottery, she makes a list of all the things she wants...no, NEEDS, now that they're not pinching pennies any more. New bike...mansion...the usual. But the reality of those winning numbers is different than Hailee expected it would be. A couple million dollars parceled out in installments does leave room for that new bike, but some of her parents' other decisions (sending her to PRIVATE school all of a sudden?!) leave Hailee scrambling to figure out who her real friends are, what's important, and who she wants to be.

I've enjoyed all of Danette Haworth's books, but this upcoming novel is hands-down my favorite, and it comes down to Hailee herself. This kid is one of the funniest, honestly flawed, just-plain-real middle school characters I've ever met. Case in point: when she finally gets a cell phone and Facebook, she becomes completely obsessed with checking her texts and status updates nonstop (Sound familiar, parents?) with a frantic panic that made me laugh in recognition. This book is absolutely perfect for mother-daughter book clubs or classroom literature circles because there's so much to talk about regarding changes and choices. Besides that, it's funny, warm, and wonderful - one of the best middle school titles I've read in a while.

I support independent bookstores. To find out near you or to order A WHOLE LOT OF LUCKY online, please visit IndieBound: http://www.indiebound.org/book/978080...

[Tracie · Rating 2 out of 5]

6th-grader Hailee Richardson navigates a new school, new friendships, and a new life after her parents win 3 million dollars in the Lottery.

This middle-grade novel does an excellent job portraying changing middle-school relationships and complicated tween responsibilities. It will get kids thinking about materialism and wondering just how far 3 million dollars can go. I especially liked the subplot regarding Hailee's obsession with her smartphone, texting, and Facebook--this part of the storyline felt very realistic and contains a cautionary tale that many tweens need to learn.

The novel concludes with Hailee's long "List of Things I Need"--which, to me, seems to undermine the story's moral that friends and family are more important than things. I think it would have been more appropriate to position this list within the text of the novel, rather than at the conclusion.

I was also a bit bothered by a minor editorial flub: Hailee transfer to an all-girl private school (Magnolia Academy for Girls)...but on page 235, her teacher instructs her to change seats with a boy named Jacob.

[Charlotte Fairbanks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very well written book. And pretty accurate to an actual middle schooler. I found myself relating to it and understanding the urge to do some of the things she did. For example, when she gets mad at her friends or when they get mad at her, she explains it in such a way that I realize that some of the stuff that goes on in her head goes on in mine. Although any person no matter what age (or gender) you are, you could definitely enjoy this, I would especially recommend this for middle school girls. But that doesn't mean you won't enjoy it if you aren't a middle school girl, I'm just saying that you would especially like it if you are. I really enjoyed this book and I hope you will too. ❤

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kate m gave it 5

[Kylie K]

A Whole Lot of Lucky is a book about a girl named Hailee who never really knew how much she hated her Salvation Army life until her family wins the lottery. Now, she isn't the only girl at school that has a cellphone or a brand new bike. I recommend this book to anyone who likes exciting books.

[Rachel Goit · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars
Sadly this book didn't stand to what it could've and should've been. The plot was clear but frankly quite pointless. I didn't understand what the point of The Book was and several of the characters seemed to not support the story at all. The main character was extremely selfish, and did not see how much she was given. She for some reason hated her best friend, or at least her actions expressed it. While the story was engaging, it really only shows the story of a while bunch of friend issues with some bad choices made by the main characters. The worst part was none of the issues that the "bad" characters had were ever solved. Just not a very good read.

[WKPL Children's/YA Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Miss Lori read this and really liked the message! Friendship. Wanting what you think you need to be "cool". Social media. Cell phones. Winning the LOTTERY! There is all this and more in this book! Great read for Middle School aged kids. Good lessons learned here for sure.

[Yz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once I started reading this book I couldn't stop, it was that good.

[Kenneth Flusche · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recommended for the Parents of Middle Schoolers everywhere. Not recommended for middle schoolers!!!!

[anneka · Rating 4 out of 5]

i read this like in third or fourth grade. i liked it.

[Liviania · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Hailee Richardson's parents win the lottery, she thinks her whole life is going to change. But her parents don't quit their jobs and don't run out to buy her new clothes and toys. The only thing they do is send her to local private school Magnolia Academy, away from her best friend.

But soon enough Hailee's talked her parents into buying her a new bike and a smartphone, and she begins to fit in at Magnolia. She joins the Library Club with her neighbor Emily, who turns out to be cooler than she expected. Most of all, she wants to be liked by Nikki Simms, the bad girl who was nice to her on her first day at a new school.

A WHOLE LOT OF LUCKY covers familiar ground, including sibling rivalry, the costs of popularity, and bullying. Danette Haworth has an easy style that's very comfortable to read. And comfort is an excellent antidote to middle school. Like most kids that age, Hailee makes mistakes. But she learns from the consequences of her actions.

I liked her friends as well. Amanda, Emily, and Nikki might all be friends with Hailee, but they're very different girls and she relates to them in different ways. I enjoyed how tough friendship is in A WHOLE LOT OF LUCKY. It's a worthy pursuit, but it takes effort on both sides of the equation. The tribulations of socialization don't end as soon as you make friends.

Young girls (and possibly guys) will enjoy A WHOLE LOT OF LUCKY. It's a cute, relateable middle grade contemporary.

[The Reading Countess · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I was solely considering my reading opinion, I would rate this one a 3. However, I am not the intended audience, so a 4 it is. A Whole Lot of Lucky is dripping with figurative language, which is a good thing-right? You can easily close your eyes, flip to any random page and stick your finger on a sentence and WOILA! You will find a perfect example of a simile or personification. I found the (over)use of it to be overpowering and distracting. It was like over-salted/seasoned soup to my eyes (do you see what I did there? FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE, FOLKS!) I will say that Hailee's voice rang true and was SPOT ON for a middle schooler. Haworth wrote an excellent tortured teen's voice. I also appreciated the subtle hints of the family's faith spread throughout the story and how this book can be a springboard into talking about what REALLY matters in life. Right vs. wrong actions like smoking, disobeying parents' requests and setting limits on technology use are important topics, too. One issue I had with this book was that the parents were so clueless about the internet and Facebook. I had to check the date of publication to make sure that this was a current title. Sure. it was published a few years ago, but still...Facebook has been around for awhile, folks. All things considered, though, middle grade readers will thoroughly enjoy seeing what kind of trouble a young girl can get into when her family goes from squeaking by financially to finding themselves with a load of cash.

[Kayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Whole Lot of Lucky was a good middle grade novel. The story focuses on a girl named Hailee. She becomes sick of always having second hand things. Especially when it comes to her three dollar bike. Needless to say when her parents win the lottery, she is ecstatic. However, when she tries to become as popular as the rich kids, she starts to lose who she really is. This book teaches an important lesson to it’s readers. No matter how great things get, don’t forget where you came from. The book also teaches to not forget those who were there for you when you had nothing. The plot flowed smoothly. I completed this book in about 2 hours. There are very few plot holes. I liked most of the characters. I didn’t really care for Alexis. The main character had a fun personality. Toward the middle of the book though, I thought she was a rude, snotty brat. However she made up for her actions at the end of the book. Also, this book has made me look at how much I text around my friends. I never realized it may have been considered rude. I’m hoping the author writes a sequel about Hailee’s second year at academy and how the lottery winnings continue to affect her and her family. I will definitely recommend this book to my friends who have kids in middle school. I recommend this book to girls in grades 5-8.

[Pamela Kramer · Rating 5 out of 5]

"A Whole Lot of Lucky" by Danette Haworth includes many of the tried and true themes for middle grade readers that grace her other books, including "The Summer of Moonlight Secrets" and "Me & Jack." Themes like friendship, fitting in, and family are especially important to readers at that age.

Haworth creates a perfect main character. Hailee Richardson, her baby sister, and their parents live a life where new clothes come from Goodwill and bicycles are bought second-hand. When Hailee borrows a jeans skirt from her best friend Amanda, mean girls at school make fun of her for it. They had written an "A" in marker on the skirt when Amanda was wearing it to see if Hailee would borrow it.

When Hailee's parents win the lottery, she is thrilled and sure that her life is about to change. She spends a lot of time making lists of what she wants (including a nanny to care for the baby). Reality comes around when her parents explain that a few million, paid in installments, does not make them really rich.

Unfortunately, for Hailee it means that her parents enroll her in a girls-only private school. She is despondent at the thought of being separated from Amanda, but soon finds that she is pretty good at making new friends.

Read the whole review at: http://www.examiner.com/review/a-whol...

[Lucia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Actually 2.75 stars
This was a fun book to read, and while it was a a slightly different sort of coming-of-age story and well written and everything, I really disliked the main character Hailee. I'm about her age and while I was reading this I kept thinking, "Wow, I really wouldn't have done that", or "bad idea". She didn't seem very mature and is really mean to her friends in more than a couple parts of the book. She sort of learns her lesson in the end...but she doesn't really improve as much as I hoped she would.

**(Sort-of spoiler)** Hailee has a friend who's a older than she is and makes really bad choices,ie. she smokes, skips school, etc. This is addressed though, and this friend gets in trouble at the end.
(End of spoiler)

I will say though that I don't usually finish books I don't like, and this book doesn't really fall into that category since a) it was an entertaining read, and b) I finished it.

Overall, I would recommend this book only if you're okay with spending a few hours with a not super nice character. A different book I would suggest would be Violet Raines Almost Got Struck By Lightning, also by Danette Haworth. It does have some similar aspects to A Whole Lot of Lucky, but I really liked Violet whereas I didn't find Hailee so great.

[Shane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hailee's tired of wearing hand-me-down clothes, riding a rusty boy's bike, and being treated poorly by the popular kids at her school. When her parents win the lottery, her life changes, but not necessarily in all of the ways that she would have hoped. Because of the money, she is able to go to a new school and she gets a cell phone. These two changes have a huge effect on her as she tries to fit in with a different group of kids. Hailee is faced with choices on who she should be friends with, and just what she should be willing to do to gain new friends.

Hailee's voice rings true throughout the story, and I loved the figurative language that's used to really bring Hailee's perspective to life. I feel like many tween girls will be able relate to the issues Hailee faces, like keeping up with technology, making friends, and upholding one's own moral code. This is a great piece of realistic fiction for upper elementary students.

[2holtcamp_jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hailee is a typical girl with an annoying baby sister and spends all of her time with her best friend, Amanda. Although, her whole life changes when her family wins the lottery. She makes a list of things she wants with all of that money, but instead her parents send her to a rich, private school. At the school, she becomes good friends with a popular girl named Nikki. Being friends with Nikki, however, gets both of them in trouble and pulls Hailee and Amanda's friendship apart. Hailee learns important lessons about friendship throughout the book. In my opinion, this book is a good read because it has many plot twists. Although some parts in the book were predictable, it still made for an interesting story. I would recommend A Whole Lot of Lucky for girls over the age of 12. I would recommend reading this book if you are looking for a fun, relaxing book about friendship. This book is pretty long, but the story is not difficult to understand and comprehend.

[Kay · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sixth-grader Hailee's family, lower middle-class, wins the lottery and she becomes obsessed with what that will mean to regarding the amount of stuff she has and how her status will change among her peers. Her mother enrolls her in a private school and Hailee flirts with the idea of becoming a mean girl, like those who have made her miserable at her previous school. Being assimilated into the popular group becomes a high priority.

Hailee eventually smartens up, but it takes too long. I did appreciate, however, that not all storylines were neatly tied up at the end of the story. Hailee has hopes that one of her real friends, Emily, will eventually forgive her for the hurt she's caused, but accepts the fact that Emily is not yet ready.

From beginning to end, Hailee wasn't a character I could particularly root for. And the cover art is dreadful.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I fear that some of my committee members will want to drop this title, simply because of the mature themes in this middle grade novel. Hailey's new private school friends smoke, ride in cars with boys, skip classes, cheat, and dabble in just about every other rebellious thing a middle school student can do. However, these are issues that middle schoolers encounter: and if they don't, exploring them within the safe confines of a book is not a bad thing, in my opinion. I fully support exposing children to mature themes, with the hopes that exploring these issues through a well-written, socially conscious book may provide them with guidance.

Themes: the lottery, social media, poverty, popularity, private schools, peer pressure, underage smoking.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hailee is an emotional character, full of spunk and wit (and silliness). She's going through the regular 6th grade growing up problems. I found her relationships with her financially struggling parents, baby sister and best friend authentic. Then an interesting twist is thrown into the mix. Her family wins the lottery!

But instead of turning rich overnight, she has to wait for positive changes to dribble in, and is blindsided when her parents put her in a private girls school. The exploration of the impact of money on the family is nuanced and subtle, keeping the driving force directly on Hailee, and her missteps as she enters a new school and makes new friends. An excellent read.

[Mrs. Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hailee Richardson is a typical middle school girl. she has two parents and a baby sister. Money is tight in their household and Hailee wears clothes from the Salvation Army and rides a boys bike which has seen better days. Hailee spends most of her time with her friend, Amanda. Things drastically change for Hailee when her parents win the lottery. Hailee is sent to a private school for girls, gets a new bike and finally receives a cell phone. She meets a new group of friends and tries to fit in with them. she begins to look at her friend Amanda differently and has to decide what it really meant to be a friend.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was okay in my opinion. It didn't have any of those belly-dropping twists or any major action. I feel like the book moved at a slow pace. Overall, " A Whole Lot of Lucky " wouldn't be at the top of my " to read " list if I were to read it again.

[Sandy Brehl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hailey's first person voice (attitude, expressions, partially formed value system, EVERYTHING) is spot on for someone her age and circumstances, although they are truly not typical. Living a low-end-of-middle class-scraping-by life, her family suddenly wins the lottery. Her take on it- RICH! Her responsible parents' take on the 'modest' winnings is good stewardship, security, education.
Hailey's growth in a few months time would seem unlikely, but these are unusual experiences, and bailey is truly an unusual and likable girl.

[Kristi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Danette Haworth has done it again!

Her writing is so exciting and poignant. I loved Hailee's story and I can't wait for my girls to get a few years older so they can enjoy it too.

One of my favorite descriptions was on page 187:

"When a boy touches your cheek, his fingertips leave glittery paths of sparkles and happiness across your skin and somehow these sparkles bubble up to your brain and you feel as if you are floating. Even though Matthew was swatting a bug off my face, this is what it felt like."

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid middle-grade novel about a struggling family winning the lottery. There were a lot of laughs in this book and while the plot was somewhat predictable, it was told in a very relatable and age-appropriate way. There is an underlying Christian theme in the book which is not heavy handed and lends a uniqueness to it that I found refreshing.
Definitely geared towards girls 4th grade to probably 7th/8th.

[Sessy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hailee's a teenager with Goodwill clothes and an old bike. She thinks that's about to change when her parents win the lottery, but they show considerable restraint with their winnings and instead of buying her all of the gadgets she'd like they transfer her to a private school. Hailee ends up having a falling out with her best friend from her old school when she starts to hang out with the bad/cool girl from her new school. She eventually learns the importance of true friendship.

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

At my house, we have a stack of "realistic fiction" genre books to sort through for a book project, and this novel was the last of the bunch. It wasn't my favorite, but it wasn't bad. I guess it was different from what I expected. This book is less of a rags to riches story, and more about a middle-schooler's relationships with her friends. It features peer pressure, sleep-overs, and social media.

PG

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book not only because it dealt with social status, middle school girls, and the reliance of kids on their phones and facebook, but because I felt like I was in the middle of the conversations and activity taking place. A good choice for girls looking for a pleasant read. They might even learn something by seeing life from another girls perspective.

[Leslie Santamaria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this satisfying novel. The voice of the middle school characters is spot-on. I love the tightly poetic use of metaphor and the contemporary content that will make this a favorite among young readers, I'm sure. The delicate thread of faith is so well done. Hailee and her friends are realistic characters, and Hailee's growth is believable. Loved it!