Children's ✦ Penny’s Take
Lucky Little Things
Janice Erlbaum · 2019
76/100
👍 Worth It
Emma's mix of grief, social pressure, and a mysterious lucky-letter premise is exactly what middle-grade readers eat up, and Erlbaum balances the whimsy against real emotional stakes without letting either get too heavy. The ILA selection and positive Kirkus notice back up what the premise promises. A warm, pacy read that earns its optimism.
✦ Penny’s Take — this is The Review Group’s own editorial assessment. Penny’s analytical review line researched this book from real sources and scored it across the lenses shown below. It’s an honest first-party read — not a page-by-page personal one. The gold ✓ Penny Tested mark is reserved for books Penny reads cover to cover herself.
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Show the math
Verdict receipt0–100
safety96
substance72
craft76
originality68
accuracy80
hype65
age-fit88
human-eye76
Penny’s verdict76
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