Orwell's Luck - Hardcover

Richard W. Jennings has published more than fifty essays, articles, and short stories, including The Tragic Tale of the Dog Who Killed Himself, published by Bantam Books in 1980 to widespread critical acclaim, in addition to his recent titles published with Houghton Mifflin -- Orwell's Luck, The Great Whale of Kansas, My Life of Crime, and Scribble. He is cofounder of a popular Kansas City-area bookstore and former editor of KANSAS CITY MAGAZINE. He has five children, four grandchildren, a dog, a cat, and a parrot and lives in Kansas.

Grade 5-9-When a seventh-grade girl discovers an injured rabbit resting on the morning newspaper, she decides to nurse it back to health and names it Orwell. The narrator, who remains nameless, is intelligent, inquisitive, observant, perceptive, and blessed with an understanding family. She takes good care of the animal and eventually figures out that he is communicating with her through personalized messages in the daily horoscope section of the newspaper that is delivered to her house. Some of the communications are instructive ("THE MEANING OF LIFE IS TO SEE") and some foretell the future (listing the winning lottery numbers). The narrator soon realizes that Orwell is her treasure and that his wisdom lightens the burden of being 12. She is confronted by real questions-who am I and who will I be, are my parents for real, and will the tousle-haired boy like me-but she faces them with humor and hope and the support of her family. The story line is straightforward and entertaining. Jennings writes with natural grace and has a clear understanding of the concerns of this age group. Each element of the plot flows naturally into the next stage as the narrator learns how to care for those around her and to appreciate the fact that "-nothing really ends, it just keeps on changing." A challenging and thought-provoking novel.
Judith Everitt, Orchard Hill Elementary School, Skillman, NJ
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