The Junction of Sunshine and Lucky

Auggie Jones lives with Grandpa Gus, who is a trash hauler. She never knew her father and as far as she knows, her mom is somewhere in California, making her way as a model and maybe a movie star. Mom's picture covers most of the ad on a big billboard in town. Auggie and her best friend call the spot under it their wishing place. When their school got condemned, Auggie, Irma Jean, Lexie and Harold have to attend a newer school. Bad things begin happening on the first day of school. Lexie falls under the spell of Victoria, the snooty daughter of the head of the town beautification committee. Before you know it, she's stopped being friends with Auggie and Irma Jean, as well as letting Victoria talk her into cutting her long red hair. Losing a friend is bad, losing her to someone who is junior member of a committee that is determined to condemn your entire neighborhood is really bad. Auggie and Gus as well as everyone else in Serendipity Place, the area of town where they live receives a notice from the town beautification committee, listing vague and arbitrary violations of town codes and really scary fines. While everyone is shocked at first, Auggie and Gus get creative, starting by using Gramp's welding equipment to turn scrap metal into lawn art. Unfortunately, this only results in additional violations and a growing fine amount. However, the shared threat starts moving people in the neighborhood closer. How Auggie, Gus, Harold and the rest of the neighbors decide to fight back, coupled with what Auggie learns when she tries to run away to find her mom because she's convinced her mother can fix anything, ramp up the tension before the book closes in a real feel good way. This is a great book for middle school kids to read, even as a family or classroom read aloud. Kids who come from a tough economic situation, or who have suffered the loss of a parent will really relate to Auggie and her friends.

I have started reading the books on the 2017 Sequoyah Book Award list now so I’m ready when my students start reading them in the fall. While I expect every book on the list to be well written, I don’t expect that every book will appeal to me.That said, I love The Junction of Sunshine and Lucky from its cover to its satisfying ending. Sure, some of Holly Schindler’s similes are over the top, and her villain really has no redeeming values. That’s okay. These are things I can use to teach my Reading Lab students. The real joy of reading this book is the round-up of characters and the understanding a child will get of folk art and of beauty in the eye of the beholder.While the book doesn’t make my perfect book list, it does come full circle in the way the best books do. It deserves every one of its five stars. And when you finish reading it here are a few other books you might want to read as well: The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place by E. L. Konigsberg, Trash by Sharon Darrow, Whirligig by Paul Fleischman, and Missing May by Cynthia Rylant.

The Junction of Sunshine and Lucky is as artistic as handmade sculptures. Join Auggie (the main character) in a battle between Auggie's neighborhood and the House Beautification Committee. Auggie's neighborhood hopes that they have made their neighborhood better with their renovations, but the House Beautification Committee starts charging Auggie's neighborhood fines. Auggie wants to make everything right. Hoping her mom can fix the problem, she sets out to find her. Read The Junction of Sunshine and Lucky to find out what happened to Auggie's neighborhood. I LOVED The Junction of Sunshine and Lucky. If you like drama and adventure, I think this book would be a great fit for you. Have fun reading! **This review was written by a third grade student in my class.

My daughter loves it. She Finnish the book within the day she got it.

I love the concept of this book. The characters, creativity and community tension portrayed make it a winner. It took me a bit longer than anticipated to get into the writing, but I was hooked about half way through. Auggie's a truly unique protagonist and a worthy role model. This is the perfect book for anyone who's ever been told their creative endeavors aren't up to snuff.

What a wonderful story! You follow young Auggie as she grows and learns. She is a character you really get to know and enjoy. I loved meeting her, Gus and the rest of the Serendipity Place folks. Auggie discovers what real friends are, how to deal with struggles, learning the truth, uncovering ugly behavior, politics, and even discovers her shine. Great story!

It was a book my ten year old daughter asked me to buy. She likes it and is happy to have a copy of her own to read.

Filled with true-to-life characters, this novel challenges the reader to consider beauty, and who decides what is beautiful, and what is art. Auggie's determined won't-give-up spirit to improve her neighborhood and pass the inspection of the House Beautification Committee is an admirable quality, one that makes you want to stand alongside and cheer. Loved grandpa Gus, loyal Irma Jean, and even haughty mean girl Victoria, who seemingly learns a thing or two herself.