Customer Reviews

The Best Bad Luck I Ever Had

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Henry Otis Sims is 12 years old in 1917. His mom and dad, his nine brothers and sisters, the sheriff called Big Foot, the barber called Doc Haley, and everyone else in the small town of Moundville, Alabama, knows him as "Dit." Dit loves playing marbles, baseball and going fishing, and he's very efficient at killing animals with his slingshot. In fact, he's looking forward to entering the big July hunting contest next year; if he wins, maybe his father finally will be proud of him and be able to call him the correct name without running through the list of his brothers' names first.

Dit is excited when he finds out that the new postmaster has a son his age. He doesn't care that the family is African American and he's white; he's just glad to have a pal to hang with all summer. But then he drowns in disappointment when the "son" turns out to be Emma. And she's not just a girl, but a prissy one --- with fancy clothes and always toting a thick book around with her. Dit is not at all happy when his mom insists he show Emma around town.

There's something about Emma though that Dit notices right away --- she makes him think. She comes from another world, from far north in Boston, and they are both as different as a cat and mouse. But for some reason, they can't help but like one another. They each push the other to step outside of their comfort zones and experience more out of life; Emma tries her hand at fishing and baseball, while Dit begins to understand that it's not okay to kill animals for fun. They eventually form a very special friendship, despite being warned by some townsfolk that a black girl and a white boy shouldn't be friends.

But then a friend of theirs, who happens to be black, is wrongly accused of a crime. Nothing they do can stop the judge from sentencing him to hang. Emma and Dit feel responsible for his innocent part in the mistake, and they work together to form a plan to free him. Unfortunately, Emma's father receives word that he's being transferred again, and soon Emma and Dit must say goodbye. It's a year they will never forget --- and neither will anyone else who shares in their story.

I knew from the first page that THE BEST BAD LUCK I EVER HAD would be a very special book. Kristin Levine is the author of this captivating tale that is sure to be a gift to everyone who reads it. Rarely have so many vibrant characters filled one book. Dit is especially raw and alive, with a unique way of looking at the world; Levine's exceptional and natural writing style really connects Dit to the reader. Every page has something important happening, and then she brings all of the parts together by the end. Another plus is that Levine approaches the difficult themes of racial tension with grace and honesty. And then there's her sense of humor as sampled with this quote: "Chip was handsome and popular, with golden brown hair and eyes as green as emeralds. (Least that was the way my sisters described him. Tell me, which one of them had ever seen an emerald? But I guess eyes as green as pond scum just don't sound as nice.)"

THE BEST BAD LUCK I EVER HAD is an amazing story, and I wouldn't be surprised to see it win many awards. In the meantime, Levine's new fans will be waiting impatiently for her next book.

--- Reviewed by Chris Shanley-Dillman

What a wonderful book! After my 12 y/o inhaled the book, I had to see what was so captivating. The story is timeless, the writing sharp and realistic and the plot was great! I exepct this book to be an award winner this year.

Though this book is categorized as a children's book, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and look forward to sharing it with my adult book club. Though the story takes place in 1917, it is timeless AND timely. The friendship that develops between Dit and Emma is a model for all friendships, particularly in their quest to do what is "right."

I was so impressed by this book. It is full of wonderful stories about life in a small southern town in 1917 and the value of friendship. I think it should be read by all young people in this age group.

"The Best Bad Luck I Ever Had" is a fast-paced, intelligently written story that has stayed with me throughout the years. I read the novel as a sort of test audience for a friend of a friend when it was still in manuscript form, and I'm so pleased that it's been published! I kept the manuscript and now I'm excited to buy the real book. The characters truly came to life and stayed with me. The tension between the characters feels real and every character is well-developed. Kristin Levine's storytelling is direct and effective, and the plot propels itself to the climax of the novel, which is as surprising as it is clever.

The Best Bad Luck I Ever Had is the captivating, unabridged audiobook adaptation of friendship and misguided small-town justice in 1917 Moundville, Alabama. Emma Walker is the educated twelve-year-old daughter of Moundville's new postmaster - both of whom happen to be colored, to the town's surprise. Harry "Dit" Simms was hoping to meet a boy his age, but his mother impresses upon him the importance of being nice to everyone, regardless of race or gender. In time Dit and Emma become fast friends, and their bond makes Dit wonder about why white kids and colored kids can't go to school together. When the town barber (who happens to be black) is accused of a horrendous crime, Dit and Emma know he doesn't deserve the punishment that the town plans to exact upon him. Together they hatch a plan to deliver him from the worst possible fate, in this absorbing and highly recommended story. 6 CDs, 7 hours 9 minutes.

THE BEST BAD LUCK I EVER HAD is a wonderful gem of a book, and Dit (in the middle of a pack of 10 children) is a smart, thoughtful, funny, gem of a narrator. The year is 1917, in Moundville, Alabama, and Dit is looking forward to making friends with the new postmaster's 12-year-old son. Only problem is, the postmaster doesn't have a 12-year-old son, he has a 12-year-old daughter, and she is a sparkling treasure in her own right. Dit and Emma strike up a friendship, made uneasy by the fact that Emma is black (or "colored" as the book says, in the language of the time) and Dit is white. If you are expecting a preachy "we are all equal under the skin" sort of book, think again. Kristin Levine has created wonderful and highly individual characters, from very nice to dangerous. This book, full of fun and adventure, is all the richer for the subtle moral strength of many of the main characters.

The Best Bad Luck I Ever Had is southern historical novel featuring characters the author unearthed in her own family history. It's impossible to know how much was truth and how much was fiction, because each and every character in this moving tweenage drama was well-developed and believable. The law man ironically serves as villain in chief of the tale, and though he was easy to dislike, he was also complex: Levine didn't simplify him but instead let readers see the internal turmoil he felt. It's refreshing to read a book for young readers that explores challenging issues without dumbing them down or getting preachy. The unlikely but life-changing friendship between Dit and Emma is truly an inspiration, as is the subtly unfolding story of Dit's relationship with his father. Highly recommend this book.

I thought this was an excellent book for young people. I liked the way Levine slowly developed the friendship between Dit and Emma. It felt natural and believable. The solution to the crisis in the story was clever and the final scene touchingly summed up the changes in Dit.