Children's Book Causes Controversy

The Higher Power of Lucky, by Susan Patron, is ruffling a lot of school librarians' feathers for some of its word choices.

The book, winner of the 2007 Newbery Medal, awarded by the American Library Association, is about a little girl named Lucky who runs away when she thinks that her step mother is going to send her away to France. Lucky gets stuck in a dust bowl and meets many interesting characters along the way.

But the problem exists only on the book's first page. Lucky overhears a recovering alcoholic talking about a rattlesnake biting his dog's scrotum. Supporters of the book say that one must read the whole book to realize that the detail about the human anatomy is minuscule in the grand scheme of the plot.

"I chose the word 'scrotum' very carefully and deliberately," said Patron. "It wouldn't have worked if the word was 'clavicle.'"

The ALA awarded Patron's book because it is "most distinguished."