The lucky poor

Title:

The lucky poor

Author:

Lovie, Mazie, author, artist.

ISBN:

9781638991250

Personal Author:

Lovie, Mazie, author, artist.

Edition:

First edition.

Physical Description:

136 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm

General Note:

Source of cataloging data: WCP

Abstract:

A graphic memoir about the author's experiences as a young person when her family was awarded a new house built for them by Habitat for Humanity, including their struggles with poverty and work to build and maintain the home.--Publisher.

Subject Term:

Poor children -- United States -- Biography -- Comic books, strips, etc.

Poor families -- United States -- Comic books, strips, etc.

Poverty -- Comic books, strips, etc.

Dwellings -- Comic books, strips, etc.

Gifts -- Comic books, strips, etc.

Poor children -- United States -- Biography -- Cartoons and comics.

Families -- United States -- Cartoons and comics.

Poverty -- Cartoons and comics.

Dwellings -- Cartoons and comics.

Gifts -- Cartoons and comics.

Added Author:

Available:*

Library	Material Type	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
Searching... Aurora Downtown	Graphic Novel	HV741 .L68 2024	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

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Summary

"Will appeal to a range of readers, from fans of Raina Telgemeier to comics on social issues." -- BOOKLIST

Mazie's family has been offered a fantastic gift: their very own, brand-new house, built for them by Habitat for Humanity. But it's a present that comes with a number of strings attached, and soon, they'll learn just how many problems even a new home can't fix.

An inside look at inequality and second chances, struggle and hope, hard work and charity, The Lucky Poor is the incredible true story of one life-changing event, and every unexpected thing that happens next.

Reviews (3)

School Library Journal Review

Gr 6--9--In this fully colored graphic memoir, Mazie shares her family's experience with receiving a Habitat for Humanity house. It sounds like a fairy tale for Mazie's single mom and her two kids to be "given" their own house, but with volunteer hours to complete, a mortgage to pay, and picky neighbors to appease, Mazie and her family find that they have to prove they are deserving of their home. Lovie uses the lens of being "lucky poor"--an oxymoron where they struggle financially, but are told things could be worse--to reflect on her childhood. Without their house, could she have provided a safe haven for her friend who was struggling with coming out to her family? Would Mazie's relationship with her autistic brother have been different if they had continued sharing a small bedroom? Would college have been an option? Through questioning the "what ifs" of her past, Lovie challenges readers to rethink society's simplistic narratives about what it means to be poor. Most characters are portrayed as having pale to light brown skin tones, and Mazie (light skin with brown hair) confesses to having crushes on both a boy and a girl. VERDICT An enjoyable read that explores the impact of financial instability on relationships, opportunities, and well-being.--Amanda Melilli

Publisher's Weekly Review

Debut creator Lovie depicts class differences and the role of nonprofit contributions via an age-appropriate narrative in this upbeat graphic memoir. Middle schooler Lovie--who lives with her single mother and her autistic younger brother--dreams of having a "Cinderella" story, where something "good, big, and life-changing" happens to her. Her wish comes true in the form of a house built for her family by Habitat for Humanity Canada. Though the family pays a mortgage and help to build the house, some people in their community see the home as an undeserved handout, leaving Lovie to wonder, "Why us?" instead of their neighbor, who lives in an overcrowded home. After moving in to their new abode, her mother begins an on-and-off relationship with a man Lovie doesn't like very much, prompting worries that "our fairytale was suddenly going backwards." Pacing quickly moves through Lovie's primary school years, her coming out as gay, and her getting accepted into art school. All the while, the subject questions the expectation that poor people should be satisfied with whatever comes their way: "We hope for a better future.... Why should I be expected to be happy things aren't worse?" The creator's simplistic, boldly outlined character designs add playfulness to this fresh take on topics surrounding financial precarity and socioeconomic status. Ages 6--8. (Mar.)

Booklist Review

Mazie's family is poor. They have somewhere to sleep, they have enough to eat, and they have extended family that, if things fall completely apart, will be there to help as best they can. So, in a sense, Mazie's family is also lucky, because things could be far worse. This contradiction--being poor but not too poor--is at the heart of Lovie's middle-grade memoir. Much of the book centers on Mazie's experiences with Habitat for Humanity, the wonderful service of receiving a house, and the sheer volume of work that goes into building and keeping a home of your own. There is joy here, too--the excitement of finally having space for sleepovers and the ability to express oneself more fully when your space is your space. In the memoir's final arc, Mazie reflects on her way to college and remarks, "Poverty will always do its best to keep you poor, and life will always be harder until you are no longer poor." Will appeal to a range of readers, from fans of Raina Telgemeier to comics on social issues.