top of page

Lucky Broken Girl by Ruth Behar

  • Writer: Maya Fielding
    Maya Fielding
  • Sep 10, 2025
  • 3 min read

Bibliographic Information:


Title: Lucky Broken Girl


Author/ Narrator: Ruth Behar


Copyright: 2017


Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books/ Listening Library


ISBN: 9780399546457

ASIN: B06XR2J5ZY


Format: Audiobook


Genre: Historical Fiction


Awards: Pura Belpré Award for Author 2018


Reading/ Interest Level: Grades 5-7 (Scholastic Teacher)


Plot Summary:

Ruthie and her family moved to America from Cuba. She loves to play hopscotch and explore the world around her. She likes to be challenged in school and learn new things. When her family go on a drive in their new car, a horrible accident occurs and leaves Ruthie with a broken leg in a full body cast. All that Ruthie loves is stripped from her and she has to adapt both mentally and physically to her new life from her bed. What can Ruthie learn from this point of view and how will it effect her life

outside of her bed.


Author Background:

Ruth Behar was born in Havana Cuba. Lucky Broken Girl is based on the events that happened in Ruth's life. Beyond her bed Ruth explores the world, is an anthropologist, and continues to pursue her dreams of being an artist. She studied Spanish Literature at Wesleyan University.


Critical Evaluation:

Reading this as an audiobook added so much to the character. Ruthie has so much life and has such a distinct voice that brings her off the page. As this is based off the authors life the story obviously has heart and a pulse. It is interesting to consider how time has affected the author's/main character's voice and the dialogue that occurs in the story. I found that this book is perfectly suited for this age range, it challenges readers to consider unique opinions and experiences while still meeting the reader where they are. I appreciated all of the representation in the book and especially loved how accepting Ruthie was of all the people surrounding her. Lucky Broken Girl while being historical fiction is so relatable for students today, I know my students can relate to being misjudged by the language they speak at home, where they came from, and their status. Ruth Behar allows us to remember what it is like to be a kid, struggle to understand our lot in life, and welcome others into our lives no matter the differences.

Creative Use for Library Program:

I used Lucky Broken Girl as my first Book Club Book for the 25-26 school year. I have recently switched platforms that I host the book club on, moving from google classroom to Canvas. Canvas allows students to have more interactive and engaging discussions as well as allowing me to present a greater variety of material. However I have found that it my students do not check Canvas as much so getting them enrolled in the class is proving to be more challenging.

For this book I have included discussion questions. I am hosting a potluck where students share recipe's, photos, and food that reminds them of the feeling of home. We are also playing hopscotch outside the library. And are having a Paint & Sip where students get to paint something that moves them while sipping on Coca Cola and Prune Juice.


Speed Round Book Talk:

When the hop-scotch queen is stuck in a full body cast for a year, will she fall back down or regain her title?


Potential Challenge Issues and Defense Preparation:

In 2023 Duval County Public School System in Florida challenged Lucky Broken Girl. It was challenged based on themes including a violent car crash, mother-daughter conflict, and multicultural themes.

It is intriguing and depressing that books are being challenged because they include experiences of people from different cultures than the reader. If we begin banning books because the protagonist or minor characters are different than "us" there will be no more books left to read. How boring to only read books expecting the same people, story, and experiences.


Reason for Inclusion:

I am including this book in this collection and featured it in my book club because of its diversity, acceptance, and inclusion. We read this in September for Latinx/e Heritage Month. I had also just highlighted books that supported disability visibility, so I thought this would be a perfect read to intersect those themes. Ruthie is a very relatable character, while many young people may not experience the same incident that she did, many can relate to being injured in a way that can impair their movement and activities. In addition, Ruthie sets a great example on how to interact with the world and people around us, with acceptance, compassion, and curiosity !


Check Out:




References:



Ruth Behar. (n.d). About. Accessed September 2025 from https://www.ruthbehar.com/bio/


Scholastic. (n.d.). Lucky Broken Girl. Accessed September 2025 from https://shop.scholastic.com/teachers-ecommerce/teacher/books/lucky-broken-girl-9781338887709.html#


 
 
 

Comments

bottom of page