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Lucky Luna
Luna Ramos has more cousins than she can count, and even though her mom says that makes her lucky, Luna knows that every time she gets in trouble—and she gets in trouble a lot—one of her primas is responsible.
But when mischievous Luna locks her know-it-all cousin Claudia in the bathroom at their cousin’s quinceañera, Luna has no one to blame but herself. Her punishment? She’s not allowed to wear hats for a whole month—which is a big deal because Luna’s always been embarrassed by her hair, and hats make her feel more comfortable.
To make things even worse, Claudia is transferring to her school, and they’re going to be in the same fifth grade class together. Now Claudia will have a chance to tattle on her even more than she already does! Luna’s grandmother offers some sage advice, but since it’s in Spanish, Luna gets it all wrong, and when the kids at school begin making fun of Claudia, Luna must decide what matters more: family or her reputation.
In this funny and page-turning story, award-winning author Diana López reminds what it means to be a friend and a prima, and how to accept the things that make us truly unique.
But when mischievous Luna locks her know-it-all cousin Claudia in the bathroom at their cousin’s quinceañera, Luna has no one to blame but herself. Her punishment? She’s not allowed to wear hats for a whole month—which is a big deal because Luna’s always been embarrassed by her hair, and hats make her feel more comfortable.
To make things even worse, Claudia is transferring to her school, and they’re going to be in the same fifth grade class together. Now Claudia will have a chance to tattle on her even more than she already does! Luna’s grandmother offers some sage advice, but since it’s in Spanish, Luna gets it all wrong, and when the kids at school begin making fun of Claudia, Luna must decide what matters more: family or her reputation.
In this funny and page-turning story, award-winning author Diana López reminds what it means to be a friend and a prima, and how to accept the things that make us truly unique.
Hardcover
First published August 28, 2018
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200 people want to read
About the author
Diana López
55 books79 followersDiana López is the author of numerous middle grade novels, including Confetti Girl and Ask My Mood Ring How I Feel. She also wrote the middle grade adaptation of the Disney/Pixar film Coco. Diana is a lifelong resident of Corpus Christi, Texas and works with various nonprofits to mentor new writers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
August 9, 2021
This was so charming! I read it a few months ago, and when I think about books that sucked me in recently, it comes to mind right away.
I loved the relatability and representation of large extended families. I loved that Luna wasn't always right. I liked her little gimmicks. Loved that it started with a quinceañera and ended with a mariachi band.
Definitely taking this out to local elementary schools, and probably recommending it for Battle of the Books.
I loved the relatability and representation of large extended families. I loved that Luna wasn't always right. I liked her little gimmicks. Loved that it started with a quinceañera and ended with a mariachi band.
Definitely taking this out to local elementary schools, and probably recommending it for Battle of the Books.
September 14, 2019
Kind of adorable, with a loud-mouthed truth-stretching protag who is ease to root for.
September 8, 2022
Luna doesn't like her prima Claudia. Out of all her nosy and chisme talking primas she is the worst because she's always getting her into trouble. After she locks Claudia in the bathroom after some perceived gossiping about her she doesn't get to wear her hats for a whole month. Worst of all, Claudia will be in her school starting next Monday. As she gets made fun of for the white streak in her hair. Claudia's big nose is made fun of. She feels bad for her cousin but all she does is cause her problems. She tries to use her abuela's wisdom but since she doesn't know much Spanish her message leads to some misunderstandings.
Luna is clearly the bully in this situation. However, Claudia is no saint. It was interesting to read from Luna's perspective since she is no ordinary shy soft-spoken girl. She has a big personality and is always getting in trouble. She blames others, mostly Claudia, for her problems but she's clearly the one at fault. I would have liked a longer resolution where we got to see Claudia and Luna bond. I would have also liked Luna, although only through thought, making fun of Claudia's nose be addressed more. But I can see why the story was condensed for this age group. Overall, this is a good story about perspectives, gossiping, and the importance of family.
Luna is clearly the bully in this situation. However, Claudia is no saint. It was interesting to read from Luna's perspective since she is no ordinary shy soft-spoken girl. She has a big personality and is always getting in trouble. She blames others, mostly Claudia, for her problems but she's clearly the one at fault. I would have liked a longer resolution where we got to see Claudia and Luna bond. I would have also liked Luna, although only through thought, making fun of Claudia's nose be addressed more. But I can see why the story was condensed for this age group. Overall, this is a good story about perspectives, gossiping, and the importance of family.
August 27, 2018
Thanks to @kidlitexchange (#partner) and @Scholasticinc for the advance reading copy for review. All opinions are my own.
This young MG novel by Diana López tackles meddling cousins, birthmarks, school troubles, and stress management head-on, but in a sweet, age-appropriate way.
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Luna Ramos has tons of primas, which are girl cousins, if you don’t already know. The primas can be sweet and fun—painting Luna’s nails and quizzing her for school—but they can also be tattletales who steal a girl’s breakfast every day! When Luna’s most annoying cousin Claudia transfers into Luna’s class at school (and appears in Luna’s kitchen every morning before hopping on the school bus with her), Luna is ready to lose it. Claudia is a know-it-all and the other kids make fun of her, just like they do Luna, and Luna has no interest in being associated with Claudia. The story that follows packs a whopping surprise and a sweet ending, and readers will share Luna’s frustrations as much as they feel bad for Claudia at times. The overriding message of “Blood is thicker than water” is heart-warming and age-appropriate, and the cultural and Spanish lingual references peppered throughout enrich the story without weighing it down. I am looking forward to a sequel!
This young MG novel by Diana López tackles meddling cousins, birthmarks, school troubles, and stress management head-on, but in a sweet, age-appropriate way.
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Luna Ramos has tons of primas, which are girl cousins, if you don’t already know. The primas can be sweet and fun—painting Luna’s nails and quizzing her for school—but they can also be tattletales who steal a girl’s breakfast every day! When Luna’s most annoying cousin Claudia transfers into Luna’s class at school (and appears in Luna’s kitchen every morning before hopping on the school bus with her), Luna is ready to lose it. Claudia is a know-it-all and the other kids make fun of her, just like they do Luna, and Luna has no interest in being associated with Claudia. The story that follows packs a whopping surprise and a sweet ending, and readers will share Luna’s frustrations as much as they feel bad for Claudia at times. The overriding message of “Blood is thicker than water” is heart-warming and age-appropriate, and the cultural and Spanish lingual references peppered throughout enrich the story without weighing it down. I am looking forward to a sequel!
November 20, 2019
Fun Scholastic Book find at a book fair.
Luna doesn't like her cousins like she likes her best friend because her cousins are always getting her into trouble. She gets mad at one cousin and retaliates and then has her favorite thing taken away and has to learn to deal without it and one of her cousins starts going to her school at the same time.
There are great Spanish vocab words and growth in the characters.
Quick and easy read.
Luna doesn't like her cousins like she likes her best friend because her cousins are always getting her into trouble. She gets mad at one cousin and retaliates and then has her favorite thing taken away and has to learn to deal without it and one of her cousins starts going to her school at the same time.
There are great Spanish vocab words and growth in the characters.
Quick and easy read.
February 5, 2019
This is a cute book. The story teaches the importance of family and accepting people with all of their flaws. Luna reminds me of Mathilda because of the pranks she plays and the way she feels about others. The general audience is younger, approximately fifth and sixth grade.
June 22, 2018
Please see my review on Amazon.com under C Wong. Thank you!
October 4, 2018
Luna Ramos is called Lucky Luna but she doesn't think she's so lucky when she can't participate in her prima's (cousin's) quinceanera, while all the other cousins can, even tattle tell, Claudia. Luna takes matters into her own hands and locks Claudia in the bathroom at the celebration to get even with Claudia for a past deed.
Luna's punishment is that she can't wear any of her beloved hats for a month. While that doesn't seem harsh, it is to Luna because her hats hide her birthmark--a white streak of hair. Kids at her school call her an old lady and what's worse is now Claudia is attending Luna's school too and comes to Luna's house every morning for breakfast--eating all Luna's favorites. Claudia continues to tattle on Luna and all the other primas. At first Luna is delighted that Claudia is taunted for her big nose, but gradually Luna learns the meaning of the dicho, "La sangre es mas espesa que el agua" or "Blood is thicker than water."
I loved the big Hispanic family made up of many cousins who often Skyped each other and each had a different relationship with their abuela and with the Spanish language. Some of the cousins, like Claudia, were good Spanish speakers, while Luna took Spanish words out of context and missed their meanings, which caused her problems.
A fun, contemporary read about a large family that just happen to be Latinx. The model for the book cover attracted me to the book and I think it will catch the eyes of readers looking for a Latinx character and her world.
Luna's punishment is that she can't wear any of her beloved hats for a month. While that doesn't seem harsh, it is to Luna because her hats hide her birthmark--a white streak of hair. Kids at her school call her an old lady and what's worse is now Claudia is attending Luna's school too and comes to Luna's house every morning for breakfast--eating all Luna's favorites. Claudia continues to tattle on Luna and all the other primas. At first Luna is delighted that Claudia is taunted for her big nose, but gradually Luna learns the meaning of the dicho, "La sangre es mas espesa que el agua" or "Blood is thicker than water."
I loved the big Hispanic family made up of many cousins who often Skyped each other and each had a different relationship with their abuela and with the Spanish language. Some of the cousins, like Claudia, were good Spanish speakers, while Luna took Spanish words out of context and missed their meanings, which caused her problems.
A fun, contemporary read about a large family that just happen to be Latinx. The model for the book cover attracted me to the book and I think it will catch the eyes of readers looking for a Latinx character and her world.
September 19, 2018
This was a great book. I think kids can identify with it. I love how it acknowledges the struggle ELL kids go through with language. It discusses the fact that some people expect kids to speak a different language because of how they look. Luna does not know how to speak Spanish even though most of her family can and struggles learning it in school.
October 22, 2018
179 pages. I read only one chapter/10 pages. It was boring. It is about a middle school girl with lots of drama. It is well-written for middle school but not really elementary age level of topic. I would skip this one for elementary kids.
January 7, 2019
The author knows her audience--most likely, fourth, fifth, and sixth graders--quite well, and uses that knowledge to craft a story with a likeable but flawed protagonist. Fifth grader Luna Ramos loves her primas (cousins), she really does, but sometimes she feels overwhelmed by their larger-than-life personalities and drama. Because she is younger than the other girls, she doesn't feel that they take her seriously. But it's her cousin Claudia who really frustrates her. Claudia seems to know everything and delights in reporting the sins and mistakes of the other cousins to their parents. When Luna traps Claudia in a bathroom during her cousin Mirasol's quinceanara and then lies about it, her mother takes away the only thing that matters to Luna--her hats. This might not be a big deal, but Luna has poliosis, a streak of white hair that embarrasses her, and she worries that she might be teased by the other students. As it turns out, Claudia transfers to her school and class, and Luna is sure that her classmates and the bus riders are making fun of her cousin's large nose. That isn't the case as they are making fun of someone else. I liked the way the characters are developed in this book and how Luna often lies or stretches the truth in order to avoid getting in trouble. It's easy to see that she'd frustrate her teachers to no end even while having many positive qualities. The scene in which she approaches her teacher, Mr. Cruz, about the mistake he made when giving her a grade on a class group assignment made me smile since she's so sure he just made an error, and he's equally sure that she didn't fulfill the assignment's requirements. I'd like some of my students to read that passage since so many of them think that turning in an assignment means they will get full credit. There are various issues such as Luna's ignorance of Spanish that are touched on lightly here, even as her misinterpretation of her Spanish-speaking grandmother's advice causes problems for her. I'm sure readers would hope for more from this feisty and relatable character.
March 31, 2019
“When it comes to uniqueness, I have the bad-luck kind.”
It’s not easy living in a big family with a bunch of primas (cousins), especially when you are one of the youngest. Luna is disappointed, to say the least, that she wasn’t asked to be in the royal court for her prima’s Quinceanera, (birthday celebration.) Since Marisol is turning 15, there are 15 members of the royal court, all wearing beautiful purple dresses and getting official photos taken. The more Luna watches, the more annoyed she becomes. And speaking of annoyed, “Here comes Claudia with her mean face.” Luna thinks Claudia is bossy, braggy, a tattler and a know-it-all. And it’s not fair that she gets to be in the royal court ... she’s only one month older than Luna! Claudia should be as mad as Luna is, so Luna decides to lock her cousin in the restroom. Mabel, Luna’s BFF, tries to talk her out of it, but Luna will not be denied.
And, of course, she gets caught. “... every time I’m in trouble, a cousin is involved.” Her punishment? Luna can’t wear a hat for a month. That’s about the worst thing her mother could have thought of. Luna loves hats, mostly because they hide the birthmark that gives her a white streak of hair. Now everyone will see her abnormality at school on Monday. To make matters worse, Claudia will be starting at Luna’s school on Monday. Luna can not believe her bad luck!
Just as Luna expected, the kids immediately start making fun of her on the bus when they see her hair. They even seem to be making fun of Claudia, but does Luna try to help her cousin get acclimated to the new school? Of course not! But Luna is about to learn a very important lesson about how family can be your most important asset. And that maybe “everybody has something to be embarrassed about.”
A delightful novel for 3rd - 5th graders.
It’s not easy living in a big family with a bunch of primas (cousins), especially when you are one of the youngest. Luna is disappointed, to say the least, that she wasn’t asked to be in the royal court for her prima’s Quinceanera, (birthday celebration.) Since Marisol is turning 15, there are 15 members of the royal court, all wearing beautiful purple dresses and getting official photos taken. The more Luna watches, the more annoyed she becomes. And speaking of annoyed, “Here comes Claudia with her mean face.” Luna thinks Claudia is bossy, braggy, a tattler and a know-it-all. And it’s not fair that she gets to be in the royal court ... she’s only one month older than Luna! Claudia should be as mad as Luna is, so Luna decides to lock her cousin in the restroom. Mabel, Luna’s BFF, tries to talk her out of it, but Luna will not be denied.
And, of course, she gets caught. “... every time I’m in trouble, a cousin is involved.” Her punishment? Luna can’t wear a hat for a month. That’s about the worst thing her mother could have thought of. Luna loves hats, mostly because they hide the birthmark that gives her a white streak of hair. Now everyone will see her abnormality at school on Monday. To make matters worse, Claudia will be starting at Luna’s school on Monday. Luna can not believe her bad luck!
Just as Luna expected, the kids immediately start making fun of her on the bus when they see her hair. They even seem to be making fun of Claudia, but does Luna try to help her cousin get acclimated to the new school? Of course not! But Luna is about to learn a very important lesson about how family can be your most important asset. And that maybe “everybody has something to be embarrassed about.”
A delightful novel for 3rd - 5th graders.
May 23, 2019
Middle grade contemporary realistic fiction. I selected this book because it features a Mexican-American family and discusses issues of family and language. Luna is a part of a huge family-- she has too many primas to count! (A prima is a female cousin, and the cousins do seem to be almost exclusively females, which struck me as odd). They all live nearby, so they have each other's backs, but also keep the wheels of gossip turning. I grew up in a neighborhood with many of my cousins and our grandparents, so the large family dynamic was very easy to relate to. Luna's least favorite cousin, Claudia the tattletale, is transferring to Luna's school. Luna laments to her abuela, who simply responds "....agua," or at least that's what Luna hears, not having a strong grasp of Spanish. So Luna starts chugging water when she feels stressed. A cute story of miscommunication, honoring your heritage, and accepting how you look; this story could have been better if it had alternated with Claudia's viewpoint. The last part of the story resolved all of the issues but felt a bit rushed.
September 1, 2018
Reviewed for www.compassbookratings.com
Overall Review:
Lucky Luna is a sweet book about family, friends, and trying to get along. Written by award-winning author Diana Lopez, the story incorporates Mexican culture and folklore into a modern-day middle school setting. Luna is a feisty and fun character who often struggles with the personalities of her large extended family. Readers will relate to Luna's feelings as she tries to navigate friendships, family relationships, and her classmates' teasing. Lucky Luna cleverly incorporates Spanish vocabulary throughout the text. Each chapter title is a Spanish word with the English meaning in bold, somewhere in the text on that page. Lopez sets a good pace throughout the novel, with the story told from Luna's point-of-view. Lucky Luna also shines with several great messages regarding love, kindness and loyalty. Highly recommend!
Review of Advance Reader Copy
For full content analysis, go to www.compassbookratings.com
Overall Review:
Lucky Luna is a sweet book about family, friends, and trying to get along. Written by award-winning author Diana Lopez, the story incorporates Mexican culture and folklore into a modern-day middle school setting. Luna is a feisty and fun character who often struggles with the personalities of her large extended family. Readers will relate to Luna's feelings as she tries to navigate friendships, family relationships, and her classmates' teasing. Lucky Luna cleverly incorporates Spanish vocabulary throughout the text. Each chapter title is a Spanish word with the English meaning in bold, somewhere in the text on that page. Lopez sets a good pace throughout the novel, with the story told from Luna's point-of-view. Lucky Luna also shines with several great messages regarding love, kindness and loyalty. Highly recommend!
Review of Advance Reader Copy
For full content analysis, go to www.compassbookratings.com
September 9, 2018
Luna is from a big Hispanic family. She has many “primas” (cousins) and many problems with them, too. They fight a lot. But the worst cousin, Claudia, is a know-it-all and a braggart. At the yearly quinceãnera, she locks Claudia in the restroom. As her punishment, Luna is not allowed to wear any of her beloved hats for a month. Not only does she love hats, but they also cover her “birthmark”, a white streak of hair. Needless to say, she will be teased about it when she returns to school. But, even worse, Luna finds out that her prima, Claudia, will be starting to attend her own school! How will Luna handle all of this!
This is a wonderful book, not only about Hispanic families, culture and language, but also about family, friends, and dealing with being different. It is geared to fifth graders, whom, I am sure, will be able to relate to Luna and her problems. I recommend this funny and valuable book.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.
This is a wonderful book, not only about Hispanic families, culture and language, but also about family, friends, and dealing with being different. It is geared to fifth graders, whom, I am sure, will be able to relate to Luna and her problems. I recommend this funny and valuable book.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.
October 29, 2018
Luna has tons of primas - girl cousins - and she gets along with them for the most part... except for Claudia. Claudia is a tattle tale, she's always trying to tell Luna what to do, AND she got to be a dama at one of the primas' quinceañera and Luna didn't get to. But now, the worst has happened: Claudia is transferring to Luna's school. To her grade. To her CLASS. Luna tries to get along with everyone, but expecting her to get along with her bossy, tattling prima is just TOO MUCH.
This is a solid, funny early middle grade book. Luna's a bit of an unreliable narrator and she's not always likeable but she is realistic. Kids whose parents have tried to force them to be friends with other kids they don't like will relate to Luna's struggles and maybe learn something about kindness and acceptance. Hand this to kids who enjoy contemporary stories about friendship struggles.
This is a solid, funny early middle grade book. Luna's a bit of an unreliable narrator and she's not always likeable but she is realistic. Kids whose parents have tried to force them to be friends with other kids they don't like will relate to Luna's struggles and maybe learn something about kindness and acceptance. Hand this to kids who enjoy contemporary stories about friendship struggles.
July 23, 2018
Luna has too many cousins to count and she doesn't get along with all of them, especially not Claudia, who seems to think she knows what is best for everyone. Gossip between this large and loving family provides many humorous moments. Talking to Luna's cousins is like playing a game of "telephone." Another funny highlight includes Luna's misinterpretation of Abuela's advice, since she does not speak Spanish as well as the rest of her family. As the story progresses, Luna navigates through jealousy, aggravation, and self-consciousness to learn what is most important to her.
December 21, 2018
diverse children's fiction (3rd-6th grade)
Mexican-American 5th grader (who incidentally has poliosis--a white streak in her hair) gets into trouble a lot, learns about friendship.
short chapters and a spunky, mischievous Luna make for an entertaining read for this age group. The 90s-esque look to the cover is unfortunate but at least it prominently features a child of color.
Mexican-American 5th grader (who incidentally has poliosis--a white streak in her hair) gets into trouble a lot, learns about friendship.
short chapters and a spunky, mischievous Luna make for an entertaining read for this age group. The 90s-esque look to the cover is unfortunate but at least it prominently features a child of color.
July 1, 2019
I live in a predominantly Mexican American population area in Deep South Texas so our students would be able to relate to the setting and the characters. That in itself is a plus. The story is also relatable to girls around 3rd-6th grade who struggle to fit in and deal with extended family issues. Easy read kids will enjoy.
July 15, 2018
Luna Ramos has a big family with tons of cousins, which sounds like fun until it’s time for a quinceañera and not every prima can be a dama at the celebration. Her prima, Claudia, gets to be a dama, though. Naturally, Luna locks her in the bathroom because…cousin reasons. Which gets Luna in trouble and Mom says “no hats for a month!”
Why such a severe punishment? Luna loves hats. Also the hats cover up her birthmark- a streak of white hair that the other kids make fun of. So she’s gonna have to deal with that for a month.
Another thing she’ll have to deal with- Claudia is transferring to Luna’s school! Imagine, having your hardcore-tattletale prima in your school, in the same class even!
Luna turns to her grandmother for some sage advice. It’s entirely in Spanish. Luna only speaks a few words of Spanish and ends up making some very creative interpretations of her abuela’s advice.
This book was a trip. If you’ve ever had a cousin (or several dozen students) who’s a tattletale, Claudia is a wonderfully frustrating character. Nice one minute, snitching the next. Luna herself is a interesting character to follow, with the realistic emotional range of a fifth-grader and the strategy skills to match. And I especially like (mild spoilers?) that Diana Lopez goes for an honest resolution instead of what I like to call “kid sitcom tropes”.
I will also admit: it wasn’t until halfway through the book that I noticed the first paragraph of each Spanish-titled chapter had the English word bolded. And if you completely missed that, there’s a glossary in the back, which I love. I work at a school with a large-ish hispanic population, and I get a lot of kids who want to learn Spanish when they discover their friends are bilingual.
They could also learn that you don’t have to tattle everything, but that’s just wishful thinking on my part…
Why such a severe punishment? Luna loves hats. Also the hats cover up her birthmark- a streak of white hair that the other kids make fun of. So she’s gonna have to deal with that for a month.
Another thing she’ll have to deal with- Claudia is transferring to Luna’s school! Imagine, having your hardcore-tattletale prima in your school, in the same class even!
Luna turns to her grandmother for some sage advice. It’s entirely in Spanish. Luna only speaks a few words of Spanish and ends up making some very creative interpretations of her abuela’s advice.
This book was a trip. If you’ve ever had a cousin (or several dozen students) who’s a tattletale, Claudia is a wonderfully frustrating character. Nice one minute, snitching the next. Luna herself is a interesting character to follow, with the realistic emotional range of a fifth-grader and the strategy skills to match. And I especially like (mild spoilers?) that Diana Lopez goes for an honest resolution instead of what I like to call “kid sitcom tropes”.
I will also admit: it wasn’t until halfway through the book that I noticed the first paragraph of each Spanish-titled chapter had the English word bolded. And if you completely missed that, there’s a glossary in the back, which I love. I work at a school with a large-ish hispanic population, and I get a lot of kids who want to learn Spanish when they discover their friends are bilingual.
They could also learn that you don’t have to tattle everything, but that’s just wishful thinking on my part…
November 20, 2018
Luna's been told that having so many cousins is a blessing. She thinks it's more like a curse. Especially her prima Claudia.
January 4, 2019
This is a pretty cool story that I enjoyed more than I thought I was going to.
January 5, 2019
The good: main character learns and grows. The bad: Drama and gossip. Ugh.
March 31, 2019
Sweet story with a focus on family and friendship...
December 11, 2019
Super cute book. My girls (10yrs) loved it. It has a super sweet message about family.
January 2, 2020
Cute upper elementary book about a girl and all her primas - the problems with gossip and not being able to speak Spanish while still trying to take your Abuela's advice.
April 8, 2020
This was a cute book. :)
July 12, 2020
4 stars, good book about family. Luna has SO many primas (girl cousins), when she locks Claudia (one of her primas) in the restroom she gets banned from wearing hats for a WHOLE MONTH!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 29, 2021
This was a great book if you want to see people's traditions in other places.
January 14, 2022
A mi no me gusta este libro. La protagonista estaba muy molesta. Pero yo he aprendió muchas palabras nuevas en español.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews