(2) YA Rico--high school senior, part-time convenience-store clerk, and her nine-year-old brother's full-time caregiver--convinces herself that the winning ticket for a high-stakes lottery was purchased by an elderly woman on Christmas Eve. With the help of a wealthy, popular classmate, Rico devises a plan to find the woman--and hopefully be rewarded for her efforts. By turns romantic, funny, and surprising, the story explores how class, status, and money--or lack thereof--affects our opportunities, our choices, and our universal need for love and connection.

Reviewer: Monique Harris | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2019

(3) 4-6 Olivia is juggling more than any almost-thirteen-year-old should. Since her dad left the family, Olivia cares for her little sister, prepares meals her exhausted single mother won't eat, and regularly enters sweepstakes in hopes their luck will improve and they can move out of Sunny Pines Trailer Park. Ellis poignantly reveals Olivia's inner life, her anger, and the daydreams that enable her to survive.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(4) 1-3 Classroom 13 series. Illustrated by Joelle Dreidemy. In Lottery, teacher Ms. Linda LaCrosse wins the lottery and splits her winnings with Classroom 13. In Wishes, she brings a lamp to school and a djinn grants each student a wish. Readers see how these situations play out for each of the diverse group of twenty-seven students in his or her own short chapter. The wacky humor feels forced, but the many-perspectives format is interesting. Review covers these Classroom 13 titles: The Disastrous Magical Wishes of Classroom 13 and The Unlucky Lottery Winners of Classroom 13.

Reviewer: Kari Allen

(3) YA Alice's best friend, Teddy, wins the lottery on a ticket she bought for his eighteenth birthday. As Alice sees fame and fortune change Teddy for the worse, she wonders if their friendship (or hopefully more) can be repaired. With eloquent and reflective prose, Smith captures Alice's conflicting emotions and brings the consequences of Teddy's sudden wealth to a logical, and ultimately satisfying, conclusion.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(4) YA Eighteen-year-old Maddie doesn't believe in luck; instead, she prefers hard work and planning. But the high-school senior never planned to win millions in the lottery, and her relationships, decision-making capabilities, and confidence suffer when she does. Despite the predictable plot line of people trying to take advantage of Maddie for her money, sympathetic characters will hold readers' interest in this otherwise light romantic read.

Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay

(3) YA Homeless on the streets of London, twelve-year-old Bully survives with his dog, Jack. His discovery of a lottery ticket worth millions sets off a desperate chain of events. As Bully struggles to collect the winnings he is too young to legally claim, others scheme to steal them. Byrne's complex portrait of Bully--clever and rough, independent and angry--propels the story.

Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac

(3) 4-6 Swindle series. In his sixth mystery, Griffin feels as if he has been replaced by new-to-town Victor, whom Griffin's friends are calling "the other Man With The Plan." Desperate to be the one to find a missing thirty-million-dollar lottery ticket, Griffin forms an alliance with his sworn enemy, bully Darren Vader. With humor and brisk pacing, Korman once again displays understanding of middle-school readers.

Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay

(2) YA Leni's family has blown through nearly all of its seventy-million-dollar lottery winnings. Now Leni is faced with a dilemma: bail out her parents or put her trust fund to philanthropic use. Things get even more complicated after a violent encounter with archangel Michael. Stein (Kindred) keeps readers off balance in a contemporary world complete with old-school biblical justice.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2014

(4) 4-6 When middle schooler Hailee's family wins the lottery, she's disappointed that their lifestyle doesn't become as lavish as she expects. But enrolling at a prestigious private school does change Hailee, to her friends' dismay. A strong voice and a fun-to-imagine premise complement explorations of class striations, but simplistic distillation of characters as merely "nice" or "mean" detracts from the novel's strengths.

Reviewer: Allison Cole

(4) YA When her mom wins the lottery, Reggie hopes all her problems will disappear. Instead, she finds herself unsure whom to trust anymore. A fight with a friend, a boy who's misrepresenting himself, a lack of direction, and a twist on her mother's lottery win make Reggie finally assert herself. Though the lessons Reggie learns are unsurprising, their presentation is creative.

Reviewer: Amanda Mc. MacGregor

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Bill Slavin. After rooster Gonzalo wins the lottery, he quits farmwork. He tries living in a Miami mansion and then as a Hollywood party animal, but the good life disagrees with him. This story, peppered with Spanish words and phrases, has a halfhearted point to make about humility, but it's mainly an amusement, with nearly every acrylic-on-gesso page a visual punch line. Glos.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) YA Emma is having a difficult time getting over her high school crush; attending the same college with him doesn't help. When her family wins the lottery, she decides to drop out of school and find herself. It takes a lot of navel-gazing for Emma to learn that money can't buy happiness, but readers may relate to her inner conflicts.

Reviewer: Amanda Mc. MacGregor

(2) 4-6 Joey's father is back, talking big about his moneymaking dreams. Joey's parents have reunited and are determined to drag Joey into their deluded plans. The protagonist remains a lovable antihero trying to make the best of the doomed situation. Readers new to this world will find it bizarre, but fans will be glad to spend time with their favorite wired kid.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2007

(2) 4-6 The text of this fine debut novel is a report written by six seventh graders, who provide an engaging record of what they learned while working on their science-fair project. What they learn is to see themselves the way others see them--a different version of the ESP they're researching; fittingly, the book's structure lets readers absorb the story, and each character, through six pairs of eyes.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2003

(4) 1-3 A to Z Mysteries series. Illustrated by John Steven Gurney. When a thief swipes a lottery ticket worth seven million dollars, Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose brave a snowstorm to round up clues (and dodge red herrings) before finally nabbing the criminal. The lightweight mystery is typical of the series and won't disappoint young detective-fiction buffs. Black-and-white illustrations accompany the text.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger