Lucky Broken Girl

Use these links to supplement and complement students’ reading of the work and to increase their overall enjoyment of literature. Challenge them to discern parallel themes, engage through visual and aural stimuli, and delve deeper into the thematic possibilities presented by the title.

Recommended Texts for Pairing

“‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers- (314)” by Emily Dickinson

• Ruthie references this poem when she experiences the rehabilitation clinic.
• Read Emily Dickinson’s biography on the Emily Dickinson Museum site.
• The poem connects to the theme of Controlling and Overcoming Fear.

“Small Prayer” by Weldon Kees

• a short 1947 poem on the healing process
• The poem connects to the theme of Controlling and Overcoming Fear.
• Use this poem in the Paired Text Extension for Activity 1.

I Lived on Butterfly Hill by Marjorie Agosin

• a middle grade work of historical fiction in which the 11-year-old protagonist, Celeste, must flee her beloved Chile for America in the wake of dictator Pinochet’s takeover
• Students can connect the themes of Controlling and Overcoming Fear and Loss of Freedom and Independence in both novels.

“Poems Returned to Cuba” and “Prayer”

• poems by Ruth Behar
• Students can connect the imagery and messages to themes of Controlling and Overcoming Fear and Loss of Freedom and Independence.
• Use these poems in the Paired Text Extension for Activity 1.

Other Student Resources

“Cuban Exiles in America”

• a brief article on PBS’s The American Experience site with information on the waves of immigration from Cuba to America
• connects to the novel’s theme of Loss of Freedom and Independence

“Cuban Revolution”

• an article on History.com that details the Cuban Revolution
• connects to the novel’s theme of Loss of Freedom and Independence

“Frida Kahlo”

• a short, age-appropriate introduction to the artist Frida Kahlo
• no images of artwork; black and white photo of Kahlo

“Plaster of Paris—A Short History of Casting and Injured Limb Immobilization”

• a scientific article on the history of using casts in medical treatment from the US National Library of Medicine
• connects to science or health class objectives

Teacher Resources

“How a Horrific Bus Accident Changed Frida Kahlo’s Life”

• a brief article with images on History.com that shares information about Frida Kahlo and the bus accident to which Chicho refers

Color photographs of the borough of Queens in New York City in the 1960s

• Select photos to share with classes to help students visualize the setting and time period.

 Overview of Hinduism

• a Britannica Online article
• Scroll down to “Gods of Modern Hinduism” for mentions of Shiva, the deity Ramu mentions to Ruthie and to whom Ruthie then prays.

“Remembering the Woman Who Was My Second Mother in Cuba” 

• Ruth Behar’s essay in the online anthropology journal Sapiens that offers a look at her life through her connection to a childhood caregiver