The Thing about Luck by Cynthia Kadohata (review)

Twelve-year-old Summer and her family have had a tough year of illnesses and accidents, and it's not getting any easier. Summer's parents have to go to Japan for a few months to care for dying relatives while Summer, her grandparents, and her challenging brother Jaz travel the country as "custom harvesters," driving machinery and cooking for the other workers. It's tough work, especially when Summer's grandmother, grandfather, and brother all get sick during the harvest; Summer comes through, however, driving the combine at night when they are asleep, and it appears the family may find some good fortune after all. This is an unusual slice of life, and the technical farming details show Kadohata has clearly done her research on custom harvesting (which is essentially harvesting that is contracted out to independent harvesters). Summer and her family members are strong, unique characters—particularly her force-of-nature grandma, who is both comical and maddening—and Summer's summer of growing up is both believable and touching. Kuo's occasional line drawings, offered as sketches notes from Summer's notebook, add interest and help clarify some of the harvesting information. Readers looking for a quiet but fascinating bit of family drama will find this particularly satisfying.