The Higher Power of Lucky (2007)--Susan Patron

This book owes a great debt to Beverly Cleary's Ramona series, and that's just fine by me. Lucky's basically a somewhat grittier Southwestern Ramona with more backstory. The plot is not terribly innovative (how many kids' books have had a "running away because of a big misunderstanding" storyline?), but the details keep you reading. The characters well-defined with just the right amount of quirk.