by Sheila Turnage
Flap Copy Description:
Meet Miss Moses LoBeau -
rising sixth grader, natural born detective, borderline straight-A student, and goddess of free enterprise. Mo washed ashore in Tupelo Landing, North Carolina, eleven years ago during one of the meanest hurricanes in history, and she's been making waves ever since.
Mo's summer is looking good. She'll take karate with her best friend, Dale Earnhardt Johnson III (whose daddy believes in naming for the famous), and plot against her sworn enemy, Anna Celeste (aka Attila). She'll help out at the cafe run by the Colonel and Miss Lana, and continue her lifelong search for her Upstream Mother.
But when the cafe's crankiest customer turns up dead and a city-slick lawman shows up asking questions, Mo's summer takes an unexpected turn. With another hurricane bearing down on Tupelo Landing, Mo and Dale set out to save those they love and solve a mystery of epic proportions.
My Thoughts:
Although Ms. Turnage has been previously published, this is her debut middle grade novel. What a beginning: Three Times Lucky is a 2013 Newbery Honor book! This exciting, entertaining, and well-written novel displays, without doubt, the storytelling skills of Sheila Turnage. The author's voice, humor, and complex plot come together in a unique blend, making this novel truly special. Three Times Lucky is also a great book for both boys and girls, since the female protagonist (Mo) has a constant companion (Dale) - an insecure, but kind-hearted male best friend. However, the story is not just a feel good tale since life issues of family, friendship, hope, and love are all woven throughout this complex novel. I would highly recommend Three Times Lucky to readers from the ages of eight to eighty!
