ALA Bookstack: Three Times Lucky

ThreeTimes Lucky by Sheila Turnage

Welcome to Tupelo Landing!  Meet Mo, the "Three Times Lucky," wise-beyond-her-years eleven-year-old who, as a baby, was washed ashore during a hurricane.  Mo is busy. She’s busy trying to find her Upstream Mother; she's busy helping to run the Café owned by the Colonel and Miss Lana; and, she's busy trying to solve a murder mystery.

Luckily, Mo can handle it all.

She's clever.
Mo is a thinker and she's inquisitive. When told she asks too many questions, she replies, “occupational hazard. Detective.” And ask questions she does!  Through sheer gumption and spunk, she manages to make her “natural born detective” skills indispensable to solving the crime.
Mo has devised a way to try and find her Upstream Mother, a way that reveals a lot more than where Mo might have come from.

And when the Colonel and Miss Lana can't open the Cafe, Mo serves up a very creative menu, none of which involves actually cooking!

She's honest,forthright and loyal.
In another scene where her best friend Dale is being questioned, she interjects like this:
“I object,” I said. “We’ve already established this wasn’t a technical steal. This was more like a surprise borrowing between neighbors. Don’t say nothing, Dale.” I warned.

When referring to some fickle young women, Mo says “Those girls are like crows. Probably saw something shinier on the other side of town.” 

She's surrounded by great people.
Ms. Lana, caring person, cook extraordinaire and part time actress, gives Mo advice like this from “Bill” Shakespeare: “All the world’s a stage, sugar, so hop on up there."  
From the Colonel she learns about the "three day rule," amongst other things. 
Mo's best friend and co-detective, Dale, and his mother Rose, demonstrate a strength anyone can admire.

Miss Retzyl, the teacher (whose “lair” Mo visits) has some surprises up her own sleeve.

There are others a plenty, but that would spoil the story.
Beyond the wise and wonderful Mo, why should you read this book?

It's Funny!
The hilarious driving adventure with Miss Lana had me guffawing out loud. Here's a snippet:

“Hello, dear friends,” Miss Lana said, opening her door as far as the front porch would allow.  She slithered out sideways, wiggling her butt along the porch until she reached the back of the car.
“Gosh,” Dale said. “I didn’t know you could drive.”
“She can’t,” Miss Rose said, her voice as flat as her petunias.  Like Dale, Miss Rose has a firm grasp of the obvious.”

This is a book you will read with a smile on your face and a softness in your heart. Our young heroine, Mo, is not the only one who is “lucky,” we the readers are as well.  We are lucky to have found this spunky, engaging and wise young girl.

By the way, I've adopted a new saying from the book: “slept restless and dreamed thin.” It captures some of my nights perfectly. Sheila Turnage has created many other wonderful turns of phrase like this one that will engage and capture readers.My #ALA12 #Bookstack has been a mighty sweet treasure trove this summer.