We continue our occasional series previewing good reads for young adults from Katherine Farmer, Coordinator of the Racers Children's Preview Collection at Murray State University. This week's recommended read is Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage, a Newberry Honor Winner that School Library Journal describes as a hilarious modern day mystery, that leaves the readers hoping for sequels.
Do you consider yourself lucky? Well, Mo Lobeau does in the 2013 Newbery Honor novel Three Times Lucky by Shelia Turnage. In fact, she considers herself three times lucky. First, her biological mother tied her to a raft during a hurricane. Second, the Colonel just happened to crash land nearby the river she was floating down and found her tied to the raft. Third, Miss Lana decided to take her in. Even though she has a good home, she can’t help but wonder what her life was like before she became lucky.
But what happens when that lucky home is turned upside down. During the summer before sixth grade, a big city police detective, Detective Starr, comes to the small town of Tupelo Landing and announces to everyone that he is solving a murder mystery. All the sudden a cranky neighbor turns up dead, and Mo’s best fiend Dale and her lucky savior the Colonel stand accused of his murder. Even though Dale was quickly cleared, Mo was not about to let anything happened to the Colonel. She forms the Desperado Detective Agency with Dale to prove who actually committed murder in the small down. To find out what happens next in this laugh-out loud wonderful tale read Three Times Lucky by Shelia Turnage.
Katherine Farmer is the Coordinator of the Racers Children's Preview Collection at Murray State University. Hear her good reads Thursdays on Sounds Good.