Book thirty: Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage

The ORCA nominations for next year were released recently and I was glad to find that I'd already read two to Hen and we were halfway through a third from the upper elementary list. Turnage's book has the distinction of being the first one read off that list on purpose. This means I may have a shot at making it through the entire list for both upper elementary and middle school. But I digress…

Three Times Lucky is about a spunky girl named Moses LoBeau who is desparately trying to locate her mother, the woman who birthed her during a hurricane and was never heard from again. Along with the Colonel, her best friend Dale, and a host of other eccentric characters, Mo balances figuring out who she is with solving a murder and a kidnapping. Who can she trust? Why is the Colonel missing? Will Lavendar ever want to marry her?

You can read all about it in this delightful tale set in the fictional town Tupelo Landing, NC. I give this book high marks just because it held my interest enough to finish it quickly. There were several laugh out lout moments that I appreciated. The longing Mo experiences for her mother is quite compelling, and how she chooses to deal with that sorrow is touching for even those with the most hardened of hearts.

30 down plus 22 to go.