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9th out of 137 books
—
674 voters
Three Times Lucky
Newbery honor winner, New York Times bestseller, and Edgar Award Nominee.
A hilarious Southern debut with the kind of characters you meet once in a lifetime
Rising sixth grader Miss Moses LoBeau lives in the small town of Tupelo Landing, NC, where everyone's business is fair game and no secret is sacred. She washed ashore in a hurricane eleven years ago, and she's been mak...more
A hilarious Southern debut with the kind of characters you meet once in a lifetime
Rising sixth grader Miss Moses LoBeau lives in the small town of Tupelo Landing, NC, where everyone's business is fair game and no secret is sacred. She washed ashore in a hurricane eleven years ago, and she's been mak...more
Hardcover, 312 pages
Published
May 10th 2012
by Dial
(first published May 2012)
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I loved, loved, LOVED this book. It's a sensational, highly memorable debut novel -- one I enjoyed so much that I didn't want the book to end! I can't WAIT to see what Sheila Turnage writes next.
Well, I should start right out saying this is not my kind of book, and honestly I knew that going in. I read it for the middle school book club at work and never would have picked it up otherwise. It just strikes me as being the kind of children's book written for nostalgic adults, not children. I did give the book two stars rather than one solely because the murder mystery was kind of interesting. Other than that, well, I'm just glad I'm done with it now.
There are things precocious children say, there are things quaint children say, and then there are things that children's literature authors make up which even the quaintest and most precocious child would not say, and this book's full of them. Children's literature protagonists seem to have remarkable abilities to say full (and highly quotable) sentences to all and sundry. They do not um, err, quote from pop culture, swear, or get tongue-tied, like the children I know in real life. This makes t...more
Meet the latest member of juvenile fiction's Feisty Females Hall of Fame: Mo LoBeau, an eleven-year-old cafe manager, martial arts expert, detective, and "goddess of free enterprise." Her adoptive dad is The Colonel, a man who lost his memory and found Baby Mo in the course of a single hurricane. Mom is Miss Lana, a free spirit who daily gives the family's cafe a new theme according to her whims. While Mo attempts to locate her birth mother, she eventually discovers that it's love that makes a f...more
Mo (short for Moses) lives with the Colonel and Miss Lana and is very lucky. She washed up during a hurricane when she was a baby and was discovered by the Colonel. Mo has her best friend Dale and the Cafe her family runs in Tupelo Landing, NC and life is pretty good. That is until a lawman comes to town and Mr. Jesse ends up murdered. Suddenly Dale is a suspect, the Colonel and Lana are missing and Mo has to solve the mystery of what is happening around her.
This was a delightful story. Mo is a...more
This was a delightful story. Mo is a...more
Mo LoBeau is a rising sixth-grader in the tiny town of Tupelo Landing, North Carolina. She's a slick talking girl whose best friend is a boy named Dale Earnhardt Johnson III. Mo lives with adoptive parents: Miss Lana, a wig-wearing eccentric cafe owner, and the Colonel, a man with no memory of his past who calls Mo "soldier" (affectionately) and hates lawyers. Mo and Dale decide to become detectives when a local man is murdered and the only suspects seem to be Dale and the Colonel.
Sheila Turnag...more
Sheila Turnag...more
I absolutely LOVED this audio! The change of voices was spot on and captured the essence of the story. There were many lol moments. The story is about Mo (aka Moses), an eleven-year-old girl who was found as a baby after a hurricane without any trace of her parents. She writes letters and sticks them in a bottle to her "upstream mother." She has a best friend Dale and they have a detective agency. With the agency, they find lost dogs and investigate a murder! The circumstances are funny and touc...more
This is a fun, Southern mystery for kids. It reminded me of "Moon over Manifest" but not historical, even though the modern-day references were few and it felt kind of historical/timeless. It's full of quirky characters and funny, small-town events. The mystery itself was a little weak to me. (view spoiler) But those are probably picky, adult comp...more
Three Times Lucky follows the adventures of Mo and her friend Dale during one crazy summer. Not only is Mo on the search for her Upstream Mother that she has been missing since she was found along a raging flood as an infant floating on a billboard sign but now she and Dale must try and solve the who done it when murder and scandal come to Tupelo Landing. Mo, a rising sixth grader, has lived with the Colonel and Miss Lana for as long as she can remember. They have taken care of her and raised he...more
This was a fun mystery book set in the small town of Tupelo Landing, NC. As eleven-year-old Mo, short for Moses, narrates the book and is ready for a normal and relaxing summer, her plans get turned upside down. The murder of an angry customer (Mr. Jesse) of Mo’s family’s (the Colonel and Miss Lana) café, is brought to attention. As you would suspect of a murder mystery novel for kids, the main character Mo and Dale set out to find the truth about the murder. As if this was not enough going on,...more
A fun book with memorable characters, a well defined setting and developed themes. The plotting fell down a little for me towards the end. (view spoiler)...more
Tupelo Landing, North Carolina, population about what you can fit in a dinky cafe, including one Mo LoBeau, age 11. Mo washed into town as a newborn, carried on flood debris from a hurricane. Now she lives with Miss Lana and the Colonel (he washed up in that same storm, and has no memory of what went before) in what by any standards would be a non-traditional family. But even though Mo is pretty happy with the way her summer-before-sixth-grade is shaping up, she has never stopped looking for her...more
I really enjoyed this story. It reminded me a little of To Kill A Mockingbird, but only in the way the kids acted and the setting in the south.
The story centers around Mo LeBeau; her given name is Moses and that's because a man found her floating on a raft after a huge hurricane hit North Carolina. Mo lives with the Colonel and Miss Lana, who run the only cafe in Tupelo Landing, NC. The Colonel owns the cafe and Lana runs it. They aren't married or even sweethearts, but they get along best when...more
The story centers around Mo LeBeau; her given name is Moses and that's because a man found her floating on a raft after a huge hurricane hit North Carolina. Mo lives with the Colonel and Miss Lana, who run the only cafe in Tupelo Landing, NC. The Colonel owns the cafe and Lana runs it. They aren't married or even sweethearts, but they get along best when...more
Mo LoBeau was discovered floating on a makeshift raft during a terrible hurricane. She was fished out of the water by a man called the Colonel, who had just managed to lose his memory in a car accident. Now she lives with Miss Lana and the Colonel, but she always has the mystery of where she came from in the back of her mind. Soon, however, the mystery of Mo's "upstream Mother" is overshadowed by a murder in Tupelo Landing. With Miss Lana, the Colonel, and Mo's best friend Dale in the thick of i...more
Really enjoyed this book.
There were a couple of places I laughed out loud, that doesn't happen to me that often. It falls into my "small town quirky character" category. It is about 11 year old Mo (short for Moses, but she is a girl) and takes place during the summer when she is 11. Mo has an unusual history, having been found floating in a river after a hurricane (hence the name) and an unusual family, having been raised by the man who found her "The Colonel" and Miss Lana. Together, the Colone...more
There were a couple of places I laughed out loud, that doesn't happen to me that often. It falls into my "small town quirky character" category. It is about 11 year old Mo (short for Moses, but she is a girl) and takes place during the summer when she is 11. Mo has an unusual history, having been found floating in a river after a hurricane (hence the name) and an unusual family, having been raised by the man who found her "The Colonel" and Miss Lana. Together, the Colone...more
Teachers often ask me for recommendations of good mysteries, and although I have had a few to recommend, nothing that overly excited me. Now that's changed. It is no wonder that Three Times Lucky won a Newbury Honor, it is such an exciting book with twists and turns that keep you guessing until the end who are the good guys and who are the bad guys.
Mo, short for Moses, is a 12 year old girl who was found as a baby floating on a board in the water during a hurricane. She was found by the Colonel...more
Mo, short for Moses, is a 12 year old girl who was found as a baby floating on a board in the water during a hurricane. She was found by the Colonel...more
Ms. Turnage has created a deliciously enjoyable, modern-day mystery that captured my imagination in a rollercoaster ride of southern antics from form beginning to end. Mo LoBeau's wry humor, quick thinking, and outspoken nature find a perfect blend with Dale Earnhardt Johnson III's gentle naivety and unwavering loyalty. It is their relationship that ultimately carries the story. The characters feel as real as you and I, and maintain an honest sense of grit and humor throughout. The supporting ca...more
Meet Mo LoBeau, eleven-year-old spitfire from the town of Tupelo Landing, NC and her best friend, Dale Earnhart Johnson III. (The three is for the immortal legend’s race car number, of course.) Yup, you’ve just landed in a small town where everyone knows everyone else’s business–which is a good thing, according to Miss Lana, because everyone pitches in, and a bad thing, according to the Colonel, because everyone pitches in. It’s a right neighborly place where everyone eats at Mo’s family’s cafe,...more
Turnage has created rich, memorable characters with strong voices. Moses, the main character, is a strong, clever young girl. Her best friend with his own idiosyncracies is also very likeable and a good example of someone with unconventional (or at least under-appreciated) intelligence. In one scene, the neighbors turn out in support of the main character in a way that made me want to live in their small town.
I have issues with the plot twists and turns. There's a murder mystery, sexual referenc...more
I have issues with the plot twists and turns. There's a murder mystery, sexual referenc...more
Mo LoBeau doesn't know the story of her biological family. All she knows is her life in a tiny North Carolina town with the Colonel, who found her floating down a river in a hurricane the same day he lost his memory, and Miss Lana, who has raised Mo like her own. The three of them run a cafe next to their house, with the frequent help of Mo's best friend Dale.
When a mysterious stranger shows up at the cafe asking questions - a lawman named Joe Starr - Mo and the Colonel suspect that trouble is o...more
When a mysterious stranger shows up at the cafe asking questions - a lawman named Joe Starr - Mo and the Colonel suspect that trouble is o...more
Mo LoBeau doesn't know the story of her biological family. All she knows is her life in a tiny North Carolina town with the Colonel, who found her floating down a river in a hurricane the same day he lost his memory, and Miss Lana, who has raised Mo like her own. The three of them run a cafe next to their house, with the frequent help of Mo's best friend Dale.
When a mysterious stranger shows up at the cafe asking questions - a lawman named Joe Starr - Mo and the Colonel suspect that trouble is o...more
When a mysterious stranger shows up at the cafe asking questions - a lawman named Joe Starr - Mo and the Colonel suspect that trouble is o...more
Nov 10, 2012
David
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Shelves:
friendship,
humor,
kids-mystery,
realistic-fiction,
kids-fiction,
newbery-honor,
2013-notables
Threee Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage is the engaging, multi-layered story of twelve-year-old, North Carolina orphan Mo LeBeau, raised by quirky step-parents, who becomes embroiled in a murder mystery when her best friend AND a step-parent both become suspects.
At first glance, this may appear to be a silly, southern girl novel, with over-the-top dialogue and outrageous character names, but the reader is pulled right in. Despite some unbelievability and tropes - quaint setting, absent parents, bel...more
At first glance, this may appear to be a silly, southern girl novel, with over-the-top dialogue and outrageous character names, but the reader is pulled right in. Despite some unbelievability and tropes - quaint setting, absent parents, bel...more
I was amazed I liked this book as much as I did. At the beginning, I was suspicious it was going to be too Southern/quirky/cloying for my taste, the protagonist is a sixth grader who was orphaned in a hurricane, raised in a small town by an eccentric couple, and is one of those children's literature kids who is always saying sassy things.
But pretty soon into it, I was thinking this could be a three star book, because while it WAS quirky, it wasn't so much so that it got in the way of the story,...more
But pretty soon into it, I was thinking this could be a three star book, because while it WAS quirky, it wasn't so much so that it got in the way of the story,...more
Review from Karen, intended for young readers:
Welcome to Tupelo Landing. It’s only got two streets, but in Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage, the arrival of an out-of-town detective brings a sudden burst of activity and adventure. First, there’s a murder… followed by an abrupt departure — and it’s up to two local kids to figure out what the heck is going on!
When I was trying to decide whether to read this book, I did a little checking on the interwebs and found a review calling Three Times Luc...more
Welcome to Tupelo Landing. It’s only got two streets, but in Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage, the arrival of an out-of-town detective brings a sudden burst of activity and adventure. First, there’s a murder… followed by an abrupt departure — and it’s up to two local kids to figure out what the heck is going on!
When I was trying to decide whether to read this book, I did a little checking on the interwebs and found a review calling Three Times Luc...more
I really enjoyed this book. It was a pretty fun read. This book is about a murder that happens in a small town. I really liked Mo's wit and sense about her. She has quick replies and a ssasy personality. I also liked the Colonel. I think it was strange that he all of a sudden lost his memory eleven years ago and started to hate lawyers. Why lawyers? I also liked how the Colonel spoke to Mo like he would if he was still in the army. He calls her Soldier and always demands that she request a leave...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
This is a laugh-out-loud story set in a small southern town with some very peculiar residents. Mo LoBeau, a spunky 11-year-old, taken in by The Colonel and Miss Lana after being washed downstream during a hurricane, is a courageous and determined sixth-grader. On her first day of kindergarten Mo identified an enemy and made a life decision to "come home tore up from fighting or late from being punished, but never to come home crying". So far, she 'ain't'. She is a girl of action and never hesita...more
Trouble drove into Tupelo Landing in the form of a Chevy Impala and a man named Detective Starr. Mo Lebeau's own detective skills and power of deduction know that car and it's driver are trouble the moment it pulls up to cafe that she works at with her adoptive mother, Miss Lana, and the mysterious "Colonel". Shortly after the car arrives, there is a murder, and Mo sets out with her friend Dale to try to solve the mystery before Detective Starr can.
I found this book to be a little scatterbrained...more
I found this book to be a little scatterbrained...more
Glory, glory! I got 16 boxes of new books and am tearing through them like my shirttails are on fire. I took that from the word wizard, Sheila Turnage. She slaps great sentences together like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Sprinkle in heavy doses of humor, kooky characters, seriousness, and a mystery set in the south and you have some delicious crepes or craps as eleven-year-old Mo's best friend, Dale, calls them. Another favorite line I have is Mo describing how she is herbicidal, "I've ki...more
Eleven year old Mo LoBeau is the witty, feisty main character in this action packed mystery. Mo lives with the amnesiac Colonel and his cook Miss Lana, who own a cafe' together in Tupelo Landing, North Carolina. Mo, washed ashore as a baby, spends her time attempting to find out who her "Upstream Mother" might be until the Colonel disappears and Miss Lana is kidnapped, when news of a town murder brings a big city detective into town to investigate. This novel is action packed and gives the reade...more
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“You what?" Dale yelped, looking like I'd handed him something dead. "You ain't writing during summer vacation, are you? I'm pretty sure that's against the rules.”
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3 people liked it
“My heart leaped like the cheerleader I will never be.”
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3 people liked it
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Mar 17, 2012 07:26pm