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May 3, 2012 by Betsy Bird

Review of the Day: Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage

May 3, 2012 by Betsy Bird   16 comments

Three Times Lucky
By Sheila Turnage
Dial (an imprint of Penguin)
$16.99
ISBN: 978-0-8037-3670-2
Ages 9-12
On shelves May 10th

The Southern Girl Novel. It’s pretty much a genre in and of itself in the children’s literary world. Some years produce more of them than others but they all tend to follow the same format. Sleepy town plus spunky girl equals mild hijinks, kooky townspeople, self-awakening, etc. After a while they all start to blend together, their details merging and meshing and utterly impossible to separate. I’m just mentioning all this as a kind of preface to Three Times Lucky. Sure, you can slap a Gilbert Ford cover on anything these days and it’ll look good. It’s how the insides taste that counts. And brother, the one thing I can say with certainty about Three Times Lucky is that you will never, but ever, mistake it for another book. We’ve got murder. We’ve got careening racecars. We’ve got drunken louts and amnesia and wigs and karate and all sorts of good stuff rolled up in one neat little package. I’ve read a lot of mysteries for kids this year and truth be told? This one’s my favorite, hands down.

It was just bad timing when you get right down to it. Dale just wanted to borrow Mr. Jesse’s boat for a little fishing and his best friend Mo LoBeau would have accompanied him if she hadn’t been working the town’s only café while her two guardians (the elegant Miss Lana and the amnesia-stricken Colonel) were unavailable. Then Mr. Jesse offered a reward for the boat, and that seemed worth taking advantage of. That was before he ended up dead. Caught inadvertently in the middle of a murder mystery, Mo decides to help solve the crime, hopefully without making Detective Joe Starr too angry in the process.

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A good first page is worth its weight in gold in a children’s novel. I always tell the kids in my bookgroup to closely examine the first pages of any book they pick up. That’s where the author is going to clue you in and give you a hint of how splendid their writing skills are. Heck, it’s the whole reason I picked up this book to read in the first place. I had finished my other book and I needed something to read on the way home from work. Deciding amongst a bunch o’ books, I skimmed the first page and was pretty much hooked by the time I got to the bottom. It was this sentence that clinched it: “Dale sleeps with his window up in summer partly because he likes to hear the tree frogs and crickets, but mostly because his daddy’s too sorry to bring home any air-conditioning.” Aside from the character development, I’m just in awe of the use of that term “too sorry” which sets this book so squarely in North Caroline that nothing could dig it out.

Turnage’s writing just sings on the page. Naturally I had to see what else she’d created and the answer was a stunner. Mostly she’s done standard travel guides to places like North Carolina (no surprise) and some haunted inns. The kicker was her picture book Trout the Magnificent. It was her only other book for kids so I checked to see if my library had a copy. We most certainly do . . . from 1984. To my amazement, Ms. Turnage has waited a whopping twenty-eight years to write her next book. The crazy thing? It was worth the wait. I mean, I just started dog-earring all the pages with great lines. Here’s a sample:

– “I wouldn’t say stole . . . But I did borrow it pretty strong.”

– “By 7:30 half the town had crowded into the café and rising seventh grader Skeeter McMillan – tall, slender, freckles the color of fresh-sliced baloney – had claimed this counter’s last spot.”

– “The stranger looked slow around the café, his eyes the color of a thin winter sky.”

– “Miss Lana’s voice is the color of sunlight in maple syrup.”

– “Mr. Li started Karate Night at the café two years ago . . . I enjoy kicking others but would do better in an art that allows spitting.”

– “I used to think Dale was clumsy. Then I realized he only got clumsy when Mr. Macon took drunk.”

– “My voice is like a turkey gobble crammed in a corset, but nobody’s told me to stop singing, and I ain’t shy.”

– “Dale can choose not to worry like he chooses not to wear socks. Miss Lana says I have more of a Jack Russell brain. I think things apart for sport.”

– “I never forgive. I like revenge too much.”

I’ll stop there but you’ve got the gist of it. Woman knows how to lay two words together, you’ll give her that.

I’ve been reading a mess of children’s mysteries lately and there’s a trend amongst them that tends to bug me. I can understand why an author would hate the presence of cell phones in this day and age. Peril is so much less perilous when cops and parents are a mere dial tone away. To combat this potentially plot-sinking element, some authors set their books in the distant past (Two Crafty Criminals) and some just sort of try to pretend that cell phones don’t even exist (Ruby Redfort: Look Into My Eyes). I am a fan of neither one of these methods. What I am a fan of is how Ms. Turnage chose to diffuse the situation. Mo tells it to us straight right at the start. Cell phones aren’t used much in Tupelo Landing because the town is so backwater that reception is spotty at best. Suddenly landlines make a lot more sense and the tension can be beautifully ratcheted up at a moment’s notice without the inconvenient convenience of portable electronics.

As for the mystery itself, I liked it. I think a kid paying attention could identify the baddie if they wanted to and the ending is a slam-bang action finale, which is nice. The dead body was an interesting touch. Actual dead bodies in children’s books are always interesting. Kids love murder mysteries and that’s the long and short of it. They like Encyclopedia Brown and Cam Jansen just fine but if you ask them if they’d like those books a lot more if there was a corpse thrown in there every once in a while I suspect the answer would be a rousing yes. Trouble is, corpses by definition aren’t exactly “Ages 0-12” friendly. Even when you get one in a book for kids it’s usually a stranger. The idea of having a walking, talking character with a name and a personality show up dead by the hand of another in a book for children? Turnage throws that element into her book without so much as a bye-your-leave and darned if she doesn’t get away with it too. You know the guy who gets killed. Heck you even know who it will be by the end of the book’s first paragraph. Meeting him in retrospect makes the murder all the more interesting, and worry not squeamish parents. You never actually see the body itself. Just the murder weapon (mwah-ha-ha-ha!).

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You can get a very different reading of a book by a 34-year-old woman and by a 12-year-old kid. For example, let us examine the case of the Colonel and Miss Lana. Turnage does not apprise us of their situation right off the bat. Reading this story makes you feel like you’re teasing facts out of the characters slowly. All we know at the beginning is that Mo is an orphan and lives with a guy named the Colonel and a woman named Miss Lana. That’s pretty much all a kid is going to care about, since it’s not like the personal lives of adults are all that much fun. But for adults like me? Heck, I was just dying to figure out what the nature of their relationship was. Are they shacking up together? They sure sound like an old married couple, though they’re certainly not together in that way. What is the deal? By the time you get to the end and all is explained you feel a bit baffled (and indeed one of the plot points doesn’t make a lot of sense when the secret is out) but I’m game and willing to go along with it.

The nearest equivalent that I’ve found to Turnage’s writing style isn’t a children’s author but the Southern novelist Bailey White. Turnage taps into that same kind of humor and drawl that White has perfected over the years. I didn’t even know we needed a kid-equivalent of Ms. White until I read this book. Now I’m wondering what can be done to up the number of Southern girl novels out there. As I mentioned before, in the past they’ve all sort of melded together in my brain. Now with the delight that is Three Times Lucky I’m going to hope for a kind of Southern kid Renaissance. Let’s see what we can’t do about getting more books like this one into the hands of children from all over the country. It’s got a murder for crying out loud. That’s gotta be good for something. A novel that hits on all cylinders. Grab it, read it, enjoy it, and find a kid to thrust it upon. Worth discovering.

On shelves May 10th.

Source: Galley sent from publisher for review.

First Sentence: “Trouble cruised into Tupelo Landing at exactly seven minutes past noon on Wednesday, the third of June, flashing a gold badge and driving a Chevy Impala the color of dirt.”

Notes on the Cover: Best known for creating the covers for Pseudonymous Bosch’s “Secret” series, there’s a fairly good chance that Ford’s style might lure in readers that are “Secret” fans and want something similar. And while this book isn’t exactly the same in terms of plot and tone, it’s my hope that maybe a couple kids will get so sucked it that they’ll read it cover to gorgeous cover.  That’s the hope anyway.  You can see the full cover with additional character silhouettes from the back here along with some justifiably rejected preliminary sketches (I’ve never approved of a final product so much in my LIFE!).

Like This Book? Then Try:

  • Icefall by Matthew Kirby (for the mystery element)
  • Freaky Fast Frankie Joe by Lutricia Clifton (for that small town feel)
  • Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles (for that Southern flavor)

Other Blog Reviews:

  • Killin’ Time Reading

Professional Reviews:

  • A star from Kirkus
  • A star from Publishers Weekly

Other Reviews:

  • Richie’s Picks
  • Examiner.com

Filed under: Best Books of 2012, Reviews

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2012 middle grade fiction2012 middle grade realistic fiction2012 mysteries2012 reviewsDial Books for Young Readersmiddle grade fictionmiddle grade funny booksmiddle grade mysteriesmiddle grade realistic fictionmurder mysteriesmysteriesmystery novelsPenguinSheila TurnageSouthern girl fiction

About Betsy Bird

Betsy Bird is currently the Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library system and a former Materials Specialist for New York Public Library. She has served on Newbery, written for Horn Book, and has done other lovely little things that she'd love to tell you about but that she's sure you'd find more interesting to hear of in person. Her opinions are her own and do not reflect those of EPL, SLJ, or any of the other acronyms you might be able to name. Follow her on Twitter: @fuseeight.

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About Betsy Bird

Betsy Bird is currently the Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library system and a former Materials Specialist for New York Public Library. She has served on Newbery, written for Horn Book, and has done other lovely little things that she'd love to tell you about but that she's sure you'd find more interesting to hear of in person. Her opinions are her own and do not reflect those of EPL, SLJ, or any of the other acronyms you might be able to name. Follow her on Twitter: @fuseeight.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Monica Edinger says

    May 3, 2012 at 8:33 am

    I too am a big fan of this book for all the reasons you articulate and more. Just a few comments in response to some of yours above.

    I don’t think Pullman was trying to avoid cell phones with his two New Cut Gang stories, which were first published in 1994 (and are now being reissued together as Two Crafty Criminals) — he just likes writing in that time period (witness the Sally Lockhart stories set in a similar past).

    As for Southern girl novels, I really like Ruth White’s Way Down Deep (which also celebrates a small southern town and has a compelling origin mystery).

    • Elizabeth Bird says

      May 3, 2012 at 11:52 am

      I agree that it wasn’t Pullman’s intention, but that’s a method a lot of authors tend to take when technology proves an inconvenience. Good advice on Way Down Deep! We had a devil of a time figuring out where to put that in my library system. I think we eventually housed it in the YA section for the younger YA readers.

  2. Sam Eddington says

    May 3, 2012 at 1:11 pm

    I really enjoyed this review! And I enjoyed the book too 🙂

    One question — I might have missed something, but I went back over and over this book, and as far as I can tell, it’s a book set in present day eastern North Carolina that only has one nonwhite character (Mr. Li). Does that seem as impossible — and problematic — to you as it does to me?

    • Elizabeth Bird says

      May 3, 2012 at 5:23 pm

      It’s a good point, Sam. Of course the town is incredibly small and there are certainly pockets of all-white communities down there. If it were a larger group of folks I might have had more of an issue with it. I was going to say that Turnage never clarifies race on any of the characters, but that’s kind of a cop out on my part. I’m glad you brought it up and I’d be interested in what other folks think.

  3. Kristi Hazelrigg says

    May 3, 2012 at 3:37 pm

    You’ve made me very happy today for two reasons:
    1. Though it is brief and in passing, you made a comparison to my #1 favorite children’s novel, Each Little Bird That Sings. If 3xLucky has that kind of feel, my expectations bar just grew a few notches.
    2. I just ordered this book from Amazon yesterday!

    Thanks for making my day a little brighter!

  4. Amy Sears says

    May 3, 2012 at 5:29 pm

    I loved this book it was great. I liked the mystery aspect as it added an extra element to the story taking it a step above quirky southern story. I heard it described as Because of Winn Dixie meets Savvy. Very enjoyable.

    • Elizabeth Bird says

      May 3, 2012 at 5:32 pm

      Yes, I’m interested in the Winn Dixie comparison since I didn’t see it myself. Not to say it isn’t there, but it’s interesting to me that Winn Dixie is our de facto Southern Girl Novel. The Savvy comparison baffles me. Maybe because they both have cool covers and . . . um . . . star girls? I’m out to sea.

  5. Genevieve says

    May 3, 2012 at 6:00 pm

    I’ve been looking for middle grade mysteries! Thanks, Betsy. I went to put it on hold, saw that our library didn’t have it listed as ordered, put in a purchase request linking to your review, and a couple hours later got an email saying they’ve decided to purchase it.

  6. Monica Edinger says

    May 4, 2012 at 9:44 am

    I’m curious — why did NYPL decide to catalog Way Down Deep as young YA? I recollect it as straight middle grade. Not so?

    • Elizabeth Bird says

      May 4, 2012 at 11:58 am

      Not sure myself. Of course there’s much to be said for having younger books in the teen area for YAers who aren’t ready for the older fare. But that was before my time, catalogwise.

  7. Stacy says

    May 5, 2012 at 12:30 am

    I <3 this one too. I think the Savvy comparison comes because there is a countrified feeling to it that is present in Savvy as well. A bit of off kilter, if you will. I've been meaning to blog it for a while. Definitely worth a re-read. Just the right amount of quirk.
    While I am always on the look out for diversity, this wasn't a case of glaring whiteness to me. Small towns are often (in my experience) all one way or another. That said, it is something to think about while looking at the field of new pubs.

  8. Kim B. says

    May 7, 2012 at 7:37 pm

    Would you say this has a shot at some Newbery love this year?

    • Elizabeth Bird says

      May 8, 2012 at 2:42 am

      You know, it may. Funny books are a pistol to predict. For every Dead End in Norvelt there are thirty Moon Over Manifests. Two funny books in a row? Stranger things have happened. As I mention in the review there’s a part at the end that logically might prove sticky for a committee. But when you consider how good the writing is . . . well . . . .

  9. Deb Marshall says

    October 14, 2012 at 11:57 am

    I am way late to reading this one, but oh my gosh. So good. Everything you say and then some. The voice sings from that opening line to the end.

  10. Paige Ysteboe says

    December 31, 2012 at 5:06 pm

    It’s interesting that you picked the phrase “too sorry” — I honestly hadn’t thought of that as tagging someone from North Carolina — it’s such a common phrase for us I would have thought it more universally used. I did smile at the phrase “not fit to eat” — both of my parents are from Eastern North Carolina (I’m from the Piedmont) and that phrase is used all the time.

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