Three Times Lucky

Miss Moses "Mo" LoBeau, rising sixth grader, started her life out very lucky three times. She survived on a makeshift raft in the middle of a hurricane as a newborn, she was found by the Colonel (who happens to have amnesia) who has pretty much become her dad, and she met Miss Lana, who pretty much became her mom. Despite loving the Colonel and Miss Lana, she wonders where she came from and often sends messages in a bottle to her Upstream Mother. She must have been born to be a detective, because between trying to solve the mystery of her mother, wondering about the Colonel's past and now trying to track down the murderer of Mr. Jesse, the town grouch, she has her hands full.

Not only is Three Times Lucky, by Sheila Turnage, a great mystery, but just a great story in general with a great cast of characters including Mo's best friend, Dale Earnhardt Johnson III (not because he is the third Dale Earnhardt Johnson, but because Dale Earnhardt drove the #3 NASCAR car and Dale's daddy believes in naming kids for somebody famous); Dale's big brother, Lavendar, who if Mo was old enough, she would "snatch him up and marry him before sundown"; and her sworn enemy, Anna Celeste AKA Attila (Attila calls Mo "Mo-Ron"). I would recommend this for about 4th grade and up.