Everything you need to understand or teach Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage.
"Three Times Lucky" tells the story of Mo LoBeau, a rising sixth grader in Tupelo Landing, North Carolina, a small, rural town with 148 residents. There has been a murder and Mo is intent on solving it with the help of her best friend, Dale. Mo's adoptive parents, Miss Lana and the Colonel, go missing during the investigation, increasing the urgency of solving the mystery. Winston-Salem detective Joe Starr, along with Mo and Dale, help to solve the murder mystery and save Miss Lana and the Colonel.