Finding Fortune

After Ren catches her mother flirting with another man (Ren’s father is a soldier stationed in Afghanistan), the 12-year-old runs away to a dilapidated school turned boardinghouse in Fortune, a virtual ghost town on the Mississippi River. There, she finds strange characters and an irresistible mystery. Former beauty queen Hildy Baxter, the establishment’s elderly owner, is eager to chronicle Fortune’s history by opening a pearl button museum, if only she can find the treasure box her brother hid years ago. Assisting Hildy is Mayor Joy, his donkey, and jack-of-all-trades Garrett, who is building a labyrinth of shells in the backyard. Together with friends Hugh and Tucker, Ren helps with the museum and searches for Hildy’s lost treasure, despite threats of closure. Ren’s confusion over her parents’ troubled relationship is lovingly handled through Ray’s whimsical characters and heartfelt moments between Ren and her mother. Ray (Here Lies Linc) expertly incorporates the forgotten history of shell harvesting towns along the Mississippi in an absorbing and well-written story that recalls Kate DiCamillo’s Because of Winn-Dixie. Ages 10–12. Agent: Laura Langlie, Laura Langlie Agency. (Nov.)