Review: Mo Wren, Lost and Found by Tricia Springstubb

Synopsis:
Mo Wren knew that eventually she, her dad, and her sister, Wild Child Dottie, would have to move from beloved Fox Street. She just never expected it to happen so soon.

At the Wrens’ new place, things are very different. The name of the street—East 213th—has absolutely zero magic. And there’s no Mrs. Petrone to cut her hair, no Pi Baggott to teach her how to skateboard, no Green Kingdom to explore. She’s having trouble fitting in at her new school and spending a lot of time using the corner bus shelter for her Thinking Spot. Worst of all, Mo discovers that the ramshackle restaurant Mr. Wren bought is cursed. Only Dottie, with her new friends and pet lizard, Handsome, is doing the dance of joy.

For the first time in her life, Mo feels lost and out of place. It’s going to take a boy who tells whoppers, a Laundromat with a mysterious owner, a freak blizzard, and some courage to help her find her way home for good.

Review:
This was such a sweet and touching story. It's the sequel to What Happened On Fox Street, but it can easily be read as a stand alone. I guarantee after you read Mo Wren, Lost and Found that you will really want to pick up the first one!

We find Mo Wren about to leave her home on Fox Street. Her house and the surrounding neighbors have been the anchor for everything in her life, and now she has to figure out what to do with herself in a different place. She is bombarded with uncertainties and doesn't give herself the credit she deserves. She faces these things with a maturity and grace that she is completely blind to until later on in the book. Carmella sees that in her from the beginning. I loved Carmella for seeing the beautiful parts of her Soap Opera customers when they don't see it themselves.

A great book for any age. Middle graders will enjoy the story and can relate to Mo and the things she deals with. Older readers will be touched by the authentic, coming-of-age themes found throughout the book.

Publication Date: September 1, 2011
Genre: Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Coming-of-Age
Source: Thanks so much to the author, Tricia Springstubb, for my review copy!