Turn Left at the Cow

by Lisa Bullard

Thirteen-year-old Trav has always wondered about his dead-before-he-was-born dad. But when he heads from California to his grandmother's house in rural Minnesota, hoping to learn about his past, he gets more than he bargained for. It turns out his dad was involved in a bank robbery right before he mysteriously disappeared, and the loot from the take is still missing. Along with Kenny and Iz, the kids next door, Trav embarks on a search for the cash. But the trio’s adventure quickly turns dangerous when it becomes clear that someone else is looking for the money—someone who won’t give up without a fight!

Genres: Mystery, Middle Grade, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Young Adult, Adventure, Humor

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Lisa Bullard is the award-winning author of more than sixty books for children, including the middle grade mystery Turn Left at the Cow. She is also the author of the how-to guide Get Started in Writing for Children. Her books for younger readers include picture books and nonfiction titles such as Trick-or-Treat on Milton Street and You Can Write a Story: A Story-Writing Recipe for Kids. Her books have won several honors, including a Children’s Choice Award, two Teacher’s Choice Awards, a Science Books & Films’ Best Books listing, a National Parenting Publications Children's Resources Silver Award, and a Storytelling World Awards Honor Title. For over fifteen years, Lisa has taught writing classes for adults and young people at the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis and in a variety of other settings. Lisa is a graduate of the University of Denver’s Publishing Institute.

Reviews

[Emily M · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book but ! think it was just a little boring almost but the parts where Trav discovers what his dad has done like robbing a bank and the frozen head, its exciting to see him and the kids race to get the money.

[Leo · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the book Turn Left at the Cow, Lisa Bullard tells an amazing mystery about kids trying to solve a mystery. There are only two questions. Is Travis’s dad dead and did he actually rob that bank? At the beginning, Travis starts to wonder what ever happened to his dad; all he know is that he is dead. Or is he? But his mom won’t tell him anything, so he runs away to his grandma’s house. Along the way he meets two kids named Kenny and Iz. Trav finds out that Kenny and Iz are searching for the reward money that his dad supposedly stole. Then a old friend of Grams named Carl says he knows where the money is. Karl says, “I know where it is. I know what you’re looking for” (117). Could Carl actually know where the money is? Or is he sending Kenny, Iz, and Trav an a wild goose chase for fake money? I would recommend this book to people in 4th-8th grade, and I gave it 5 stars.

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

Turn Left at the Cow is a very hip and witty mystery featuring a fish-out-of-water main character and the quirky individuals with whom he interacts over one Summer.

13 year old Trav, frustrated over his mother's remarriage and lack of time for him, grabs a bus and heads for his long-lost father's family in Minnesota. Amidst butter sculptures, chicken crap bingo, and long Summers at the lake, he finds a mystery involving his father and a bank robbery, new friends, and a different way at looking at life.

What makes the book special is the tone of voice of all the characters. Trav considers himself the very hip California boy and speaks in a very assured but nearly comical inner voice laden with cultural references. I liked that inner dialogue most - it felt genuine and gave us a really good perspective on his personality. As well, it flowed and felt natural.

Iz and Kenny, the two Trav befriends in Minnesota, are well drawn individuals with home-town perspectives that aren't cheap shots on small town life. And that smaller world fits well with the confusion Trav has over coming to grips with a father who abandoned him and was supposedly dead - as well as the grandmother he's never had an opportunity to meet. Trav is less concerned about the mystery of the missing bank robbery loot than finding out how he feels about his father never coming to find him in California before his mysterious death.

In all, I enjoyed reading this with my 10 year old. She didn't get all the cultural references but really enjoyed the mystery and the friends all the same.

Received as an ARC from the publisher.

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

So disappointed. Really wanted to like this one with MN ties and a Maud Hart Lovelace nominee...but alas, I did not like at all. It was a struggle to actually read all vs just skipping to ending to what I'd already guessed.
MC Trav was condescending and shallow. No character development for grandmother either. Introduced lots of characters like Kenny, Iz, and crazy Carl but never gave much back story or any fill in the blank moments for a good wrap up at end. I really wanted to know more about Carl...but he just faded away...the mom seemed disconnected from her son too.
Really did not like the way Trav related his thoughts is snarky phrases about EVERYTHING.
Examples:
ch 14 pg 120-...the entire population of Chicken Scratch had gathered there...
....I was waiting around for them to Judge Judy me...
Ch 16 pg 155 Someday, maybe I would get up the courage to push past the sad in her face and just ask her my hardest questions.
***Someday ask??? The kid ran away TO his grama to do just that...now that he's there, he's just gonna hang out??
more on pg 155...She'd spent at least enough time with the guy who'd donated my Y chromosome to create a lifetime souvenir...
Ch 20 pg 201. .. I have a lot of questions about the Big Guy in the Sky...I was too distracted to make time for The Man Upstairs...***can't you just say God???,
***really, must everything be explained in such weird sarcastic descriptions?
I can't even count all the snarky names Trav used for his fathers home town. Don't think the real name of town was ever mentioned...
Just End of Nowhere, Chicken Scratch etc...
Romance seemed unnecessary and forced for 13 yr olds.
Got tired if reference to Deputy Dude also. Just screams disrespect.
Also confusing for Trav only seeming to have disdain for small town MN to not want to leave?? I was glad to be done with this book and sad that I can't recommended to anyone...

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Travis is always hearing from his mother that he needs to show some initiative. So Travis does just that. He travels from California to Minnesota to his grandmother's house. Travis get's punishment duty. This is not right as Travis was just listening to his mother. However it is during his clean up duty that he learns that his grandmother has a lot of dead bodies in her freezer. Who knew that such a sweet, old woman was home to the dead. Travis meets the next door neighbors, Kenny and his cousin, Iz. They inform Travis that they are searching for missing money. It seems that a long time ago, Travis's father robbed a bank and disappeared with a bunch of money. The story goes that the money is buried close by. Kenny, Iz, and Travis plan to find the money.

I picked up this book because I thought my ten year old nephew would enjoy this book. Also, I was intrigued by the title of this book and wanted to know what it meant. I can so relate to the title after learning its meaning. I went to Nebraska for two weeks at a flying camp to get hours towards my pilot's license. It was like turn left at the light green field and turn right at the double dark green field.

Travis, Kenny, and Iz made a fun, group. Iz is the leader. Plus I could really relate to her with her attitude and hanging with the boys. Kenny is the sweet but naive one. Travis is the muscle but with brains. This is a book that my nephew will have fun reading.

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

So many kids' books are insipid. You won't find this to be true of "Turn Left at the Cow". It's a fun mystery about a young boy who's having trouble adjusting to a new stepfather and a new school. He takes off to stay with his Grandmother in Minnesota to escape a summer of boredom and upset at home and finds himself on an odyssey to get to know the father he never knew, a father, unfortunately, who died before our hero, thirteen year old Travis, was born. Along the way he and his grandmother strengthen their previously tenuous bond.

He also meets the feisty kids who live next his grandmother. Together they search for lost treasure, purportedly the money Trav's dad stole from the local bank prior to disappearing. As they sift through the past for clues to where the treasure is hidden they learn valuable lesson concerning which of the grownups can be trusted and which can be deadly. First love is also on the agenda. All of this might sound serious, and it is, but Bullard's humor lights up the story and helps keep things in perspective. If your experience is anything like mine you'll find yourself laughing out loud alternately with tearing up.

This review is based on an advance reader's copy provided by the publisher.
(Disclaimer given as required by the FTC.)

[Zakari · Rating 1 out of 5]

This fictional book by Lisa Bullard was published in 2013. The reason why I didn't like this book is because the dialogue was a little funky and rushed, and you have to keep on track with the book or you'll miss what's happening in the book. The main character of this novel is Trav who is ambitious because he wants to find his father's money, and he'll never stop until he does. This story is about how Trav goes to his paternal grandmother and tries to find out what happened to his father and how he disappeared. The main conflict is that the father is missing.
In the story, the author didn't' tell much about Trav's father and why he robbed a bank; she jumped right into how Trav was going to find his father.
I found the story believable because it could happen in real life where someone would be interested in trying to find more details about how a parent went missing.
I didn't like this book, so I can't really recommend it for people. However, I can recommend this book to people who want a very detailed mystery. I don't recommend this book for ages kindergarten through fifth grade because you have to understand, and there is some Things a kindergartner should not know.

[Mlunapd1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Turn Left at the Cow" was a great novel, don't let its name fool you. Despite it having no images, the vivid imagery and suspense
is personally my favorite aspect of this novel, and how one event strings to another!
In this book, you need to remember what he did in the past in order to solve whats going on in his future, as you follow the protagonist Travis, who is searching for the missing millions his dad supposedly left behind, and was pressured into joining a girl named Isabelle and her cousin, Kenny to find the money.
The book is fascinating, with plot twists hiding behind every corner, and suspense builds towards the end as your mind is filled with questions!

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved how this author gets right into a 13-year old teenage boy's head and puts his thoughts into such a humorous way. I thoroughly enjoyed the friendships, the mystery, the family relationships (good and bad) and how these kids worked things out. A very enjoyable read.

[Jessa Franco · Rating 2 out of 5]

Something with this great a synopsis and title shouldn't have been this boring.

[Sreeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS BOOK IS SOOOOOO GOOD

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Action packed adventure. This is a Minnesota set book and that was fun for my daughter and I to read together. Travis, Kenny and Iz are such fun characters to get to know. My daughter is hoping for another book featuring these three on another wild adventure.

[Maxie Froelicher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I KNEW there was something fishy about that Detective

[Krystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute and heartwarming.

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trav has a hard time adjusting to his new life with his mom and stepdad in their new home. His dad disappeared before he was born, so Trav decides to take off to his grandmother's in a podunk town in Minnesota to learn more about his father. He runs into unexpected problems when he learns that the whole town thinks his dad was a bank robber and that Trav knows where the money is. He learns about himself and his family in this adventure. The author has a delightful sense of humor that makes the story line even more enjoyable. Trav grows up as he learns to deal with his family issues and learns more about who he is. This is a good teen read.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Always nice to read a book set in Minnesota! Although this one maybe relies a bit much on stereotyping (jell-o salads, heads made of butter, giant fish statues, etc...). I found the mystery well-structured and well-paced, with some genuinely thrilling peril at the end. I think Trav, the main character, had a unique narrative voice that was maintained throughout and fairly believable. I also liked the novel's sensitive exploration of the theme of family, and particularly the ways that broken families try to put themselves back together.

There are a lot of jokes that I think many middle schoolers might find funny, but most of them fell flat to me, which made it a little tedious. Too many easy targets and moments of sarcasm-bordering-on-insults. Also a lot of the dialogue was a little cringey.

Recommended: There's a little something for most readers: adventure, mystery, humor, romance, friendship, family, and a lot of Minnesota charm. I'd give it to about 5th grade and up (the main character is 13). I'd give it to fans of Three Times Lucky, Alibi Junior High, or The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity.

[MikeL · Rating 5 out of 5]

Turn Left At the Cow was a fascinating adventure of suspense, sorrow and deep thoughts involving his father missing during his childhood.
Throughout his adventure, he is nagged by a girl named Iz and her cousin, Kelly, they're only in it to help him find his Dad's money from the robbery he had done before Travis was born. The book follows him and his thoughts as he explores old memories and clues of how his dad really was and who he was, with detailed in depth thoughts of Travis's emotions, and his suspecting Grandma who he thinks knows where the money is. If you love suspense and twists, you'll adore this book!

Overall, the book is well written and very suspenseful, as each event chains out to the next.

[Debra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lured in by the cover and title and grabbed by the first chapter where Trav is cleaning out his Grandmother's freezer of very old frozen wild animals and frozen heads - yes, a frozen head, I just had to keep on reading. Travis has lit off for Minnesota and his Grandma to escape his mother's new husband (his new step-dad) and to find out about his dad who had split before he was born. What he finds is a very real mystery in a very nosy small town and two kids his age who have the potential to becoming the friends that he desires. A fun read and some really dicey, scary situations.

[Catie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vocabulary was forced to me (dude, Deputy Death, dear Daddy-O) and plot was, even for kids, unbelievable and dangerous. It was interesting and quick paced though.

[Mandy Bellm · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun Minnesota tie-in! Mystery is growing on me as a genre, with all these suspenseful and fun titles we've been reading in book club. I did not see the "villain" coming before s/he attacked :)

[Maddie Horner · Rating 5 out of 5]

What if your whole life a secret was kept from you, and you had to learn about it from a
random stranger? What if the first thing that they told you was that your father robbed a bank? I
could not imagine hearing and processing this jaw dropping statement, however Travis from the
novel Turn Left at the Cow written by Lisa Bullard had to experience it. It is told from his
perspective as a twelve year old boy. He feels that his new stepfather is replacing his mother’s
love and attention for him. Therefore, Travis acts impulsively and runs away to visit his
grandmother, in hopes to learn about who his biological father was. Travis’s grandma lives in
rural Minnesota, where there is more livestock than people, and only one small strip of stores.
Her town is full of people who Travis might clash with; there are older ladies part of the same
church as Gram, a crazy man who lives in the dump, and an athletic boy who thinks that he can
do whatever he pleases. When Travis arrives, he quickly learns from his neighbors Isabella and
Kenny who will soon become his closest and only friends, that his father robbed a bank in town.
Everyone in the town has been trying to find the money that was robbed from many years prior
to Travis’s arrival. The whole town thinks that Travis is perfidious and that he has been spending
the money from the robbery. Even the Deputy is suspicious of why on the day that Travis
showed up to the town, the missing money did as well. What if no one believed what you said,
no matter how much evidence you were showing? How would you combat this? Would you run
away from it? Fight it? Embrace it? Travis chose to team up with his new friends Isabella and
Kenny, in order to try and prove that he was innocent. At the same time, he was trying to find out
more about his fathers past; which his mother would never tell him. If you like books where there are shocking twists and turns that keep you alert, then you would love this book. I would
recommend reading this novel, Turn Left at the Cow by Lisa Bullard because the characters were
relatable since I was a similar age to them and therefore I could connect with them. I was also
able to read the book at a fast pace, which I am sometimes not able to do. The novel also
portrayed great themes like the importance of friendship, and trust through a mystery that is
exhilarating and made me want to keep reading until I finished the book.

[Henna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Children have wild imaginations and brains that sometimes feel too big for their heads. They like to question the unquestionable and follow their thoughts. They love the sound of adventures and mysteries which sometimes can get them into trouble or dangerous situations. Most importantly, they don’t like to stop until they get an answer. The novel, Turn Right at the Cow by Lisa Bullard, is just about this. It fulfills readers who strive for an interesting and middle grade mystery and adventure book.

The novel talks about a brave 13 year old boy, Travis, whose life takes many twists and turns after he tries to discover the truth behind his father, who he’s never met, disappearance. His mother though is another obstacle to him. Since his father is gone, his mother married another man whom she gives all her attention to. She hopes that the three of them can be a big happy family in a house living together, but that is not part of Travis’ plan. His plan is to figure out why his father left him and why his father suddenly disappeared by going to Minnesota, the place where his paternal grandma lives and where his dad’s hometown is. As he investigates deeper, he bumps into two kids, exactly the same age as him. Their names are Kenny and Iz but they aren’t as friendly at first as Travis thought. With limited time on his hands and obstacles in his way, the book shows the development of Travis and his journey to the truth.

Travis is the protagonist who everyone avoids at first upon his arrival in Minnesota. His existence brings curiosity, fear, and disgust. People give him and his grandma weird looks wherever they go and nothing feels friendly and at home. However, the neighbor kids, Kenny and Iz slowly start to accept him. Iz is like the boss of Kenny, making him follow her wherever she goes, while Kenny loves playing football but barely has the time to do so when Iz is around. Although Iz may seem rude at first, her life is in shambles because her family can barely be even called a family. Her mom comes in and out of her life all the time and her father is nowhere to be found. Kenny though, being the teen he is, doesn’t understand all these as he has a lovely house and family to live with. These three embark on a rollercoaster filled with ups and downs as they get closer to the so-called truth.

As someone who’s cup of tea is historical fiction and not mysteries and adventure books, there are some flaws to the plot. First of all, it is quite cliché in the way that the plot can easily be guessed and many mysteries have similar endings. The fact that the story also has some twists in it like love is captivating but it’s also anticipated. For example, the protagonist “falls in love at first sight”, giving many hints to what will happen to him in future events. Additionally, the ending was very sudden. The antagonist and protagonist suddenly encounter each other and then they end it once and for all. Other than that, the book has some great red herrings that catch your attention and make you question whether or not they are the antagonist. The author also allows the reader to be engaged with the story and it gives off a wonderful mystery who most people wouldn’t know the answer to.

The setting takes place in a rural place in Minnesota. There is a bicycle shop, a gas station, a supermarket, a bank, a church, a bakery, and etc. It has a lake and an island. It perfectly displays a rural little town in Minnesota except it seems too planned out. Everything revolves around the main character. The adults in town all despise Travis just because of his father and everyone takes the side against him. It’s not realistic because in the world, many people have their own opinions and thoughts and some people don’t even care about these things. The adults mentioned in the story just all took the side of that he’s an evil human and that they shouldn't take care of him like they would if another family’s guest was there. Nonetheless, the setting gives off depthness to the plot and story.

There are some criticisms about Turn Left at the Cow but overall it’s a great book that is filled with family, friendships, clues, and love. It as well brings excitement and a yearning to find out the ending. If you’re not into mysteries and adventures, this book will probably bore you out in a few moments but if you’re a total fan of mysteries and adventures, then you will absolutely love how Lisa Bullard creates a story that makes your brain work.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

I gave “Turn Left at the Cow” 4 stars because it was witty, sarcastic, and a bit suspenseful. It reminded me of mystery books I read when I was younger like “Bunnicula”. I loved Trav’s smart-aleck dialogue and think Lisa Bullard encapsulated his personality perfectly. Another thing I enjoyed was the beginning of Chapter 1. I was hooked immediately, and the information that was filled in after was not dumped. I also found Iz’s and Kenny’s sibling-like relationship to be very realistic. While they are cousins, they bicker like brother and sister then wordlessly make up a few minutes later. I can relate to this, as my sister and I often fight then forget. Overall, the mystery plot was entertaining and the true culprit evaded me until the end. It made a few characters seem useless, but the pieces of the story fit together nicely.
One thing I did not like was the hasty ending. I’ll admit, I was getting concerned when there were only 30 pages left and the case had not been solved. However, the reveal, though suspenseful and slightly scary, was poured out like word-vomit on the pages. It made the whole bank-robbery-dead-dad premise more of an afterthought. I also disliked the unclear imagery. When Trav describes things, he always puts a sarcastic spin on them. I found this refreshing, but it left out basic descriptors. At times, I had a hard time picturing what people and things looked like. For example, I was a bit confused about what happened when Trav fell into the freezer, because there was so much dramatic emphasis on why he was scared.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Turn Left at the Cow is categorized as a mystery, but more of the story is about thirteen year old Travis finding answers about his past. When Travis feels like he has been squeezed out of his life that now includes a step father, he runs away from his home in California to Minnesota where his grandmother lives. He finds out that his real father, who has been dead since around the time he was born, was guilty of the only bank robbery in the town's history. When money from that bank robbery starts turning up in town, many people begin to believe that Travis has the long-missing money. With the help of his new friends, Kenny and Iz, he sets out on a search for not only the money, but also for answers about who he really is.
Turn Left at the Cow is a quick read, but does slow down a bit in the middle when Travis starts to become suspicious of everyone, including his grandmother. It's a little disappointing that the story turned out to be more coming-of-age rather than a treasure hunt. However, the budding romance between Travis and Iz is cleverly woven into the story. Overall, a good read.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book that I read was turn left at the cow it is relistic fiction book by Lisa Bullard. Turn left at the cow is a book about travis and his freinds trying to find his dads money. Travis lives in Califonia with his mom, his dad was a bank robber that stole millions of dollars and was the most wanted man in there state. travis decided to go to his grandmas houe for the summer because he hear stories that his dad buiried all the money somwhere in the small town as soon as travis gets there he starts looking for cules around his grandmas house. He had his old friends over to help him look for the money they decided to start looking around the lake and on the island in the middle of the lake, so they used a camera conected to a fishing pole to look at the bottom of the lake. After looking for a couple weeks they finally found the money hiden in a frezzer chest in the dump. After they found it Travis whanted to take the money back to the banks that his dad stole it from to try to mack up his family problems. I would rate this book a 6 out of 10. I would recommend this book to people that like action.

[Katie Gamache · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the book Turn Left at the Cow by Lisa Bullard. This is a realistic fiction book that is not part of a series. Turn Left at the Cow is about a 13 year old boy named Travis, when he decides to fly to Gramma's to try and find out more about his dead dad, he is caught is a tough situation. Travis finds out that his dad robbed a bank and then hid the money and then died. But, once he shows up and everyone finds out he is the son of the man who robbed the bank, they think that Travis knows where the money is. In reality he has no clue where it is so him and his neighbors, Kenny and Iz go on a hunt to find it, until they realize someone else is looking for the money and thinks Travis has it. I rate this book a 10 out of 10 because it is filled with adventure and mystery. If you liked the book The Last Bot at St.Edith's you may like this book.

[Ben G · Rating 4 out of 5]

the book Turn Left At The Cow is a realistic fiction novel by Lisa Bullard. The book is about a kid named Travis who is living with his grandma for a little bit because he wanted to find out what happened to his dad. His dad had disappeared but right around the time he disappeared there was a bank robbery then he disappeared. so going back to why Travis is staying with his grandma he is trying to find the money that his dad had stolen from the bank before he disappeared. he is working with his friends to find the money and they will end up splitting it if they find it. I gave this book a 4 out of 5 because I liked how the book started off. for example the first sentence of the book is There were so many dead bodies stuffed in grandmas freezer. I would recommend this book to anyone that likes detective books or treasure hunt books because he is searching for the money.

[Jillian]

Jill Dingler
Book Plug
8A
October 5, 2020
The book "Turn Left At the Cow is a realistic fiction novel by Lisa Bullard, and it is not in a series. Turn left about the cow is about a boy who goes to his grandmas house far away and gets to stay for a while. While he was there in his dad's home town he meets two people, two people who are looking for the money his dad stole when he robbed the bank and they want him to help. He agrees to help because he wants toknowwhat happened to his dad or where he disappeared to even find out if he is dead, or alive. So, will he find his father, the money, clues, or even find out hat happened. I would rate this book a 8/10 because I thought it was a very good book but I just think it could've been better. I would reccomendthis book to people who generally like mistery or hunts.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book as part of our state book award nominees.

Travis "escapes" his new home in California with his mom and step-dad and flys to Minnesota to be with his grandmother on his father's side. He never knew his father and is hoping for some answers as well as to feel like he "fits" somewhere. He discovers there are many secrets about his father and many are not pleasant. Determined to solve the mystery around his father's disappearance, Travis, along with his new friends Kenny and Iz, set out to finally answer the question: Is Travis's father the man this small town claims him to be? Full of mystery, young romance, friendship, forgiveness and family, I enjoyed this middle grade novel that references joyful Minnesota summer traditions.

[Holly Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This amazing book set in Minnesota is quite the mystery. We find out that the very beginning that our main character travels alone from California to his Grandmother's home in Minnesota because he doesn't like his "new life" with his newly remarried mother and step-father. He feels like he just doesn't fit in the family, so he high-tails it to stay with his ling lost Father's mother. When he arrived, he learns of the terrible secret about his Dad that has kept him away and within the week, he is accused of having access to a large stash of cash that is missing from a decade's old bank robbery. Who has the cash? Grandma? Dad wherever he is? Crazy Carl? This books has so many twists and turns, it will keep you turning the pages way beyond a first kiss.