Finding Fortune

by Delia Ray

Running away from home isn't as easy as Ren thinks it will be. At least she isn't running very far-just a few miles to the ghost town of Fortune . . . or Mis-Fortune as everyone else calls it. Mis-Fortune on the Mississippi. Supposedly, there's an abandoned school on the outskirts with cheap rooms for rent. Ren knows her plan sounds crazy. But with only a few more weeks until Dad comes home from his tour of duty in Afghanistan, she also knows she has to do something drastic so Mom will come to her senses and stop seeing that creep Rick Littleton, the creep she promised she would stop seeing but didn't, for good.

From the moment she enters the school's shadowy halls, Ren finds herself drawn into its secrets. Every night old Mrs. Baxter, the landlady, wanders the building on a mysterious quest. What could she be up to? And can Mrs. Baxter's outlandish plan to transform the gym into a pearl-button museum ever succeed? With a quirky new friend named Hugh at her side, Ren sets out to solve the mystery that could save Fortune from fading away. But what about her family's future? Can that be saved too?

Genres: Middle Grade, Mystery, Juvenile, Childrens, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Young Adult

288 pages, Hardcover

First published November 10, 2015

Reviews

[Stephanie Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book that I would call a “gentle mystery”, without horror or violence. I think middle-graders would find this appealing; the author’s historical information might inspire readers to check out button factories on their own!

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy reading local authors (Delia Ray is from Iowa City, a city south of me), and this was also on this summer's Iowa Children's Choice nominee reading list. It has some good things--I love that the former-button-making ghost-town is based on real Iowa towns, and I like that Ren takes an interest in things that many young girls might not (maybe because she doesn't yet have a cell phone). I like the kooky characters she meets at the hotel/school--though they all could have been more developed.

Unfortunately, the whole thing just seems a little...unfinished. The ending is a bit anticlimactic for all of the build-up and treasure hunting leading up to it, and there is absolutely NO closure or ending of any kind for Ren's family situation, which I really don't understand. Hildy makes some vague statements about change being inevitable, but Ren literally spends the whole book waiting for her dad to come home from Afghanistan...and then it's never even addressed. Quite a bummer for this reader.

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Saw this on my granddaughter's reading list and decided I'd give it a try. It was a good story. I'm looking forward to seeing her reaction to the book when she visits next.

[Erin]

There’s something so bizarre about reading a book inspired by your hometown’s history

[Jan Blazanin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twelve-year-old Ren Winningham looks forward to the day her dad returns from Afghanistan, but she begins to doubt her dream of a happy family reunion. Although her parents separated before her dad left on his tour, Ren believes they'll get back together. Or she did until Rick moved into their neighborhood. Her mom insists Rick's only a friend, but Ren doesn't believe her. To get her mom's attention, Ren rides her bike to Fortune, an almost-ghost town, and rents a room in the old schoolhouse. There she meets Hildy Baxter who owns the school and hopes to turn it into a button museum.
As summer progresses, Ren meets other inhabitants of Fortune: Mayor Joy and his mule Wayne, eight-year-old Hugh and his mother Mine, handyman Garrett, soap making sisters Clarissa and Colette and their Bengal cats. When Ren learns of a hidden treasure that could save Hildy's museum, she and Hugh team up to find it. With the help of Hildy's grandson Tucker, the race is on to find the treasure in time to save Hildy from bankruptcy.
Main character Ren is caring and determined to keep her family together. She protects Hugh from bullying, helps his cooking-challenged mom, and works hard to save Hildy's dream. This novel uses an array of fascinating characters and an intriguing mystery to introduce middle school kids to a forgotten part of Iowa's history. In the early 1900s, button-making was a thriving industry along the Mississippi River. Freshwater mussel shells were the source of mother-of-pearl buttons and, occasionally, something much more valuable.
A great story for schools, libraries, family read alouds, and kids who love mysteries.

[Sharelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

As in her three earlier novels for young readers (Ghost Girl, Singing Hands, and Here Lies Linc), Ray makes history accessible and compelling by framing it with a terrific story. Twelve-year-old Ren, discontent, lonely for her dad away in the military, angry with her mom for getting on with her life, decides to run away and have her own adventure. She doesn’t run any farther than her bicycle will take her: down the road to Fortune. Fortune is like many ghost towns scattered across America: beneath the disrepair and dereliction lies a vibrant history. Based on an Iowa river town which once thrived as part of the pearl button industry, Fortune is now almost deserted. But an old schoolhouse has been turned into a hotel for quirky residents, and Ren takes a room there. Hildy, the owner of the schoolhouse/hotel passionately longs to turn the gym into a button museum, but she is in danger of bankruptcy. Ren opens her heart to Fortune. She befriends a younger child, tries to help Hildy realize her dream of the button museum, and meets a cute boy her own age who also wants good things for Hildy and the hotel. Through the efforts of Ren and her new friends, a mystery is solved, the hotel is saved, and Ren and her mother share a new understanding. The story is imaginatively conceived, well researched, and beautifully written.

[Kathy Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The summer after sixth grade is one of all sorts of changes for Ren. Her dad is serving in Afghanistan and, before he left, he moved out of the family home. Now her mother has made a new friend named Rick and Ren fears that her parents are headed for divorce. To try to break up the friendship, Ren runs away from home and winds up in Fortune - a nearby ghost town.

Hildy has opened up the old school as a boarding house and is busy searching it for a hidden treasure. She is also turning it into a button museum to let others know about the history of the town which was one a center for making shell buttons.

Ren makes friends with a lonely young boy named Hugh and together they explore the school to try to find the hidden treasure. They are sometimes helped by Hildy's grandson Tucker after Hugh and Tucker finally become friends.

The story gave an interesting history of a little known industry and was also a good story about learning to accept changes. I enjoyed getting to know Ren and learning more about shell buttons.

[Liz Friend · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story: Ren is afraid her family is about to fall apart--kind of like the tiny town of Fortune, Mississippi: once the pearl button capital of the world, now practically a ghost town. Angry at her mother, Ren runs away from home and hides out at the old/new bed and breakfast hotspot known as the "former Fortune Consolidated School" where she finds a lot more than she ever expected...just as proprietor Hildy's life work seems to be falling apart. Can Ren and her new friends find the treasure hidden so long ago and save Hildy from ruin?

NYP: due in April, 2015. June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG; Violence G; Sexual content G; Nudity G; Substance abuse G; magic & the occult G; GLBT content G; adult themes G; overall rating G.

Liz's comments: Here's a gentle tale that will have readers rooting for Ren, her family, old lady Hildy, and even cute-but-kind-of-stuck-up Tucker (Hildy's grandson). Proof that you don't need sex, drugs, or rock-and-roll to tell a good story.

[Madison Conrad · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was alright but definitely not one of my favorite books. I liked the plot line but the way that the author wrote everything was really boring. I thought it took a long time to even get started with the actual plot and the good part of the story. It also took forever when she would try to tell something because she explained it really slowly and it was really boring to sit there and read because there was nothing exciting happening. I am one of those people that has to have something going on right away otherwise I won't finish a book because I can't get into it and this was for sure one of those books. I enjoyed how the main character, Ren, overcame her challenges and handled things on her own. It showed how mature she was and it showed what everyone is capable of doing.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was super duper cute.

Set in Iowa near the Mississippi River, we find Ren, an independent soon-to-be seventh grader who is smart and sassy and hurting. Her mom is dating a new guy while her dad is in Afghanistan, and her life is changing far too quickly.

Enter a mystery in an abandoned school with a quirky old lady, a family legend and adorable side characters that make this an enjoyable read.

[Sarah Sammis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding Fortune by Delia Ray is set in the failing town of Fortune, once known for its beautiful mother of pearl buttons. Ren discovers her own personal sanctuary there when it becomes apparent that her parents won't be reconciling.

http://pussreboots.pair.com/blog/2017...

[Kara]

I started reading this one last night, and I got three chapters in, but I just found it boring and unable to hold my interest. The writing was EXCELLENT, so I think if the story compels you, go for it. But I quit books pretty early on these days if they don't grab me right away.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a well-crafted story by Delia Ray. Ren runs away to make her mom mad but the place she chooses to hole up is a treasure trove for adventure. With a unique cast of characters, a mystery about some missing pearls, and an abandoned school all the pieces come together for good entertainment.

[Ivy Griffiths · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was extremely fun to read. The characters were fun to be with, and the mystery captivating. It is unlike any book I have read, and would recommend it to anybody 4th grade and up.

[Lupine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great middle grade novel with an interesting historical story behind it.

[Amberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3 stars
Finding Fortune was the kind of middle grade novel that is easy to grasp, does not really have a deeper; profound representation; and has a minor mystery that motivates the reader to read further. When I say minor mystery; the novel actually circulates around the enigma; but personally I believed that the "cryptic" mystery was underdeveloped, as it fell short of the elements and aspects a true mystery requires. (Example: the element of surprise was fairly absent in this mystery; which I believe; is necessary in every mystery.) On the contrary, the characters and their personalities were perfectly built and modeled; and expressed an abundance of diversity in their characteristic qualities. I also quite enjoyed the fact that the author clearly conveyed our main character's plight against adolescence; as well as her struggles of having her father deported to Afghanistan for the war. All in all, Finding Fortune was a novel that I enjoyed at times but also had problems with during my reading experience.

[Sherrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I was disappointed that there were quite a few loose ends that weren’t tied up it at least more thoroughly explained I still enjoyed this book. The main character REN runs away from home because she’s upset with her mom and seeks refuge in an old school.The school has been purchased by a lively elderly woman named Hildy and is home to a number of kind but slightly eccentric people. While at the school Ren learns about Fortune’s past as a large producer of pearl buttons and how Hikdy wants to highlight that history by turning the school into a museum. I’m hoping that the loose ends mean there could possibly be a sequel I’d love to hear more about Ren, her family and friends.

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read about a dying town along the Mississippi River, and the very few who live there and are trying to bring back some interest by starting a button museum. The book has a lot of quirky characters and a treasure hunt along the way. A lot of interesting tidbits about the process of clamming, and how they made the buttons out of the shells. Left some plot points vague...like did the museum ever become a success? Did the Historical Society leave them alone? Why were they so interested in the stack of photos? What happened with Ren’s parents? Did the kids ever carve their names in the tower? Did she ever see Tucker again, or did he leave? Maybe it was deliberately vague....

[Janae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the characters and setting. Was curious enough to google about button making on the Mississippi river. The ending left a little more to the imagination than I usually like, but I was okay with it.

[Dona · Rating 5 out of 5]

interesting book dealing with the pearl buttons made from shells from the Mississippi River.

[Emily Haage · Rating 3 out of 5]

More like 3.5--I love the connection to forgotten/unknown Iowa history

Battle of the Books 2017-2018
Iowa Children's Choice Award

[Julie Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

LeRoy, IA population 13. Mayor Emmet Joy and Wayne

Muscatine History and Industry Center

Mucatine's Pearl Button Queen, Helen Burke, 1946. Crowned by Ronald Reagan

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Young Adult - Good story line, fast read, more curiosity than mystery. Dad in Afghanistan is not really a developed piece of the story.

[Grace Degner]

i looooooooooooooooooooooooove it

[Rebecca Brothers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet story with enough suspense to keep you reading

[Sandi Ellis · Rating 3 out of 5]

2017 - 2018 Iowa Children's Choice Award nominee set in Iowa

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

"We can't hold back change, Ren ... sometimes things change for the better. Sometimes for the worse. Either way, we've got to be grateful for what we have and take life as it comes -- good and bad -- one step at at time."

Renata has a special fascination for the town of Fortune (population 12). In fact, whenever she's worried about her Dad (who is in Afghanistan) and whether he and her mom will stay together when he returns, she takes a bike ride out to Fortune. Lately, she's had even more to worry about because her mother seems to be getting "chummy" with Rick. And on the day she graduates from sixth grade, her mother barely has time to show up for the celebration, but somehow she manages to have dinner with Rick. This is the last straw.

Ren decides she's going to stay at Fortune Consolidated School -- BARGAIN RATES! $25 a day / $35 with meals included until her mother gets rid of Rick for good. That's when Ren meets Hildy Baxter, the proprietor of FCS. Hildy is skeptical at first, so Ren calls her mother (Nora, her older sister, playing the part) for permission to stay.

Ren is captivated by the group of people she encounters. There's Hildy, of course, who's dream it is to open a button museum. There's Garrett, who's working on a labyrinth for FCS. There are the sisters, Clarissa and Colette, who make soap and own the Bengal cats, Flim and Flam. And then there's Hugh. Hugh piques Ren's interest almost immediately by telling her that there is a mystery afoot. He has seen Hildy searching for something and he is sure that there must be treasure somewhere in the old school building. Together, they decide they are going to be Fortune Hunters and solve the mystery.

It's not going to be easy with all the obstacles, including Ren's mother's anger at Ren for running away. And Hildy's son, who thinks that Hildy should get rid of FCS and go stay in a retirement home. And Hildy's grandson, who must stay for the summer and really doesn't want to be there. But Hugh and Ren are determined despite the obstacles.

I love the quirky cast of characters. As Ren works to solve the mystery, she begins to understand more about the drama that is life. "Why couldn't life be more like books, where you could read ahead and find out the end?" And even if things don't progress exactly as we plan, there is plenty to celebrate.

[Dawn Moews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Renata (Ren) Winningham's life is not going as she thinks it should. Yes, her father is due back from a year's deployment in Afghanistan in just a couple of months, but her parents had separated shortly before her father left. The question no one can answer is what will happen when he comes home--especially now that her mother has become friends with Rick, a paramedic who recently moved into their neighborhood. Now her mother is even going back to school to become a paramedic herself.

So obviously, Ren has plenty to be worried about. But on the day that Ren is graduating from her elementary school, her mother tells her she has to work late and can't do a celebratory supper with her. The plans the 2 make fall through and Ren is angry when she stops at the Short Stop for a piece of Pizza. She sees a notice of room and board available at the old school in Fortune, a nearby ghost-town a few miles down the road and decides to head there on her bicycle.

Once at the school, Ren meets several new people and becomes absorbed with the museum being assembled by Hildy, the owner of the old school building. Needless to say, the people who live at the school also become part of Ren's mixed-up life.

I found the characters to be charming. Ren is especially well-developed. Her voice is authentic, and I think she will be one of those characters that most intermediate grade readers can identify with. The other characters are appropriately developed according to their role in Ren's life.

The plot centers around 2 stories--what will happen with Ren's family and what will happen with Hildy's museum. Interestingly enough, neither of those questions are fully resolved at the end of the novel. But that is one of the strengths of the book. Life doesn't wrap itself up in 30-minute intervals or 267 pages. It's nice to find a book that reflects that.

This is what I like to call a "gentle" book--no dramatic, life-threatening escapades with characters divided cleanly between good and evil--just a book about life. I think it is an excellent addition to a teacher's classroom library, and it belongs in school libraries. If I were still in the classroom, I would definitely consider this book for literature circles.

[Linnea · Rating 3 out of 5]

genre: realistic

summary: Ren's dad is in Afghanistan, her older sister is always at her summer job or with her boyfriend, and her mother is either working or hanging out with "Rick" (a new neighbor). Ren worries about her mother's intentions with Rick and heads to her favorite place to think. Her thinking place is Fortune, a small town a few miles from her own. Fortune was once a boom-town with a button making factory. Families all around the town dug up shells to made into buttons or worked in the button factory. But this was a long time ago, the shells are gone and the families have gone with it. Now the sign outside the town says "Population: 12". Ren learns that Ms. Baxter, an elderly ,former Fortune resident has returned to the town and opened a boarding house in Fortune Central School.

After an incident with her mother and Rick, Ren runs away to the school and convinces Ms. Baxter to let her stay the night. She meets Fortune's other townsfolk and residents of the boarding house. Eventually she is able to convince her mother to let her visit the boarding house every weekend to help Ms. Baxter fix-up the place and open a museum dedicated to the button making industry that was an essential part of the town. Along the way she learns about a stash of pearls, a treasure hidden in the past for Ms. Baxter. Ren and her new friends help Ms. Baxter search for the treasure in the hopes that is will save the boarding house/ button museum and the town of Fortune itself.

notes:

for kids who like: mysteries, Greenglass House,

age group: age 9+

my review: a little slower paced than I was expecting but still held my interest mostly because I am obsessed with the concept of ghost towns...i think that sense of wonder and curiosity will grip young readers as well but I would have like MORE secrets/clue and a slightly faster pace. A solid book but not unforgettable as far as mysteries go

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

In a snit about her mother's growing attachment to Rick, a personable neighbor, twelve-year-old Ren Winningham decides to run away from home and stay in an abandoned school whose rooms are available for rent. Her parents were having trouble even before her father was deployed to Afghanistan, and this time, Ren fears that her mother is falling in love with Rick, leading to her parents' divorce. Although Ren's mother quickly finds her and brings her back home, Ren becomes intrigued by Mrs. Baxter, the inn's landlady, and her dreams of turning the place into a museum dedicated to pearl buttons fashioned from shells. Although her plans seem outlandish, there are others, including Ren, her grandson Tucker, and a irrepressible scamp named Hugh, as well as the mayor of the town of Fortune, who are willing to help. When the youngsters realize that Mrs. Baxter is trying to find some unidentified treasure left by her brother, they are determined to figure out where it could possibly be. I enjoyed this examination of what life might be like in a place where nearly everyone has left and how the death of a way of making a living--such as button making--replaced by a modern way of doing things could spell the death knell for a way of life and for a town such as Fortune. Young readers will surely want to take a look at the photographs and captions that show cut shells, pearl buttons, and the individuals responsible for all this labor. As I closed the book and thought about those images, I recalled going to town with my mother and looking at all the cards filled with buttons like these sewn on them and trying to choose just the right button for our new clothing. Although Ren is sure that her fortune has left her and she has nothing good in her life, she eventually realizes that this is not the case at all.