Turnage, Sheila. The Ghosts of Tupelo Landing. New York: Kathy Dawson Books, 2014. 978-0-8037-3671-9. 352p. $16.99. Gr. 4-8.

Mo LoBeau and the Desperado Detective Agency are back in this hilarious sequel to Newbery Honor book (2013) Three Times Lucky (2012).  After Miss Lana and Grandmother Miss Lacy accidentally purchase the old Tupelo Inn, they find out that with the inn (in very small print) comes a ghost.  Now, it’s up to Mo and Dale to figure out who this ghost is and why he/she is haunting Miss Lana’s inn.  As the Desperados begin their investigation, new kid, Harm Crenshaw, starts lurking around.  As Mo and Dale try to figure out the usually-a-bully-but-once-in-a-while-nice-guy Harm and why he’s hanging about, they must also tackle their living history assignment in order to pass the sixth grade; an assignment that means interviewing the most vial citizen of Tupelo Landing, Red Baker.

The Ghosts of Tupelo Landing is a fabulous sequel and middle-grades novel (it earned a starred review from Booklist, Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, and School Library Journal).  Mo LoBeau is one of the most loveable characters; she’s everything many middle school girls want to me: confident, funny, intelligent, a dare-devil, in love, and loved (and beloved).  Mo is a great character role-model.  I also love Tupelo Landing.  It reminds me over my old home, a town of around 800 people, where everyone supports one another and often knows one another.  I hope to see Mo LoBeau again soon.  One final note…Turnage writes on page 85, “Stress focuses you right up until it sucks your brain dry.  Standardized testing taught me that.”  How true…how true 🙂

Realistic Fiction    Erin Parkinson, Lincoln JSHS, Ellwood City