The Ghosts of Tupelo Landing

4.5 stars.
This review can also be found on my blog.

Two years ago, I was six feet away from meeting Ms. Turnage. She was on an author panel along with some other authors, but I had never heard of her. I did not buy her book or get in line to meet her, but I did go home and request her then-new book, Three Times Lucky. Three chapters in, I was already regretting not buying a copy at the event and getting it autographed. That book was gold. It was hilarious, and fun, and quirky, and I absolutely loved it. Now, I just discovered that there is a sequel. As soon as I saw Becky's review of Ghosts, I knew I had to get my hands on it.

I loved this book just as much as its prequel. It was hilarious, quirky, fun, and strangely touching at the same show more time - just like the first book. Most of this is because of the characters. Not just the main characters (although their characterization is amazing), but also the minor characters. There's the girl who will do any service for you online for the cost of a quarter. There's the boy who is an expert on all things weather. There's the school teacher who you can tell thinks Mo is cute, but keeps up a firm persona.

Speaking of Mo, she is such a hoot! The thing I love about these books is that Mo (short for Moses, because they found her as a baby floating down the stream) can get away with anything. She says the most outrageous things at the most outrageous times, and it's not awkward or stilted. Everyone knows her, so no one is offended. She has decided she is going to marry the nineteen-year-old brother of her best friend Dale, and so she is constantly making semi-rude remarks about his dates and openly telling Lavender (Dale's brother) that he should ask her to the dance. Lavender always laughs and turns her down, but not in a "wow you're weird" way. More of a "that's Mo for you" kind of way.

Mo is outrageous. She cooks up crazy plots, tells people things straight to their faces, but always seems to end up on top. For example, Dale's father is in jail for the millionth time. Dale's mother, Rose, is divorcing him. Several times in the book, Mo straight-out tells Rose that she is better off without her loser of a husband. In any other book, that would be so awkward and forward it would be horrible. In this one, Rose just kind of changes the subject and the story moves on. No one gets offended, no one calls Mo out. Mo's hilarious.

As for her best friend Dale, he's so funny! He has a hard time with rhetorical questions and Mo clarifies for him: "that one was rhetorical," "not rhetorical," etc, throughout the whole book - so cute! There's been a thread through both books showing his struggle with his father's criminal lifestyle. At the end of the first book Dale's mom Rose decides to divorce Dale's dad, and you see some of the emotions Dale and his family are going through but things still stay light. This book never once gets slow or depressing: it's always zany and fun. But at the same time, Turnage manages to bring across some pretty powerful emotions. I have no idea how she does it, but I absolutely love it.

I could go on about every one of the many characters in the book, but I'm sure you don't want to read about that. All I can say is, I wholeheartedly recommend this book to everyone and everyone. And I'll leave it at that, because I'm really not doing this book justice. show less

Sheila Turnage's second book starring Mo LoBeau and her best friend Dale is both a fantastic continuation of their story and perfect starting point for readers new to Tupelo Landing. This standalone companion to THREE TIMES LUCKY takes readers back to Tupelo Landing and lands them right in the middle of a new mystery with amateur sleuths Mo and Dale. The Desperado Detective Agency has a new case after Miss Lana accidentally purchases Tupelo's Landing's Inn... with a ghost in the fine print. With the help of the new kid in town, Mo and Dale decide the ghost's identity and figure out why she's sticking around a dusty old inn. Plus, if they interview her for their school project, they'll get extra credit! As the ghost's story is revealed, show more Mo and Dale learn that people, not just buildings, can be haunted by the past.

Mo LoBeau is one of my favorite MG characters. Smart, hilarious (even when she doesn't mean to be, which is most of the time), and infinitely curious, she's always up for an adventure and never afraid to speak her mind. She sees the magic the world has to offer and never loses her nerve, even in the face of danger. If I find her inspiring as a 20-something year old, I can only imagine how much readers her own age will love her! Who wouldn't love a girl who makes observations like:

"It's hard to know what to say when your best friend serenades an amphibian. On one hand, Miss Lana likes me to be sensitive. On the other hand, the Colonel says most situations don't require my input."

I highly recommend that you read both THREE TIMES LUCKY and THE GHOSTS OF TUPELO LANDING to get the full Mo and Dale experience, but both novels successfully stand on their own as well! show less

How I love Miss Mo LoBeau and her companion in all things, Dale Earnhardt Johnson III! This is the second book about the charming, quirky town of Tupelo Landing, the first being the Newbery Honor book, Three Times Lucky . If the author doesn't continue writing books about Tupelo Landing, my one request is that she at least fast-forward 7 years so we can see what happens when Mo can finally date her beloved Lavender (if Lavender hasn't been snatched up by one of the big-haired twins or Miss Retzyl's sister!).

I have decided that all that is really necessary in a review of a Sheila Turnage book is to put in quotes from the book. How can you not want to read a book with these quotes?!

"If I'm not mistaken, Buddha's a family name," Miss Lana show more said in a voice shaved from ice. It was quasi-true. Bubba is a family name. Buddha's mama is dyslexic.

"I'm Jake Exum," he said. "This is my brother Jimmy. Until now we been homeschooled."
"Mama expelled us," Jimmy added.

"Stress focuses you right up until it sucks your brain dry. Standardized testing taught me that."

"It's Friday," I reminded her. "We prefer our homework to age over the weekend, making it tender."

"Nice posture. I'm more of a slumpist myself."

Is there a more quotable author than Sheila Turnage? I doubt it. I just know I will continue to read whatever books she writes and hope they live up to the Tupelo Landing books. show less

Mo and her friends and family are such realistic characters that at first I wasn't sure what I thought about the addition of a possible ghost in this second mystery featuring Mo and Dale. I found to my satisfaction that the ghost angle enhanced rather than detracted from the realism of the people in Tupelo Landing. I enjoyed getting to know the people in the town better after my introduction to them in Three Times Lucky, and I was quite interested in new character Harmon and his place in the town and the book. My words to Sheila Turnage: "Keep the Tupelo Landing stories coming! You keep writing them this good and I'll keep buying and reading them!"

The Ghosts of Tupelo Landing by Sheila Turnage is the sequel to Three Times Lucky but the first one I've read. That said, it stands alone just fine with plenty of time given on reintroducing characters, setting, and basic plot dynamics.

At the edge of Tupelo Landing, there's an Inn, abandoned since the 1930s. To save some history and keep an annoying busybody from moving in, Miss Lana makes the winning bid at the auction. There's just one problem — the place comes with its very own ghost.

Mo and her best friend Dale are on the case, deciding to meet and greet the ghost and see if an arrangement can be made. They also want to interview him or her for their history project — a guaranteed A.

Now where's a book with the perfect mix of show more elements to get my attention. For the mystery lover, there's the amateur detectives. For the horror fan, there's the hotel with buried and tragic history. For the paranormal fan, there's the ghost. For the history fan, there's a prohibition era story. And it all comes together into a quirky but charming tale set in a small, fictional North Carolina town. show less

Another good read-aloud w R. Turnage has a way of seeding the story with bon mots, uncertain if they're her own or examples of Southern colloquialisms. These should be collected, but I didn't note them as we went. One from book 3: "Just because people are talking doesn't mean your friends are listening," or words to that effect.

Another big aspect of the series is that Mo, a tween, has regular, meaningful, and varied interactions with people of all ages. Adults, whether parents or teachers, elders related and not, kids older and younger than her. Some of these people are good, some of each oppose her; she likes some and not others. A great example of intergenerational relationships.

I just love Mo and Dale and the whole community of Tupelo Landing. It gives me this homey feeling like Avonlea or Hogwarts. I love to be in that world with those characters!

This second book, a sequel to [b:Three Times Lucky|11737313|Three Times Lucky|Sheila Turnage|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1335476936s/11737313.jpg|16686499], puts the Desperado Detectives on the case again. This time they're trying to find a ghost that haunts an old inn and pass 6th grade history at the same time.

Full of perfect Mo-isms and Dale-isms, folksy wisdom, bucket loads of charm, and some truly funny moments!