The Ghosts of Tupelo Landing

After solving a murder in their small North Carolina town over the summer, the heroes of Turnage’s Newbery Honor–winning Three Times Lucky “went famous for about a week until the gravity of habit pulled our lives back into regular orbit,” says narrator Mo LoBeau in this equally hilarious sequel. Sixth grade is starting, but who has time to worry about interviewing elderly residents for a history project to mark the town’s 250th anniversary when the dilapidated inn that Miss Lana, Mo’s guardian, just acquired at auction is obviously haunted? One mystery per book is not enough for Turnage, so there’s also buried treasure, a missing moonshine still, impending financial ruin, and strange goings-on in the woods. Not every thread is fully tied off, but the residents of Tupelo Landing are so companionable and Mo so indefatigable (and funny) that readers can only hope those loose ends mean another installment is in the works. The budding detective has clearly taken to heart something her foster mother always emphasizes: “All the world’s a stage, sugar, so hop on up there.” Ages 10–up. Agent: Melissa Jeglinski, the Knight Agency. (Feb.)