Sparrow has experienced the greatest loss of her life when her mother dies and leaves her in the care of her aunt, a seemingly hard-hearted woman intent on taking Sparrow away from everything she knows and loves. Sparrow is has never had friends…well, human friends…in her small southern town. Her best friend is Boy, a ghost that has always been with her. Sparrow can see spirits and she hopes that Boy can help her mama’s spirit come back, so that Sparrow will always have her nearby.

Sparrow had an unusual upbringing. She and her mama lived in the Dalton family home on the edge of the swamp. She never knew her father and she was really somewhat of a loner. Townspeople felt that there was something strange about this girl who looked nothing like the Daltons of generations past. So, most of her time was spent at home near the swamp, with her loving mama and Boy, along with the wispy spirits that only Sparrow could see.

In her quest to vanquish some of the abject sorrow and grief over her loss, Sparrow enlists the help of some of the other outcast kids in town, two Cast siblings from a family that has never been quite good enough for the rest of the townsfolk. Together with the Casto kids and a new friend from New York, Elena the Medium, Sparrow hopes to help the Boy with whatever problem is holding him back here in Beulah, Florida so that he can help her mama come back as a spirit. Along the way, she and her new friends hope to discover if the Casto kids’ uncle is Sparrow’s father and stop Sparrow’s aunt from selling the beloved Dalton family home.

Fans of mysteries, stories of loss, or slightly scary stories will enjoy this middle-grade novel. The characters are engaging and the setting is rich in detail (one almost feels the damp heat of the Florida swamp while reading!). The ending has a nice twist and the love and acceptance will warm the heart. Recommended