The Curse on Spectacle Key

by Chantel Acevedo

On Sale: 09/06/2022

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The Curse on Spectacle Key

by Chantel Acevedo

On Sale: 09/06/2022

Format:

Amazon Indigo

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About the Book

A sweetly spooky ghost story about a Cuban American boy who befriends a pair of spirits and tries to break the curse on his island home . . . only to discover a seemingly lost piece of his family’s history in the process. This new middle grade standalone mystery from the author of the Muse Squad series is perfect for fans of Doll Bones and The Girl and the Ghost!

Frank Fernandez’s family never stays in one place for long. His parents renovate unusual buildings and turn them into homes, which means the family moves—a lot. This makes it hard for bookish Frank to make friends. So when his parents announce they’re moving to Spectacle Key, Florida, to live in a lighthouse—this time for good!—Frank is thrilled.

But Spectacle Key isn’t the perfect forever home they'd imagined. The lighthouse is falling apart. There are knocks on the door—but no one is there—and mysterious sighs and sniffles from nowhere. There’s even a creepy doll that seems to move on its own. Could Spectacle Key be haunted?

Then one day while exploring, Frank meets a girl in old-fashioned clothes, with no memory of who she is. What she does know, though, is that the island is under a curse—and she needs Frank’s help to figure out how to lift it. But what if learning the truth about Spectacle Key means losing the first real friend he’s ever had?

Critical Praise

"The Curse on Spectacle Key masterfully blends its chills and thrills with healthy doses of humor and heart in a story about the value of friendship and family, and the need to remember our roots and learn from our mistakes.” — John David Anderson, critically acclaimed author of Riley’s Ghost and Ms. Bixby’s Last Day

"In The Curse on Spectacle Key, Frank’s move to a possibly-haunted lighthouse in the Florida Keys is a lucky thing for two maybe-ghosts, one de?nitely creepy doll, one lovable dog—and all the readers who are going to savor this book!” — Margaret Peterson Haddix, bestselling author of the Greystone Secrets series

"Supernatural mystery meets generational drama with hopeful endings for all." — Kirkus Reviews

"Acevedo achieves a remarkable amount of character development alongside a fast-paced and spooky mystery, all within a trim page count." — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

"A solid purchase to enhance popular middle grade horror collections. The balance of humor and horror should attract readers, and the lessons Frank learns are relevant to all." — School Library Journal