The Cursed Moon

A tween with a penchant for crafting creepy tales must reckon with ghosts from his past and present in this haunting read. Mexican American 11-year-old Rafael Fuentes is dreading his mother’s early release from prison. While living with his abuelos for the last two years during her incarceration, he’s managed to cultivate a stable environment for his younger sister Brianna, and he worries that his mother’s return will disrupt his established peace. When his neighbor Ms. Martin ominously warns him to not tell scary stories tonight during the blood moon lest he awaken a restless spirit, Rafa believes she’s just another adult trying to control him. But after regaling his friends with his most terrifying yarn yet, about a specter who lures kids to their deaths in the local pond, strange things start happening: jaguar claw marks appear on Rafa’s door, and he begins receiving sinister countdown texts and having ghostly visions of missing youths. Via sometimes choppy prose, Cervantes (Letty Out Loud) delivers a frightening adventure; Rafa and Brianna’s close sibling dynamic, and his strained relationship with his mother, are the emotional center of this supernatural page-turner. Ages 8–12. (Sept.)