The Curse on Spectacle Key

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?

• Spooky Adventure: Mysterious knocks echo through the lighthouse, strange sighs come from nowhere, and a creepy doll named Bernard seems to have a life of its own.
• Unlikely Friendship: Frank has always been lonely. When he meets a girl with old-fashioned clothes and no memory of her past, he’s determined to help his first real friend―even if she’s a ghost.
• Paranormal Mystery: The island is under a curse, and the only way to break it is to uncover a history the island―and Frank’s own family―has tried to forget.
• Heartfelt & Spooky: A touching story about loneliness, family, and the courage it takes to make a home and a friend, even when you're surrounded by ghosts.
• Florida Keys Setting: Welcome to Spectacle Key, an atmospheric island at the end of the Florida Keys where forgotten secrets wash up with the tide.

Chantel Acevedo was born in Miami to Cuban parents. She is the acclaimed author of the Muse Squad middle grade series, as well as several adult novels, including The Distant Marvels, which was a finalist for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction, and she is also a professor of English at the University of Miami, where she directs the MFA program. Chantel lives with her personal Muse Squad, aka her family, in Florida. You can visit her online at www.chantelacevedo.com.