Ghost Squad

Ghost Squad

A New York Times bestseller! Coco meets Stranger Things with a hint of Ghostbusters in this action-packed supernatural fantasy. For Lucely Luna, ghosts are more than just the family business. Shortly before Halloween, Lucely and her best friend, Syd, cast a spell that accidentally awakens malicious spirits, wreaking havoc throughout St. Augustine. Together, they must join forces with Syd's witch grandmother, Babette, and her tubby tabby, Chunk, to fight the haunting head-on and reverse the curse to save the town and Lucely's firefly spirits before it's too late. With the family dynamics of Coco and action-packed adventure of Ghostbusters , Claribel A. Ortega delivers both a thrillingly spooky and delightfully sweet debut novel. Praise for Ghost Squad : A New York Times bestseller An NPR Best Books of 2020 A Good Morning America Summer Reading Squad pick Winner of the 2021 Ignyte Award for Best Middle Grade Novel " Ghost Squad is a charming adventure full of girl power and heart . Young readers will want to be best friends with Lucely, Syd, and Chunk!" ―Zoraida Córdova, author of The Way to Rio Luna and the Brooklyn Brujas series " Ghost Squad manages to be both creepy and heartwarming, fulfilling a need for stories that are both deeply relatable and culturally specific. Highly recommended for kids looking for a spooky read, a whole lot of feelings, and a story they'll not soon forget. " ―Mark Oshiro, author of Anger is a Gift and The Insiders "Dark humor, mystical vibes, and pop-culture references abound in this action-packed ghost hunt. Shoutouts to Ghostbusters , Hocus Pocus , The Goonies , and the like crop up continually as debut author Ortega expertly weaves a feel-good, phantasmagorical adventure that readers won't want to miss. " ― Booklist "While it's undeniably a ghost story, Lucely's love for her family, both corporeal and spirit, carries the narrative, giving it warmth and depth. A warmly spooky middle-grade debut. " ― Kirkus Reviews " A fast-paced adventure rooted in Dominican mythology and packed with action, humor, and originality. " ― School Library Journal " A high energy yarn, interwoven with Dominican culture and mythology , that is pleasantly spooky with a Ghostbusters vibe that rarely falters. Readers will appreciate this lively entrée to supernatural literature." ― Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books "Ortega takes Hispanic folk traditions and weaves them into an artful narrative set in modern times. A recommended read for those who like ghostly adventures. " ― School Library Connection Claribel A. Ortega, New York Times bestselling author of Ghost Squad and the Witchlings series, and Pura Belpre and Eisner Award-winning author of the graphic novel Frizzy , is a former reporter who writes middle grade and young adult fantasy inspired by her Dominican heritage. When she's not busy turning her obsession with pop culture, magic, and video games into books, she's co-hosting her podcast Bad Author Book Club and coaching authors on how to navigate publishing. Claribel has been featured on BuzzFeed, NPR, Good Morning America , and Deadline . You can find her on social media at @Claribel_Ortega and on her website at claribelortega.com. LIGHTNING STRUCK, and a brilliant white light bloomed, illuminating the night sky outside Lucely Luna’s bedroom window. Four hours had passed since her bedtime, but the thunderstorm outside kept her wide-awake. She'd tried every one of her abuela's tricks―including taking slow, deep breaths while focusing on the warm glow of the fireflies coming from outside her bedroom window―but nothing had worked. Lucely hugged her knees to her chest, gazing out the window. She counted the seconds between the flash of lightning and clap of thunder, praying that it was still too far away to strike her home. "One, two, three. . ." BOOM! Lucely threw the covers over her head with a shriek. "Niña," a voice whispered. Lucely slid the blanket slowly from her face so only her eyes were exposed. The soft glow of one of her firefly family members filled the room. "Mamá?" Lucely asked. Like water sparkling in the sun’s rays, the firefly transformed before her. The translucent form rippled before becoming whole, solid. Lucely's grandmother, Mamá Teresa, settled onto the bed beside her. Well, her ghost did. "¿Qué te pasa, mi niña?" Mamá reached for Lucely's hand. Her touch was soft and warm, just like it had been when she was alive. Her voice always comforted Lucely like fuzzy socks and Dominican hot chocolate. "I'm scared," Lucely whispered to her abuela. Mamá brushed Lucely's curls out of her eyes and kissed her forehead before beginning to sing softly, her accent thick yet clear as the sound of rain on a metal roof. "Duérmase, mi niña, "Duérmase, mi amor, "Duérmase, pedazo de mi corazón . . ." Mamá's voice wrapped around Lucely like a wool blanket, and before the song had ended, Lucely was drifting away from the storm outside and to a