The Cursed Moon
Angela Cervantes
Scholastic Press
Available September 5, 2023
Ages 8-12

One, two, the Caretaker is coming for you. Three, four, you’ll breathe no more. Five, six, you’ll float like sticks. Seven, eight, you’ll meet your fate. Nine, ten, the Caretaker comes again.

In The Cursed Moon by Angela Cervantes, Rafa Fuentes is a fearless adolescent who is his little sister Brianna’s biggest protector. He enjoys writing ghost stories and recounting these scary stories to his friends on-the-spot. Rafa has experienced frightening situations in real-life, especially with his mom, Nikki, who is an addict. Nikki will be released from prison very soon, and she will be living with Rafa, his sister Brianna, and his abuela and abuelo. Rafa is extremely nervous about his mom returning home. In order to calm his nerves, Rafa narrates a story for his friends under a creepy blood moon about the Caretaker, a ghost who entices children to the nearby pond…and they never return home. After telling his creepy tale, mysterious happenings occur and Rafa recognizes that the Caretaker is real and must be defeated.

Angela Cervantes creates likeable characters in the brother and sister duo, Rafa and Brianna Fuentes, to weave this spooky tale. As a devoted big brother, Rafa takes responsibility for her by cooking her lunches, scooping her up from school every day, and making sure she has the best childhood experiences like summer camp. The language used by Cervantes creates a spooky tone as Rafa recounts one of his eerie tales: “Long ago, on a night just like this, a blood moon hovered over Gainsville Park…” (p. 32). The creepy mood and tone of this novel would be perfect for Halloween read-aloud for teachers or an independent read for upper elementary age children. Cervantes does an excellent job of building suspense throughout the plot until the heart-pounding climax. “There was a more rustling and growling behind the tree as the boys lifted their sticks. Every second waiting, not knowing if the Furry Toe was about to jump out…” (p. 186). Twists and turns and scary moments like these are sure to engage the audience from the very start. The themes of the importance of family and confronting your fears will have a wide appeal for young readers and ghost story lovers alike.