Ghost Squad by Claribel Ortega

I like to check out Middle Grade fantasy and often I find it better written than Young Adult. You get the adventure but with more carefree energy and no romantic subplots taking away from the story.  From the time I saw the cover I could not wait to read Ghost Squad. You don't often see girls who look like the young protagonists of this story on the cover of a book. And I'm so glad it's being made into a movie so little girls who look like them will be able to see themselves onscreen as well as the pages.

This book follows Lucely Luna a young girl who lives with her her single father in St. Augustine, Florida. Lucely's father runs a ghost tour and lately it hasn't been generating as much money as they need. If they don't start making more money soon the bank may foreclose on their house. Lucely has a special gift. She's able to connect to the spirits of her family members who have passed on. While they only appear in firefly form to everyone else Lucely is able to see and have full blown conversations with them. This is comes from old Dominican folklore and I've never seen it used in a fantasy before. 

I loved the scene in the first chapter of her boisterous familia having breakfast with all the fixings. Mangu with eggs and fried cheese and salami. Yum!  It reminded me of every of when I attend events with my best friend's family. It's very Dominican and a lot of fun. Family is such an important part of this book. Even though Lucely's mom is no longer in the picture she has this hope that one day her mother will return. In the mean time she's surrounded by the love of her ancestors.

But then something strange starts happening with her family members. Almost as if they're reliving their deaths. In an attempt to try and fix things Lucely enlists her friend Syd. Syd's grandmother Babette is a witch who lives in a house built over a swamp. They raid her library and follow clues that lead them to a crypt where they plan on casting a spell. But this spell ends up awakening some evil spirits set to destroy the town. It's up to Lucely, Syd, and Babette to save the day. 

Syd's family is pretty cool too. Her parents are both musicians and they treat Lucely like one of their own.  I really liked their close friendship. Often we make it seem like girls have to have large groups of friends and it's  important to show girls that one solid friendship filled with love is good enough too.

This is a fun book that girls between ages 8-11 can enjoy.  I recommend buying this book for young girls looking for diverse fantasies featuring ghosts,witches, and family and friendship.