  | Mari and the curse of El Cocodrilo Author: Cuevas, Adrianna | |
| Price: $23.28 | ||
Summary:
To avoid being teased about how Cuban she is, Mari decides to skip one of the biggest Feijoo family traditions--burning the New Year's Eve effigy her abuela makes. She doesn't know that failing to toss her effigy in the fire would bring something much worse than sneering words at school: a curse of bad luck from El Cocodrilo. Now she and her friends Keisha and Juan Carlos are racing against the clock to break the curse.
| Accelerated Reader Information: Interest Level: MG Reading Level: 5.40 Points: 8.0 Quiz: 522461 |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (09/01/23)
Booklist (10/15/23)
The Hornbook (00/01/24)
Full Text Reviews:
Booklist - 10/15/2023 Cuevas mixes Cuban culture and traditions with magic and themes of belonging in this engrossing fantasy adventure. Mari Feijoo struggles with her Cuban heritage, as it makes her feel like an outsider at school—largely due to a classmate who constantly teases her about it. When Mari decides not to participate in her family’s important Cuban New Year’s Eve tradition, she finds herself cursed by the creepy El Cocodrilo and dogged by increasingly troublesome supernatural situations. As the curse gains power and begins to spread, Mari’s bravery shines as she endeavors to protect her friends and realizes that her family’s ancestry might just be what will save the day. Cuevas vividly showcases the struggles that can arise in tween friendships and highlights the power found in a united family and in embracing one’s culture and differences. This book will not only captivate readers with its fantasy elements; it will leave them deeply touched by the characters and their adventures. Fans of Claribel A. Ortega’s Ghost Squad (2020) and Tehlor Kay Mejia’s Paola Santiago books will be enamored. - Copyright 2023 Booklist.
