Ghost Squad written by Claribel Ortega, reviewed by Debra Gantz

Summary:  St. Augustine, Florida is a small town with a spooky history. Lucely Luna and her Dad, Simon, run a Ghost Tour that has not been doing well. Lucely realizes that if things don't improve, they could lose their house. She involves her best friend, Syd to help her fix things. They find a spell book at Syd's grandmother's (Babette is rumored to be a witch) house and recite a spell without understanding it's power. Now it is up to Syd, Lucely, Babette, and one of Babette's cats to save the town from spirits let loose by this spell. Will they accomplish this task before the stroke of midnight on Halloween?

Straight Talk for Librarians:  My students love and often request scary stories. I am usually not a fan. Thankfully, Claribel Ortega included many references to games, movies, and even plays to ground me and I loved this story. There is black magic feel to this story, but references to Goonies, Ghost Busters, and so much more will lighten that ominous feeling enough to find a story about realizing that family is not just those you are related to by blood and that memories of the love of relatives who have passed on give us amazing strengths for all of our lives. Add to your collection for your scary story loving students!