WINNER OF THE 2023 SID FLEISCHMAN HUMOR AWARD In this thrilling and hilarious middle grade adventure steeped in Filipino folklore, a young Filipino-American boy must team up with his ancestor to break the curse that’s haunted their family for generations . . . or be trapped in an amulet forever. Freddie Ruiz is cursed. While other people may have bad days , Freddie and his family have had bad generations: from bird poop splatting on him during picture day to the many tumbles and trips that earned him the nickname Faceplant Freddie. This lifelong family curse means he’s learned to lay low and keep himself out of trouble—which means: no fun no friends and definitely no risks! But when he discovers a family heirloom, a century-old amulet from the Philippines that’s supposed to bring good fortune, Freddie thinks his luck is finally about to change. He couldn’t be more wrong. Because the ghostly spirit of Freddie’s cranky great-granduncle Ramon is trapped in the heirloom, and the evil spirits responsible for his death have returned with a vengeance. Now, Freddie and his cousin, Sharkey, have thirteen days to break the curse, or Freddie will join Ramon for an untimely afterlife in the amulet. A Bank Street College Best Book of the Year!