VINCENT VENTURA AND THE CURSE OF THE WEEPING WOMAN / VINCENT VENTURA Y LA MALDICIÓN DE LA LLORONA

Vincent Ventura never knows who will move into 666 Duende St. next, but he can always count on the new occupants to bring supernatural adventure into his life.

Late-night sounds of children playing awaken Vincent. He has a hunch that the kids are ghosts and spots a spectral woman in white searching for them and senses another, darker force at play. This fourth series installment brings back familiar characters: Vincent’s twin cousins, his friend Sayer, and his love interest, Zulema, who is a shape-shifting witch. Vincent explains what he saw, and, with his cousins and Sayer, he researches ghosts from around the world at the school library. When they realize that substitute teacher Ms. Che is also Vincent’s new neighbor, the kids ask her for insights into the Mexican legend of La Llorona and how it might fit into what’s going on in Vincent’s neighborhood. Ms. Che explains that Latin American women phantoms called Cihuateteos seek to steal the souls of children—but that in some cases spirits are simply misunderstood. Vincent and the rest must work together alongside the ghost children to defeat the malevolent spirits so that good can prevail. Multifaceted portrayals of legendary spirits add depth to a narrative that is enhanced by dramatic black-and-white art. A Spanish version of the story is included. Characters are Latinx.

Nuanced folklore shines in this thrilling beginning chapter book.