About This Book:
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. 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.
*Review Contributed by Karen Yingling, Staff Reviewer*
Interesting way to address family history
This was the perfect balance of a lot of things. It had some social issues, since Freddie has some anxiety about his constant embarrassment. There’s the cultural connection with a rich background of Filipino history and family traditions. There’s even a little WWII history with the Bataan Death March. The inclusion of breakdancing was absolutely perfect, since break dancing is going to be included as a sport in the 2024 Olympics. Combine all of these things with funny scenes, a road trip, and a thread of self acceptance and personal growth, and this is an absolute winner. The short length helps, and the cover looks fun. There are a huge number of students to whom I can hand this. Definitely worthy of a Kirkus starred review.
This was such a huge relief to read after ingesting a large number of lyrical, socially relevant, timely stories. It’s possible to address these needs and include cultural content while still having a book that is a bit more light hearted and positive. After all, the information about the Filipino involvement in World War II is pretty dire, but it’s handled in such an interesting and (dare I say it?) sweet way that what I took away from this was Ingo’s spirit of forgiveness and the Ruiz’s determination to move on after tragedy. Definitely my favorite book this month.
