Cincinnati Lee, Curse Breaker

Gr 4-6–Twelve-year-old Cincinnati Lee is a thief, but for a good reason. Her great-great-great grandfather, a famous archeologist, put a curse on the family through his looted goods and now, following his diary, Cincinnati must break it. Cin’s mom, who is Chinese and white, is a fundraiser for the Cosmopolitan Museum of New York, where Cincinnati spends much of her time with brilliant forger (and best friend) Felix. She discovers an evil villain is conspiring with a well-known collector to find the Spear of Destiny, an artifact with ultimate power to reverse her curse—or destroy the world! Cin’s new friend Parsley, a fashion-forward Black girl, becomes her willing (and sometimes unwilling) accomplice as she sneaks into art auctions, scales rooftops to warehouses, and finds her way to a houseboat in Paris to recover the spear and perhaps change her destiny. With a mix of reality, the supernatural, and unbelievable situations, this story makes an entertaining read. The first-person narration highlights Cin as an erudite tween trying to save her family and figure out friendships. Some references might go over the heads of the intended readership with their focus on the illegal artifact trade, referencing real museums and cases, such the Hobby Lobby scandal and the legendary Indiana Jones. These are explained in the author’s note, so unfamiliar topics could spark conversations.