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ChupaCarter #2
ChupaCarter and the Haunted Piñata
In this hilarious follow-up to ChupaCarter , world-famous entertainer George Lopez delivers a spooky tale of mystery, revenge, and friendship starring 12-year-old Jorge and Carter, the fearsome but friendly Chupacabra!
Inspired by his own childhood and packed with clever illustrations, George Lopez's sequel to ChupaCarter sees Jorge finally feeling at home in his new town, thanks to his awesome friends Liza and Ernie—and especially Carter, the chupacabra.
New kid Jorge is shocked to learn that his beastly friend Carter isn't the only legendary creature in Boca falls. Every few years, the town is terrorized by a haunted . . . piñata ? Rumor has it that the petrifying party decoration floats around setting eerie fires to avenge a long-ago betrayal. Jorge can't help but laugh, until a rash of green fires forces the townspeople to consider moving away, including the parents of his pals Ernie and Liza!
With Carter at their side, the three friends are in a race against time to catch the real culprit before they're separated forever . . . or the whole town is set aflame. Which will come first?
Inspired by his own childhood and packed with clever illustrations, George Lopez's sequel to ChupaCarter sees Jorge finally feeling at home in his new town, thanks to his awesome friends Liza and Ernie—and especially Carter, the chupacabra.
New kid Jorge is shocked to learn that his beastly friend Carter isn't the only legendary creature in Boca falls. Every few years, the town is terrorized by a haunted . . . piñata ? Rumor has it that the petrifying party decoration floats around setting eerie fires to avenge a long-ago betrayal. Jorge can't help but laugh, until a rash of green fires forces the townspeople to consider moving away, including the parents of his pals Ernie and Liza!
With Carter at their side, the three friends are in a race against time to catch the real culprit before they're separated forever . . . or the whole town is set aflame. Which will come first?
336 pages, Paperback
Published February 6, 2024
4 people are currently reading
52 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
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November 2, 2023
Trigger & Content Warnings
Minor blood depiction
Minor weapon violence (num chucks, dart gun)
Bullying mentioned
Minor blood depiction
Minor weapon violence (num chucks, dart gun)
Bullying mentioned
June 9, 2023
It’s great to be back with friends in Boca Falls, New Mexico. Jorge, Carter, Liza and Ernie are in a pickle again. This time it’s a haunted pinata. Or should I say a pinata possessed by the spirit of a dead boy bent on vengeance. There’s an arsonist setting fires and the pinata is suspect numero uno. Creepy fires, haunted paper maches, oh my.
This series just keeps on giving. There are a bunch of fun illustrations all through the book and they are one of my favorite things. I get to see faces and actions instead of just using my imagination. The characters are so real to me now. And the humor is spot on. ChupaCarter has to pose as a dog in order to help solve the case of the haunted pinata and the fires cropping up around town. Not surprising, the people who see him make remarks on how strange he looks, in some cases they call him ugly. This makes Carter growl. Sure hope he doesn’t take a bite out of someone.
I do love this series and I’m crossing fingers and toes that there will be more.
This series just keeps on giving. There are a bunch of fun illustrations all through the book and they are one of my favorite things. I get to see faces and actions instead of just using my imagination. The characters are so real to me now. And the humor is spot on. ChupaCarter has to pose as a dog in order to help solve the case of the haunted pinata and the fires cropping up around town. Not surprising, the people who see him make remarks on how strange he looks, in some cases they call him ugly. This makes Carter growl. Sure hope he doesn’t take a bite out of someone.
I do love this series and I’m crossing fingers and toes that there will be more.
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July 31, 2023I've always loved George Lopez and this book is a bit of a let down. I was expecting so much more but frankly what I got was a great deal of references that only someone a bit older than his target audience would get.
It was a stand alone book meaning that you did not have to read the first book but it would help to do so. This book kind of explains Carter but only to a degree.
I am Mexican American and I get a great deal of the reference that he makes but again to perhaps a reader who is not familiar with the culture might not understand the references.
There is a mystery story in here and at times it is good but I found this book is hard to get into.
It was a stand alone book meaning that you did not have to read the first book but it would help to do so. This book kind of explains Carter but only to a degree.
I am Mexican American and I get a great deal of the reference that he makes but again to perhaps a reader who is not familiar with the culture might not understand the references.
There is a mystery story in here and at times it is good but I found this book is hard to get into.
June 22, 2023
This was such a fun continuation of ChupaCarter! I loved following the characters in this sequel. This book was just as good as the first book. The author did a terrific job of telling this story and I think middle graders, especially boys will find his characters relatable. Overall this is a great middle grade fantasy.
July 18, 2023
What worked:
The main conflict involves the legend of a rich boy humiliated by his classmates who dies in a fire on his birthday. Supposedly, he reappears every six years as a haunted pinata and sets green fires around town. The idea of a ghostly pinata sounds far-fetched but perhaps not since Jorge’s closest friend is an actual chupacabra named Carter. The fiery destruction around town hits close to home for Jorge and his friends when the butcher shop owned by Liza’s father is burned to the ground. The plot becomes a mystery that has no shortage of suspects. However, every time the kids think the clues lead them to the arsonist something pops up to show them that they must be wrong.
Jorge’s small group of friends presents an interesting contrast of characters. Liza is the logical, scientific one who only believes in what can be proven or what she’s actually seen. She obviously scoffs at the idea of a ghostly pinata setting fires so she drives the investigation into the legend. Ernie is an anxious friend who’s ready to believe anything that might scare him. He’s constantly frightened by every rumor or incident even as Liza collects evidence to debunk the tale. Carter reappears from Mexico and the chupacabra is determined to utilize his beastly skills to assist his friends. It’s nice to have a hairy, seven-foot-tall, blood-sucking monster working with you!
As in the series’ first book, the authors infuse the narrative with bits of Spanish. Non-Spanish speakers probably won’t know all of the terms but they’re usually able to use the context of the sentences to easily figure them out. The phrases are often repeated in English which makes it very simple to understand. These words are normally included in the characters’ dialogue or as mild exclamations so they sound natural when they’re used. The inclusion of bits of Spanish enhances the setting and atmosphere of the story since it takes place in the Southwest region of the United States.
What didn’t work as well:
The kids quickly jump to conclusions when they uncover new evidence and it’s bothersome how frequently they accuse and dismiss different suspects. They run through four or five different characters and always seem to end up back at square one. It especially feels out of character for Liza since she’s supposed to be the brainiac in the group.
The Final Verdict:
This book shares a humorous, fun mystery that should appeal to readers with a love for quirky characters. Jorge’s friends know all about Carter in this second book so he’s treated more like one of the gang than a shocking, fearsome mythical creature. Overall, it’s an enjoyable, amusing adventure with frequent twists and turns and I recommend you give it a shot.
The main conflict involves the legend of a rich boy humiliated by his classmates who dies in a fire on his birthday. Supposedly, he reappears every six years as a haunted pinata and sets green fires around town. The idea of a ghostly pinata sounds far-fetched but perhaps not since Jorge’s closest friend is an actual chupacabra named Carter. The fiery destruction around town hits close to home for Jorge and his friends when the butcher shop owned by Liza’s father is burned to the ground. The plot becomes a mystery that has no shortage of suspects. However, every time the kids think the clues lead them to the arsonist something pops up to show them that they must be wrong.
Jorge’s small group of friends presents an interesting contrast of characters. Liza is the logical, scientific one who only believes in what can be proven or what she’s actually seen. She obviously scoffs at the idea of a ghostly pinata setting fires so she drives the investigation into the legend. Ernie is an anxious friend who’s ready to believe anything that might scare him. He’s constantly frightened by every rumor or incident even as Liza collects evidence to debunk the tale. Carter reappears from Mexico and the chupacabra is determined to utilize his beastly skills to assist his friends. It’s nice to have a hairy, seven-foot-tall, blood-sucking monster working with you!
As in the series’ first book, the authors infuse the narrative with bits of Spanish. Non-Spanish speakers probably won’t know all of the terms but they’re usually able to use the context of the sentences to easily figure them out. The phrases are often repeated in English which makes it very simple to understand. These words are normally included in the characters’ dialogue or as mild exclamations so they sound natural when they’re used. The inclusion of bits of Spanish enhances the setting and atmosphere of the story since it takes place in the Southwest region of the United States.
What didn’t work as well:
The kids quickly jump to conclusions when they uncover new evidence and it’s bothersome how frequently they accuse and dismiss different suspects. They run through four or five different characters and always seem to end up back at square one. It especially feels out of character for Liza since she’s supposed to be the brainiac in the group.
The Final Verdict:
This book shares a humorous, fun mystery that should appeal to readers with a love for quirky characters. Jorge’s friends know all about Carter in this second book so he’s treated more like one of the gang than a shocking, fearsome mythical creature. Overall, it’s an enjoyable, amusing adventure with frequent twists and turns and I recommend you give it a shot.
August 12, 2023
Book 2 in the ChupaCarter MG series.
🪅
Jorge is settling in in his new town and happy to have friends like Liza and Ernie who start the book by telling him about a local legendary creature from their community: a haunted piñata. Apparently bent on revenge this piñata sets things on GREEN fire throughout town and it’s back, terrorizing the people who live there. Everyone is considering leaving until Carter shows up, ready to help.
🪅
I liked that this was more of a mystery than book 1 and it was also humorous and kept the same friend group dynamic that we loved in the first novel. I hope there are more of these!
CW: fire
🪅
Jorge is settling in in his new town and happy to have friends like Liza and Ernie who start the book by telling him about a local legendary creature from their community: a haunted piñata. Apparently bent on revenge this piñata sets things on GREEN fire throughout town and it’s back, terrorizing the people who live there. Everyone is considering leaving until Carter shows up, ready to help.
🪅
I liked that this was more of a mystery than book 1 and it was also humorous and kept the same friend group dynamic that we loved in the first novel. I hope there are more of these!
CW: fire
June 24, 2023
Jorge and his friends are searching for an arsonist. It may or may not be the dreaded, terrifying haunted piñata, which makes an appearance in this small town every six years. Together with Carter, their chupacabra friend, Jorge and his friend muster up the courage needed to chase down the clues, many with laugh-out-loud outcomes kids are sure to enjoy.
June 18, 2023
I absolutely love the ChupaCarter books. I know there's only two, but they are both so fun and full of wonderful characters.
The story was written very well! I loved the spooky supernatural feel of it all. Lopez and Calejo did a fantastic job of building the backstory.
You can read my full review, and others like it, at Bookswithachance.com
The story was written very well! I loved the spooky supernatural feel of it all. Lopez and Calejo did a fantastic job of building the backstory.
You can read my full review, and others like it, at Bookswithachance.com
June 20, 2023
The first book in the series was better than this one.
January 11, 2025
Love this book. My nephew wants it to be made a cartoon.
September 5, 2025
i was surprised by the ending. go abuela!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews