After accidentally injuring his neighbor, Matt Sprouts thinks he has "the Curse," a hometown myth that ruins middle schoolers' lives. To defeat the Curse, Matt decides he needs to solve the mystery--and FAST --but that's not easy to do when you're entering middle school, keeping track of your little brother, trying to defeat the best soccer team, and oh yeah, not breaking any more toes. This book is a New York Times bestseller NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER USA TODAY BESTSELLER PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY BESTSELLER 2025 CHILDREN'S BOOK COUNCIL MIDDLE-GRADE FAVORITE Eleven-year-old Matt Sprouts is in big trouble. He didn't mean to hurt his neighbor Jenna with that awesome martial arts move--it just happened Blame it on morning cartoons or Jenna's lack of coordination. Any -ways, getting grounded is the worst thing that could happen, right? Wrong. After the incident spirals into a series of downright unfortunate events, it's decided that Matt has contracted "the Curse," a hometown myth that has ruined the lives of middle schoolers before him. And as if the Curse weren't enough, entering sixth grade proves to be just as mysterious--there's a strange girlfriend, wacky teachers, and . . . c'mon, can Matt's toes stop breaking PLEASE? Matt decides to take matters into his own hands. Now he just has to break the Curse . . . before all his bones break. "Funny, heartwarming, and impossible to put down, this book is a must-read for anyone trying to survive the perils of middle school." - Dustin Brady, bestselling author of Trapped in a Video Game, World's Worst Time Machine, the Leila and Nugget Mysteries, and Escape from a Video Game "Matt Sprouts is the next star of middle-grade comedy Matt Eicheldinger expertly draws from his life to create this heart-warming and fun illustrated series." - Jarrett Krososzka, New York Times bestselling author and National Book Award Finalist "This is the kind of book that makes a kid stay up past their bedtime, reading with a flashlight under the blanket." - Nina Hamza, bestselling author of Ahmed Azis's Epic Year "Do you remember the worst summer you've ever had? Well, Matt Sprouts has you beat. He's dodging wild coaches, terrible teachers, and a hometown curse in this zany tale that's more fun than you could wiggle a broken toe at This book had me flexing my toes in gratitude every fifteen pages, and it is still one of the funniest books I've read in a while, no bones about it " - Terrance Crawford, bestselling author of the Piggy series
