The Ojja-Wojja

Gr 5 Up–It’s hard for Val and Lanie to fit in with most of the kids in the town of Bolingbroke. Luckily, they’re friends with a small group of fellow outsiders who all deal with similar problems, such as Andrea, a popular and powerful girl who makes their lives miserable. When Val’s teacher gives her permission to do a project about the supernatural history of their town, she thinks this will be a great opportunity to partner with Lanie, who loves magic. But when the girls take their exploring too far, they go from seeing one ghost to accidentally summoning a dangerous being called the Ojja-Wojja, which has caused trouble in Bolingbroke for many years. Val and Lanie soon learn the Ojja-Wojja is not only dangerous, but it also has the power to turn the whole town against them. This fast-paced story takes readers on a roller coaster adventure, as the mood alternates between funny, suspenseful, sarcastic, scary, and emotional. Readers will empathize with this group of kids who are outsiders for a variety of reasons (LGBTQIA+, autistic, socially awkward) as they deal with bullying and paranormal problems. The artwork is striking throughout the story; the colors get darker and creepier as the story goes on, saturating the pages, matching the darkening mood of the story.