The Supernatural Society

Gr 4-6–Nothing is as it seems in East Emerson, MA. The story begins with Will, a Latinx middle schooler, who is moving after a tumultuous breakup between his mom and dad. He is leaving everything behind: Brooklyn, his best friend, and hardest of all, his father. Instead of settling into this new life, Will finds himself face-to-face with monsters, and they are monsters no one else seems to see. Mythological beings, science fiction creations, and all the things which go bump in the night are out in force in East Emerson, and strange things start happening to Will. Luckily he lives across from Ivy and Linus, and the trio begins to investigate what lurks in the shadows and tunnels of the strange town. Ogle has created a series for elementary students with a diverse cast and an adventurous spooky angle, all told by an unknown “monster” narrator who provides advice, information, and subplot through interjected soliloquies. The plot evolves well, and the reader lands at the last page fairly breathless, eager for more adventure through this Goonies-esque story.