The Outcasts - Tim Chapman

Two best friends. One strange blue light. A secret world waiting just beyond the woods. When best friends Ogden "Og" Carter and Iggy Lumaban head down to the creek one afternoon, they expect mud, turtles, and maybe a little trouble. What they find instead is something impossible-a floating blue light that knocks them flat and changes everything. Their search for answers leads them to Ondine, a reclusive woman who lives in a vine-covered yurt with a talking crow, glowing walls, and secrets that defy reason. Through her, the boys meet Finn, a fiery, fairy-like being from another world called Avilion, where a civilization teeters on the brink of war. But when Ondine disappears and the blue light returns for help, Og and Iggy are pulled into a battle that blurs the line between science and magic. Now the boys must rely on each other-and a few very strange new friends-to uncover the truth behind the light, find Ondine, and save both worlds before it's too late. Funny, fast-paced, and full of heart, The Outcasts is a story of friendship, bravery, and the magic hiding in plain sight.