Everything you need to understand or teach The Spirit House by William Sleator.
Julie's family has invited a Thai boy to come live with them for a school year. Julie is unhappy because the boy's letters and photograph make him seem to be a nerd, someone who would embarrass her at school, where she has worked hard to become popular. The boy who arrives is poised, a heavy smoker, and seemingly unimpressed by the luxuries he finds in Julie's home. Bia's good looks and composure promise to make him popular at school, and Julie the envy of her girlfriends, even if Bia does not speak English well. Then her younger brother Dominic builds a spirit house to set in the yard to make Bia feel more at home. A Thai spirit apparently comes to the new spirit house, and that spirit is turned loose in a culture that does not understand it. Then Julie's life begins to fall apart: her boyfriend...
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William Sleator