BakaD

When I was about eight (1994), I read a scary chapter book (think "Goosebumps" style) about this kid. I think it took place in the southwest United States.

The boy read a curse that he found in his math book, and because of the curse, animals hated him. Wasps stung him, his friend's cat attacked him, dogs tore his jacket to pieces--stuff like that. He and his friend are trying to find the counter curse (which had been torn out of the math book) by tracking down all of the people who had the book before him.

As time passes, the attacks get more and more dangerous. He and his friend find out that everyone who had the book before him has either disappeared or was killed by an animal attack.

I remember all kinds of details about this book (too many to list), but I cannot for the life of me remember the title, the author, or how it ends. I think there was a camping trip or field trip to a canyon, and he was worried about being attacked by a cougar... but I don't know what happened!