Welcome to Litsy!

A really sweet graphic novel….almost as good as the tea dragon society I read last year!

Having a brain break with this book:)

#HauntedShelf @PuddleJumper #HexesandCrows @Catsandbooks #BookScavengerHunt #Candle

A MG graphic novel about a young boy who defies taproom tradition because he wants to be a witch like the female members of his family. It's a great story and the first in a series.

3.5/5⭐ Cute and meaningful without being over the top about it. There isn't too much depth, but there's a lot of heart. The artwork is full of wonderful details. #roll100

❣️best reading buddy 💓

#spookoween October #wrapup

I had a great Spookoween! I ended up only reading two titles from my selected pile of books but at least I got these read. Thanks for hosting @TheSpineView

Finally starting to get my reading mojo back after a week of being sick. I finished October #bookspin and #spookoween book 2. A cute middle grade witchy graphic novel about acceptance. I liked it enough but I most likely will not continue on with the series.

I adored reading this. And it‘s still sitting heavily on my chest. A part of me wants to whack a witch. And another wants to give Aster and Charlie all the snuggles.

Aww, I loved this. It‘s a MG GN about Aster and his magical family. Everyone in his family has magic. The boys become shapeshifters and the girls become witches. But what happens when Aster, in his heart of hearts, knows he‘s a witch? This was so smart. Especially when we find out who the villain or villains are. I was grateful to get this from Libby. Thanks to all the people posting recs for the trans readathon. 🏳️‍⚧️

4/5 ⭐️ Enjoyed the first book in this witchy middle grade series!

#scarathlon2022 #teammonstermash #31by31 #bookspinbingo #spookoween #witchathon #20in4 #pointsathon #promptmaze #AutumnAtoZ

This is a somewhat good book because in the Beginning I say it as a cool book with potential but then it did a full turn on me for the story. It is still a good book but not one of my favourites

March #bookspinbingo is ready! @TheAromaofBooks

so so lovely. eerie and comforting and magical— because of the magic, yes, and because of the friendship and the family and the persistent feeling in your gut that tells your you‘re more than the box they‘ve stuffed you in.

#AestheticallyMatched #ReadingChallenge @Clwojick

This reminded me a lot of Mooncakes, but I preferred this. It was grittier, and left out the romance element. It also left any trans content implied instead of making that an explicit storyline, but overall it was well done and had a positive message. #BBRC Middle Grade Anthropomorphic After 2010 @LibrarianRyan #PopSugar2022 #AboutWitches

I think that I was expecting this to be much more lighthearted and not so much focus on demons. Still though, I enjoyed the book and the art style. I will probably read the next one. 5⭐️

I reread this graphic novel to prepare for leading a Children‘s Book Club based on the Massachusetts Children‘s Book Award (MCBA). The first time I read it was for grad school & I was *way* too critical; I loved it this time around!

Here, I‘m showing off one of the temporary tattoo designs for a planned activity. This means “Apple,” according to the text. 🍎 Spoken aloud, it encourages fruit to grow. And promotes knowledge, of course. 🤓

The sixth prompt of the #Haunted challenge is Witchy Wednesday, and even though it‘s not Wednesday any more, The Witch Boy is a perfect witchy pick! I absolutely love this series about a boy who wants to be allowed to do the magic only women get to do, and doesn‘t want to do the magic of men. #PhotoChallenge

4🌟 This story follows a boy that wants to be a witch, instead of the shapeshifting demon hunting man he is supposed to become. He has always been drawn to magic, and just can not stop doing it. If only his parents would understand. The family believes boys do boys things and girls do girls things. They can not change positions. This story is wonderful and heartfelt. I loved it and I can not wait to read the next two.

Hey @WanderingBookaneer I am sorry I forgot to post but I got this over the weekend. I‘ll get to reading it ASAP.

4🌟 What a great little read this was. It was a bit predictable, but this can be overlooked due to its powerful message of acceptance and being true to oneself. It combats gender norms and discusses the difference between body and soul and the harm that can be caused by trying to fit people into predetermined identities, all with the backdrop of magic, shapeshifters, and demons. I'll definitely be looking for the next in this series.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I really enjoyed this MG graphic novel about a boy who doesn't want to shapeshift like boys are "supposed to" and wants to learn witch magic, which is only for girls. This was my #LMPBC #groupG book and I'll be sending it your way next @WanderingBookaneer
#catsoflitsy @LibrarianRyan @bibliobard @suvata

4/5 for this one. This was such a cute graphic novel. Aster is a great character. The artwork is fabulous. I will be continuing the series.

Okay #LMPBC Group G what do you think of either of these? Have you read them already? Would you want to read? Let me know 😊
@LibrarianRyan @bibliobard @WanderingBookaneer

Super cute little graphic novel about being true to yourself :)

#JustAnotherGraphicMonday
@Bookworm54 @AkashaVampie @AsYouWish @jb72 @AnansiGirl

#BookSpinBingo
@TheAromaOfBooks

Another impulse pick :)

#JustAnotherGraphicMonday
@Bookworm54 @AkashaVampie @AsYouWish @jb72 @AnansiGirl

the nine books i read in april 2021 ✨
it's rare that i read middle grade books, but this month was saturated with them, and the witch boy and both tea dragon books were my faves, such lovely graphic novels. 🧙🏽🐲
i haven't had a lot of time or energy for reading lately, especially non-audiobook reading, but i hope to make more time for it this month, as i'm missing it a lot. 📚

This was absolutely adorable and heartwarming with gorgeous art

Just finished this middle grade graphic novel. Five ⭐️ from me. Main character should be a shapeshifter as a boy in his family but is drawn to traditionally female identifying witchcraft. There‘s a mystery of attacks from an evil shifter to add to the drama. It was beautifully done and a quick read.

I ❤️ this (and see myself being the type of grandma shown in the top pannels there). The art, characters & story are fun. It has clear parallels between real gender expectations (whether someone defies gender norms or discovers that they're trans or non-binary) that parallel the real world, & this topic is handled well. An excellent middlegrade/YA read.
*Also, this puts me another goal finished for #OutstandingOctober !
#diversity #LGBTQ

Every week, I highlight #LGBTQAuthors as part of #TheRainbowShelf. 🏳️‍🌈 Molly Ostertag describes a childhood immersed in nature and fantasy. These adventures didn't end in childhood, living on in her imaginative work both in graphic novels and animation. She is married to cartoonist Noelle Stevenson. #LGBTQ #QueerAuthors #Comic #IntegrateYourBookShelf

I‘m late to the party with this book, but it‘s delightful. Sometimes evil magic shapeshifters aren‘t as scary as the prohibitions placed on you by the people you love. It‘s the prohibitions, not the monsters, that seem inescapable.

OK. I think this might be an #unpopularopinion, so I‘m taking a deep breath before I admit it: I liked this middle-grade graphic novel (enough to give it a “pick”, for sure) but I didn‘t *love* it. It‘s got a great message about the triteness & artificiality of gender roles, & magic, & lots of diversity, & great art...but the text could‘ve flowed more smoothly, IMO. And since I am, first & foremost, a lover of prose, that‘s a big deal for me.

My nine-year-old son read The Witch Boy twice before I could get my hands on it--I've already put book #2 on hold! Molly Knox Ostertag's graphic novel tells the story of thirteen-year-old Aster, a boy who lives in a world in which girls become witches and boys become shapeshifters. Aster, however, has not found his spirit animal, and he's MUCH more interested in witchcraft than in ever shapeshifting. (continued in comments)

A cute ya graphic novel about family, expectation, and doing what you love.

This story was great! All the women in the family are witches, the men shapeshifters. So why does Aster want to do magic instead of shift? There was a lot of representation on these pages. This was a great graphic novel.

#teamstoker #scarathlon +11pts (theme)
#24b4Monday

A very cute middle grade graphic novel!
3 points for #TeamStoker #scarathon
@TheReadingMermaid

Still as good as the first read! On to book 2...
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is a cute story with a heavy-handed allegory that didn‘t quite work for me. It bugged me that, while Aster could learn the girls‘ witchcraft by spying on their lessons, there didn‘t seem to be any way for an interested girl to learn shapeshifting. I didn‘t like the villain‘s motivation. And the grandmother could have spoken up earlier! I really liked the art, especially when depicting witchcraft, and the younger characters are delightful.

I‘ve never read a graphic novel with a family tree in the front before! This is off to a great start!

I get the feeling these two aren't quite on the same page, but she doesn't know how to tell him so.

This is the most wholesome thing I've read in a while. Aster, a 13-year old boy in a world where boys become shapeshifters and girls become witches, is much more interested in witchery than shifting, and his family is noooot about that. Cue bad things happening to bad people and good people being good and everything being great, just.. gosh darn I loved this ❤️

This is fantastic. Wonderful art, and the storyline is just amazing. Aster‘s family is magical, and that magic follows strict gender norms. Except when it doesn‘t. Boys are supposed to be shapeshifters, and girls witches. Aster is a witch. He hides and denies who he is, until he breaks another rule and makes a human friend, Charlie. She is the absolute best. Read this book. Just trust me.

This was amazing!! The artwork was superb and fun. The characters were likable. I'm all about spooky plots. Aster is a 13 year old boy who wants to be a witch, but the females in his family are the witches and the males are shape shifters. Anyone who doesn't conform to this is ostracized from the family. #LGBTQ #spooky #fittingin #graphicnovel

Questioning the rigidity of gender roles is presented in a fresh way in this engaging fantasy where only girls can do magic and only boys can shapeshift. Aster learns to be true to his potential as a boy who is drawn towards magic, not shapeshifting. A warm and bright #graphicnovel with #LGBTQ characters and diverse skin tones, suitable for ages 8 and up.