The Okay Witch by Emma Steinkellner

 

On Saturday, I finished reading The Okay Witch by Emma Steinkellner. This fantasy graphic novel is about a thirteen-year-old girl, Moth Hush, who loves everything to do with witches. On Halloween, she accidentally uses magic when a couple of bullies tease her about her costume. She is very freaked by what she did to the two boys, so she goes straight home where her mom, Calendula, tells her that she comes from a family of witches and that their hometown of Founder's Bluff, Massachusetts, has a complicated history of persecuting witches. Additionally, Moth befriends a new boy at school, Charlie, who auditions for the role of Judge Kramer in the Founder's Bluff History Pageant. Things continue to become crazier when Moth meets a talking cat, Mr. Laszlo, and reads an enchanted diary to learn more about her mom's secrets. Calendula doesn't want Moth to get involved with witches or visit the hidden witch world Moth's grandma, Sarah, created for safety from the human world, but Moth can't be normal and ignore her growing powers.

This graphic novel was fantastic and I enjoyed it from beginning to end. I especially loved Moth's friendship with Charlie and Mr. Laszlo. The development of her relationships with her mom and grandma was also very interesting because they made such different decisions to protect those they love, including Moth. Seeing Moth discover her powers was definitely a lot of fun, but there was quite a bit of suspense because the same family who persecuted witches in the 1600s had been leading Founder's Bluff ever since. I was wondering if Mayor Bruce Kramer would be just like his ancestor Judge Nathaniel Kramer. It was such a plot twist when Charlie turned out to be Mayor Kramer's son from his first marriage, but he proved to be a loyal friend. I also thought that the hidden witch world, Hecate, was particularly beautiful even though Moth's mom had decided to not stay there when she was a girl. The Okay Witch is both funny and touching, and I would recommend it to anyone who loves magic and adventure.

To Night Owl From Dogfish by Holly Goldberg Sloan and Meg Wolitzer

 

Last night, I finished reading To Night Owl From Dogfish by Holly Goldberg Sloan and Meg Wolitzer. This realistic fiction novel is about two girls, Avery and Bett, whose fathers fall in love and send them to the same overnight camp, CIGI, when they decide to go on a motorcycle adventure in China. Initially, Avery and Bett really don't like each other after Bett sends an email to Avery and they start to get to know each other. The two girls don't really have anything in common and they hate the idea of becoming friends, let alone sisters. Camp is full of challenges, though, and the two girls bond and become friends after a couple of incidents. They even get kicked out of camp and end up spending time with Avery's biological mom, Kristina, and Bett's grandmother, Gaga. Unfortunately, Avery and Bett's dads have problems of their own on their trip and break up when they get back. Both girls are very upset and disappointed, so they decide to get their dads back together because they now want to be family after their summer adventures.

I thought this novel was both funny and emotional. I loved that it was written in both emails and letters and thought the format was a fitting way to tell the story. Avery and Bett are two very different girls, but I really enjoyed their different personalities, especially when they made me laugh with their quirks. Avery loves books and struggles with anxiety, so I related to her the most, but I admired Bett's courage to take risks even if it got her in trouble. I also thought it was cool that they decided to use animals for their nicknames. Avery is Night Owl and Bett is Dogfish. Meeting Kristina and Gaga was very fun, too. Kristina is a playwright who just happened to be working on a play in Michigan where the girls were sent to camp, while Gaga is casted in the play after she picked up Bett and decided to bring her back to continue hanging out with Avery. More than a year passes in this novel, and I was very surprised by the ending because it wasn't what I expected. I thought it was very sweet and heartwarming, though. To Night Owl From Dogfish is an outstanding choice for anyone who wants to read about friendship, family, and how a summer at camp can bring different people together.