My Sister the Werebeast
by Alina Tysoe; illus. by the author
Intermediate, Middle School    First Second    320 pp.
10/25    9781250896698    $23.99
Paper ed.  9781250896681    $14.99

When their adventurer parents are out of town, Mira and Rosie Wolf-Drake have their hands full babysitting their little sister, Peanut, who, like many small children, has nightmares, draws on the walls, and acts up at daycare. Except Peanut happens to be a werebeast, liable to flood the house with her tears, bring her drawings to life, and shapeshift in front of her classmates. In a world that has long since turned its back on the corrupt, destructive magic of the past and now prioritizes technology and monster-hunting, Mira and Rosie frantically try to keep Peanut’s abilities under control and a secret from the rest of Whisper Cove, all while contending with their parents’ extended absence, their school rivals, and a sinister lurking creature. Tysoe’s graphic-novel characters sport elastic, exaggerated facial expressions and distinct appearances (such as Peanut’s shock of electric-blue hair and Mira’s oversized glasses), and her world-building will be perfect for fans of the modern-fantasy worlds found in Nimona and the Lumberjanes series—the sisters study sword-fighting at school but own cell phones—especially as Whisper Cove reveals itself to harbor more magic than expected. The story concludes with an appreciation for unconventional, diverse communities—in this case, among magicfolk—and enough cliffhangers to offer hope that the Wolf-Drake sisters have a bright, magical future ahead of them.

From the November/December 2025 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.