Witches of Brooklyn
by Sophie Escabasse; illus. by the author
Intermediate, Middle School    RH Graphic/Random    240 pp.    g
9/20    978-0-593-12528-1    $20.99
Library ed.  978-0-593-11928-0    $23.99
Paper ed.  978-0-593-11927-3    $12.99
e-book ed.  978-0-593-11929-7    $8.99

In this lighthearted, sweet, and entertaining fantastical graphic novel, eleven-year-old Effie is (unexpectedly for all parties involved) sent to live with her elderly, odd-couple aunts after her mother’s death. Selimene and Carlota run a holistic healing practice out of their enormous Brooklyn house, and late one night, Effie’s idol, pop star Tily Shoo, and her entourage barge in to beg their help. Vain, self-absorbed Tily has turned her face bright red — possibly permanently — with a new skin product. That night Effie learns that the aunts’ healing is enhanced by benevolent witchcraft and that her own magical powers are emerging; her apprenticeship begins immediately, as she helps the aunts find a solution to Tily’s problem. While Effie’s coming into her own as a witch is the main plot line, the blossoming of her loving relationships with her newfound family and friends is equally compelling. The personality-filled art features effectively paced, dynamically sized panels. First in a projected series.

From the September/October 2020 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.