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The Witch Boy
The Witch Boy | Molly Ostertag
71 posts | 112 read | 55 to read
In thirteen-year-old Aster's family, all the girls are raised to be witches, while boys grow up to be shapeshifters. Anyone who dares cross those lines is exiled. Unfortunately for Aster, he still hasn't shifted . . . and he's still fascinated by witchery, no matter how forbidden it might be. When a mysterious danger threatens the other boys, Aster knows he can help -- as a witch. It will take the encouragement of a new friend, the non-magical and non-conforming Charlie, to convince Aster to try practicing his skills. And it will require even more courage to save his family . . . and be truly himself.
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Mccall0113
The Witch Boy | Molly Knox Ostertag
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❣️best reading buddy 💓

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mrp27
The Witch Boy | Molly Ostertag
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#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

TheSpineView You're welcome! 🧡🎃🖤📖🧡📚 5mo
20 likes1 comment
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mrp27
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Pickpick


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.

TheSpineView Well done! 5mo
TheAromaofBooks Great progress!! 5mo
16 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Bookfan1414
The Witch Boy | Molly Knox Ostertag
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Pickpick

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.

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Reggie
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Pickpick

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. 🏳️‍⚧️

61 likes2 stack adds
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Catsandbooks
The Witch Boy | Molly Knox Ostertag
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Pickpick

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

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

DieAReader 🎉🎉🎉 1y
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 1y
TheSpineView Awesome 1y
See All 6 Comments
Andrew65 Well done 👏👏👏 1y
Texreader YAY for AtoZ!! 1y
StayCurious great job! 1y
51 likes6 comments
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Justintroylarue
Witch Boy | Molly Knox Ostertag
Mehso-so

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

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Nutmegnc
The Witch Boy | Molly Knox Ostertag
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TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 2y
32 likes1 stack add1 comment
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mgschu
The Witch Boy | Molly Ostertag
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Pickpick

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.

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IndoorDame
Witch Boy | Molly Knox Ostertag
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Clwojick woohoo! 😍
2y
52 likes1 stack add1 comment
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IndoorDame
Witch Boy | Molly Knox Ostertag
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Pickpick

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

LibrarianRyan Yeahh 2y
61 likes1 comment
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Zoe-h
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Pickpick

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⭐️

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monalyisha
The Witch Boy | Molly Knox Ostertag
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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. 🤓

monalyisha And yeah, it kind of reminds *me* of “The Artist Formerly Known As Prince” symbol, too. 😜💜 Gender identity & gender performance are major themes, though…so it‘s possible that the likeness is intentional! (edited) 2y
42 likes1 comment
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Kenyazero
The Witch Boy | Molly Ostertag
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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

Eggs 🧡🧙🏻‍♀️🎃🧡 2y
18 likes1 stack add1 comment
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LibrarianRyan
Witch Boy | Molly Knox Ostertag
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Pickpick

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.

Nelnjali I've been working my way through these. I love the first two, and I'm waiting for the last one to come back in at my library. 2y
63 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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LibrarianRyan
The Witch Boy | Molly Knox Ostertag
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Hey @WanderingBookaneer I am sorry I forgot to post but I got this over the weekend. I‘ll get to reading it ASAP.

Kenyazero You're in for a treat! 3y
WanderingBookaneer It‘s so good! 3y
54 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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Nelnjali
The Witch Boy | Molly Ostertag
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Pickpick

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.

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WanderingBookaneer
The Witch Boy | Molly Knox Ostertag
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Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Mrs_B Great review 3y
59 likes3 stack adds1 comment
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peanutnine
The Witch Boy | Molly Knox Ostertag
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Pickpick

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

LibrarianRyan Can not wait to read this. 3y
LibrarianRyan Btw. I mailed a crap load of stuff today. 3y
peanutnine @LibrarianRyan yay! 👍🏻 3y
36 likes1 stack add3 comments
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Emmybird01
The Witch Boy | Molly Knox Ostertag
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Pickpick

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.

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peanutnine
The Witch Boy | Molly Knox Ostertag
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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

bibliobard I have read Sheets! Very cute. Witch Boy sounds good 😊 3y
LibrarianRyan I‘ve read sheets. Didn‘t care for it. But Witches boy has been on my TBR for a while. (edited) 3y
WanderingBookaneer I‘ve read both, so I‘m okay with whatever the others choose. 3y
peanutnine @WanderingBookaneer would you mind rereading Witch Boy? I could find another option, these are just two that I already own 3y
28 likes5 comments
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ElizaMarie
The Witch Boy | Molly Knox Ostertag
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Pickpick
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 3y
24 likes1 comment
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ElizaMarie
The Witch Boy | Molly Knox Ostertag
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thestarlesscasea
The Witch Boy | Molly Knox Ostertag
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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. 📚

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SassenachTheBookWizard
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Pickpick

This was absolutely adorable and heartwarming with gorgeous art

56 likes2 stack adds
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GardenJess
The Witch Boy | Molly Ostertag
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Pickpick

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.

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Kenyazero
The Witch Boy | Molly Ostertag
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Pickpick

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

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Kenyazero
The Witch Boy | Molly Ostertag
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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

15 likes2 stack adds
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NotCool
The Witch Boy | Molly Ostertag
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Pickpick

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.

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monalyisha
The Witch Boy | Molly Knox Ostertag
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Pickpick

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.

ravenlee I‘ve picked this up at the library so many times and always put it back. I feel like I should want to read it, but there‘s just something that puts me off it. Not sure why. 4y
monalyisha @ravenlee It‘s a quick read. I may pick up the next one & see if the narration improves. 🤷‍♀️ It may just read a little young/too blunt for you? I‘m glad it exists & it‘s worth the short time it takes to read it but I also wouldn‘t say that you‘re REALLY MISSING OUT if you don‘t. 4y
Laughterhp I read this in October... I thought It was interesting and had a lot of representation throughout. Did people not like this graphic novel for you have to have an unpopular opinion of liking it? 4y
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monalyisha @Laughterhp No, I‘ve gotten the impression that people adore it — so my lukewarm like could be met with opposition. 4y
Laughterhp Ohh gotcha. I didn‘t get that because you still gave it a pick! 😊😊 4y
monalyisha @Laughterhp If the review symbols focused more on thumbs, I‘d give it one not two. 😉 4y
68 likes1 stack add6 comments
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UnabridgedPod
The Witch Boy | Molly Knox Ostertag
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Pickpick

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)

UnabridgedPod Aster's family, however, can't accept that he's not just going through an awkward stage that he'll soon grow beyond. He has no one in his life in whom he can confide . . . until he wanders outside his magical world and finds a friend who also doesn't fit in to her world.⠀⬇️ 4y
UnabridgedPod Ostertag's artwork is beautiful, and Aster's internal conflict is moving and emotional. I love the world building and the mythology that weaves through the story. I loved it.⠀

Who else has read this one?
4y
LiteraryinLawrence I‘ve read it! I thought it was really different and well done! 4y
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MandaMT I LOVE these books! There‘s a 3rd one out now. Can‘t wait to read it! 4y
UnabridgedPod @MandaMT I have the second on hold at the library, but they don‘t have book 3 yet. 😕 4y
emtobiasz This series is great! 4y
UnabridgedPod @emtobiasz Looking forward to the rest of the trilogy!! 4y
19 likes1 stack add8 comments
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Nitpickyabouttrains
The Witch Boy | Molly Knox Ostertag
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Pickpick

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

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Laughterhp
The Witch Boy | Molly Ostertag
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Pickpick

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

BeansPage 🧟‍♀️ 4y
34 likes1 comment
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Nessavamusic
The Witch Boy | Molly Ostertag
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Pickpick

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

BeansPage 🧟‍♀️ 4y
34 likes1 comment
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CraftyBookNerd1
The Witch Boy | Molly Knox Ostertag
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Pickpick

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

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Clare-Dragonfly
The Witch Boy | Molly Knox Ostertag
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Mehso-so

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.

ShyBookOwl Sounds like valid complaints, but it's still on my TBR 5y
Clare-Dragonfly @ShyBookOwl I would never discourage you from reading it! It certainly isn‘t a bad book. 5y
monalyisha I thought it was pretty heavy-handed, too. I know it‘s a complex topic for young-ish kids...but it still felt a little too didactic. 4y
22 likes3 comments
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Clare-Dragonfly
The Witch Boy | Molly Knox Ostertag
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I‘ve never read a graphic novel with a family tree in the front before! This is off to a great start!

monalyisha Cute! Also, how good of a name is Vervain?! Damn. 5y
Clare-Dragonfly @monalyisha I know, all the names are amazing! 5y
25 likes2 comments
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Lauredhel
The Witch Boy | Molly Ostertag
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I get the feeling these two aren't quite on the same page, but she doesn't know how to tell him so.

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okthislooksbad
The Witch Boy | Molly Ostertag
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Pickpick

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 ❤️

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Krisjericho
The Witch Boy | Molly Knox Ostertag
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Pickpick

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.

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NicoleCeBallos
The Witch Boy | Molly Ostertag
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Pickpick

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

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Lindy
The Witch Boy | Molly Ostertag
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Pickpick

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.

34 likes3 stack adds
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Lindy
The Witch Boy | Molly Ostertag
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This children‘s #graphicnovel reminds me very much of Katie O‘Neill‘s The Tea Dragon Society: the bright art, the content, the themes & the presence of LGBTQ characters. 👍

30 likes2 stack adds
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GirlNamedJesse
The Witch Boy | Molly Knox Ostertag
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Next up for Book Worms (my Tween Book Club). Cameo appearances by Sadie, my dog, and “Elsa”, my three-year-old who is watching Frozen for the 87,000,000,000th time. ❄️

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Sarz
The Witch Boy | Molly Ostertag
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Pickpick

4.5 ⭐
This was awesome! Highly recommend!
In a world where girls become witches and boys become shapeshifters, we see what good can happen when a boy is allowed to work towards his dream of being a witch, as well as what happens when a similar boy was made to suppress the same dream.

17 likes1 stack add
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Kati15
The Witch Boy | Molly Knox Ostertag
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Pickpick

This graphic novels was absolutely amazing. #graphicnovel, #bookaholic, #finishreading

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Spanish_Broom
The Witch Boy | Molly Knox Ostertag
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A world that is very fluid in terms of gender in many ways, but rigid in terms of the magic each sex can do. Smart & sweet.

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CraftyBookNerd1
The Witch Boy | Molly Ostertag
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Pickpick

I‘m super happy that I read this book!! It had a mixture of magic & transfiguration thrown in like Harry Potter & it just made my night!! I really hope the author continues on and writes more about this character and his lessons to become a witch 💕
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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ShansMousey
The Witch Boy | Molly Knox Ostertag
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Pickpick

Usually we see stories where a young girl is trying to do something seen as traditionally masculine and the obstacles she faces. It was refreshing to see The Witch Boy tackle the other side of that coin with a boy wanting to do something traditionally feminine. But the story can also be read as a metaphor for someone coming to terms with being gender non-conforming or trans. I recommend giving it a read if you're looking for something magical!

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