Moth lives with her mom in Founders' Bluff. When she discovers she is a witch she sets out to find out more about her history and why her mom has hidden it from her. What she discovers is that her mom and grandma and other witches were persecuted by the Kramer family and forced to flee this world for a new one. There they stayed, never aging, until her mom came back to the real world to live out her life. Turns out Moth isn't the only one with a family history. Her best friend is the son of the current Mayor Kramer who has also learned his family story and is determined to wipe out all witches. Moth must save herself and her mother from destruction all with her newfound magical powers and her talking cat.

Super cute story, but has a few holes in it that I wish had been explained. Moth doesn't know who her dad is and he doesn't remember her mom because of a spell that backfired. I half expected the dad to be Mayor Kramer (would have been an interesting twist), but they just drop that plot point. I also wish the world of Hecate would have been explained better and why the witches don't age and are so afraid of the real world after so long a time.

A great fun read. Though the book is about witches, the themes and ideas of inclusion and going on a "witch" hunt are just as timely today.

The Okay Witch by Emma Steinkellner, 272 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL
Aladdin (Simon & Schuster), 2019. $21.
Language: PG (3 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG
BUYING ADVISORY: MS - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
Moth has never fit in -- and her newly discovered witch heritage isn’t really helping. Now Moth feels trapped between two worlds, not knowing where she belongs or what is right.
Moth’s story is a fun afternoon read with a good message and fun illustrations. While we might not all struggle with learning how to use magical powers, fitting in and finding a place to belong in life is a struggle for everyone. As Moth makes mistakes and gathers courage to stand up for herself, she will inspire the heroine or hero in each reader to be the best they can.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

A super cute story about family, friends, belonging, and remembered trauma, with incredible artwork. I spent a lot longer reading this than I needed to because I just kept staring at the panels - the faces were so expressive and I loved the character design. While I felt the resolution of one of the story's antagonists was a little too neat and sudden, all in all I just loved the entire book, along with the humor.

I received a digital ARC from NetGalley for review.
I will begin by saying that the subject matter (witches, persecution of, prejudice against, etc.) is one that is near and dear to my heart, and is what ultimately drew me to this middle grade graphic. It definitely did not disappoint!
The artwork was colorful and at times very detailed. The storyline was exciting and would absolutely keep kids reading, with plenty of age-appropriate plot twists. I thought it did an excellent job of representing mother/daughter relationships and their struggles to understand each other.
This was a thoroughly enjoyable read! Not only will I be purchasing a copy for my library's collection, I will also be purchasing a copy for my personal library.

I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley.

<i>The Okay Witch</i> is more than okay. It's absolutely charming. I adored this book and everything about it--art, story, characters, EVERYTHING. Moth is thirteen and doesn't fit in at school--and when she suddenly discovers she has magical powers, that doesn't exactly help much. This is a story packed with genuine heart. The tone is light, but there are heady issues addressed with a delicate hand. Moth is a wonderful, relatable heroine, but the entire cast is fantastic--including a talking cat who threatens to steal the whole show. I loved, loved, loved how inclusive it is. A subplot involving the said talking cat and a beloved actually made me get teary-eyed at one point.

I mean, really. Start reading because it's about magic and a smart girl and because the art is fantastic, and keep reading because you find everything about this book is fantastic. This is not only a 5-star read for me, but I'm adding it to my nomination list for the Norton Award.

I received an electronic ARC from Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing through NetGalley.
Graphic novel
Thirteen-year old Moth loves anything witchy and is fascinated by magic. She's surprised when bullies pick on her, and somehow, she casts a spell and changes them. After this, she learns that her family is tightly connected to the history of their town - Founders Bluff, Massachusetts, and she comes from a long line of actual witches. Her mom left her heritage behind and has tried to raise Moth as a normal young person. Moth rebels and worlds beyond open up with almost fatal results
Steinkellner offers a humorous and heart stirring account of Moth and her family and friends. She offers an argument for balance and harmony no matter what your gifts are. The illustrations capture the action and allow readers to draw their own conclusions about characters' emotions.

The Okay Witch is far more than just an 'okay' middle grade graphic novel. Our main character, Moth, is obsessed with all things witchy, so you can just guess how excited she is when she finds out that her family is part of a descendant of a long line of witches! Awkward though she might be, she has a huge heart

I really thought that this book was not only well written in terms of story but also subtle context. It carried hints of history, LGBTQ acceptance, and social justice. I greatly dislike when books shove messages like these in our faces but The Okay Witch wove these right into the story like they were meant to be and it was so refreshing. I highly recommend this for both adults who enjoy this genre and young adults.

The Good Witch was a fun coming of age graphic novel with a quirky protagonist just trying to learn to fit in. But also there is magic! And it deals a lot with family and conflict in those families and trying to figure out who you are. I think it did a really good job of showing what it's like to be in that awkward stage in life when you are just trying to figure out your life and your parents are only giving you one-sided answers.

I felt like Moth was such a convincing young girl, and a lot of her struggles did really give me middle school flashbacks. Ack! Those truly were the worst days of my life. I was really glad that she finds a friend in this one, and I really like that they correct people that they are just friends a couple times!

The artwork in this one was pretty good. The color wasn't complete in this advanced copy I read, so only half of it was in color and the other half was in black and white. I did like the really saturated colors in this one. I think the noses were done a little weird here, but it wasn't huge dealbreaker for this one.

This book is being comped with Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and I would say that is a very fair assessment of this book. If we are talking old school Melissa Joan Hart Sabrina, because it has such a light-hearted fun feel to it, even though it does deal with those hard topics.

I think this is great for any middle school reader in your life, or if you just want a nice light coming of age book to read.

*I received an eARC copy of this book via Netgalley and the publisher Aladdin. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Okay Witch is about a girl named Moth who, upon letting loose her powers one day at school, is told by her mom that she's actually a witch! Alongside this discovery, Moth begins to learn about her town's difficult history of hunting down witches and a secret realm where the witches went to hide from it all. Though her mom tries to keep Moth from embracing her powers, Moth is determined, with the help of a talking cat, to learn what it means to be a witch. The illustrations in this book are absolutely gorgeous, and I can't wait for the full color edition so I can reread and see the rest of it in color as well. Although the plotline of her mom not wanting Moth to be a witch is an at-times overused one, the rich history of Founders Bluff adds to the intrigue of the story. Some character motivations are not fully fleshed out, or else seem to be out-of-the-blue, but overall the story remains engaging and worthwhile. Hand to fans of Raina Telgemeier looking to venture into fantasy, or tweens who remember Wizards of Waverly Place.

The Okay Witch found a beautiful home as a graphic novel. The story is about a 13 year old girl, named Moth, whose deepest desire is to be witch. Middle school can be hard when you feel like you don't belong, but when Moth finds out about her family's history - she finally thinks that she may be able to survive and thrive at school. Faced with family tree of strong, independent women, and a town's history that may or may not have learned from its mistakes, Moth explores her true identity, her relationship with her mom, and finding a way to be herself. I loved the art work that accompanied this story. It brought it all to life in a way that middle school students will love.

Moth Hush is just your average ordinary girl who feels really out of place in her small coastal Massachusetts town—and she discovers that part of her feelings are because she's a witch. Witches and magic exist, and they're not the evil beings that her hometown claims they are.

Okay this was just too stinking adorable. So cute. And this is not biased by my thinking that all people-turned-super-fluffy-cats are just precious.

From the adorable illustrations to the very relatable feelings of not fitting in (I'm saying this from a general "I'm weird and kids don't like me," without the added feelings of people a person of color in a town that has racist asshat kids like Moth experiences), this is just a fantastic book with lots of magic and witches and history.

And history is a big part of the story, from witch-hunting and the vilification of witches and people who were different or didn't fit into the white Puritan norm, to those in present day times who had trouble fitting in as well. And while history is very much written by the victors, there are ways to reconnect to the past and bring back the true history of what actually happened. So there's definitely a deeper subtext to the story on top of being really, really cute.

Moth is hilarious (as are the illustrations), and her reactions are 100% what I would expect from someone who always felt different and just discovered why. Magic? Yes, please!

And bonus points for the huge cast of marginalized peoples. In addition to Moth, her mom and her grandmother, there are other people of color, and a very key gay couple that just made my eyes tear up (although I will not leave a mouse for my wife because ew—plus I think either the cat or dog would eat it before she came home anyways).

So. Ostracization. History. The deep discomfort of producing middle grade plays about a reimagined historical past. Friendship. Betrayal. Belonging. Facing the crimes of your ancestors. Magic. And one adorably fluffy talking Jewish cat.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

The Okay Witch by Emma Steinkellner

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this ARC in return for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this adorable new graphic novel! I am always on the search for more graphic novels to add to my classroom (there's NEVER enough!) and I will definitely be adding The Okay Witch when it releases on September 3rd.

In The Okay Witch, Moth Hush has always felt like she doesn't belong in her town of Founder's Bluff, Massachusetts. So when something unexpected happens on her thirteenth birthday and her mom tells her she's actually a witch, Moth is more relieved than surprised. After all, Founder's Bluff has a long history of persecuting witches, so it's no wonder Moth never fit in. Moth's mother, however, is not as excited about being a witch as Moth is, and Moth's determination to learn more about her family's past will get them both into some tricky situations.

With gorgeous illustrations, memorable characters, and a fast-moving storyline, students are sure to love this book, and may even devour it in one sitting like I did!

I was instantly intrigued by The Okay Witch. And I was surprised not only with the charming illustration style, but the way Steinkellner is able to balance a story about family, unique history of witches, and people's ability to change. It's one of those graphic novels that has more than meets the eye. Discussing origins, repeating our family's mistakes, and hope, The Okay Witch is also about families and forgiveness. It's about responsibility and power, our duty to our community, and our family. I love how The Okay Witch plays with the concept of a good, bad, and okay witch. What does it mean to be a good or a bad witch? I feel like we've heard these titles thrown around and Steinkellner looks at this place in between.

The Okay Witch is about placing trust in ourselves, reaching out to the ones we love around us, and the idea about staying true to our home and community. It's about the need to be our own person, our own witch, and seeing the possibility of change. When we tally up everything done against us, everything that's been said, it's hard to see the possibility of change, of something more than a repetition of history. But that's why The Okay Witch is so tender - because it's about our hope for change.

Absolutely adored reading graphic novel The Okay Witch.

The Okay Witch is a story of a quirky teenager named Moth who loves Halloween and anything to do with witches. No one in the town of Founder’s Bluff understands Moth and her love of witches, with the exception of her mother and new best friend who just moved to town. After discovering her witch ancestry, Moth is drawn into the mystery of her mother's past as well as trying to control her own newly discovered powers which are going haywire.

The Okay Witch is a fun, quick read full of magical adventures. High recommend this graphic novels for those who have also enjoyed The Worst Witch by Jill Murphy.

Quirky. Awkward. Self-conscious. These are all character traits that I love reading about in middle grade books. The Okay Witch features Moth, who is quirky, awkward, and so unsure of herself. She is an outcast and when she discovers that she is half-witch, she thinks she has finally found something she is good at and will be valued by others. I really enjoyed the mom-daughter relationships and the history of the witches. My sixth graders will be wanting to read this book.

Thank you NetGalley for sharing this copy with me in exchange for an honest review!

The Okay Witch was the perfect pairing of history and present day. This graphic novel had the perfect mix of historical fiction and present day teen angst. I loved seeing how the witch story traveled time and space. Learning that you are a witch and then learning how to use your powers can be tricky, but add in the fact that you are turning 13 at the same time...well, that's just rough! I think kids will love The Okay Witch from start to finish!

Wow. This packed way more of a punch than I was expecting! Moth is a 13 year-old girl growing up in a coastal town in Massachusetts. She feels kind of out of place and doesn’t really have any friends, but she goes along with life anyway. When learning about the witch hunts that took place in town in the late 1600’s, something strange happens to Moth. Running home to tell her mother, she learns that she is from a family of witches! Moth wants to learn as much as she can, but her mother forbids it. You can guess how well that goes.

Moth is a person of color, which is awesome. The characters come in a variety of shades and ethnicities and sizes. We also have a gay couple that is seen as sweet and does not slap the inclusion of LGBTQ+ in your face, which is appreciated. (Including an LGBTQ+ character in a story just to tick off a box is not great, nor is pointing a big blinking neon arrow at it saying “Look at what I put in my story!” Making it a plot point and/or completely normal is the way to go, as far as I’m concerned!) We also see some effects of single parenting.

The story goes along and feels pretty light, and then we get some more intense plot. And then we get some real intense plot that I was not expecting! Some scenes feel a little Sabrina-ish, but that is totally okay. (Like a mixture of the tv show and the Netflix series, but without the devil bits.) There are some things that are a little tropey, but that’s also okay. Some tropes are there because they made good stories! (And especially for juvenile materials, because maybe the reader hasn’t encountered those tropes yet!) The artwork is awesome! And there are some characters who I feel like I’ve seen them before, mainly the play director. I don’t know if this is a stand-alone or part of a new series, but it works either way, and I look forward to more from this author!

4-4.5 stars

I really loved this graphic novel! The graphics were pretty good, although in this ARC, only the first few pages were colored. But I saw enough to know that I will enjoy them when they are all colored. I also liked how much "story" there was in a "simple" graphic novel. It's a good story and is full of fun, humor, heart, and magic. I know my middle schooler would definitely enjoy this story. I'm looking forward to the final release of this book.

The Okay Witch is more than 'okay,' it's great. Moth is such a relatable character with struggles with her mom, feeling like an outsider, and just trying to discover herself. The parallels of mother/daughter relationships across the Hush family really brought home what it truly means to be a 'good witch.' I would recommend this to fans of the original Sabrina (this follows more in that fun vein than the newer run) and Raina Telegemeir. A great read for graphic lovers of all ages. I certainly hope we're going to see more from Steinkellner and the Hush family, I especially look forward to more Mr. Lazlo.