2025
WISE Score
Magic, eccentric Brooklyn aunts, and the absolute chaos of being twelve—all in one very sharp graphic novel.
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This series is a layup for parents of middle-schoolers. It’s smart, visually engaging, and avoids the 'cringe' factor that often plagues books trying too hard to be hip. If your kid liked Smile or Real Friends, this is the supernatural upgrade.
It’s rare to find a graphic novel that handles the shift from childhood to adolescence with this much grace. It doesn't talk down to kids, and it treats their social anxieties as the high-stakes drama they actually feel like at that age.
Perfect for the 8-12 crowd. It hits that sweet spot where they want something slightly edgy and 'witchy' but still need the safety of a cozy home base and relatable social stakes.
It centers on a supportive 'found family' dynamic and the messy, honest reality of middle-school friendships without being overly saccharine.
The urban fantasy setting—magic hidden in plain sight in Brooklyn—is vibrant and visually inventive in its graphic novel format.
Very safe for the target age group. The 'duels' and magic are more about character growth and emotional stakes than scary violence or gore.
Strong focus on emotional intelligence; the plot literally involves recognizing and managing complex teenage emotions.
Graphic novels have basically taken over the middle-grade market, but Witches of Brooklyn stands out because it doesn't just rely on the 'magic school' tropes we've seen a thousand times. Instead, it uses magic as a lens to look at very real-world Brooklyn problems: fitting in, navigating changing friendships, and figuring out who you are when your body and brain are doing weird things.
Author Sophie Escabasse has a knack for capturing the specific energy of New York City life, which gives the book a grounded feel despite the spell-casting. The 2025 installment continues the trend of aging the characters up slightly, moving from the 'new kid' energy of the first book into the more complex social dynamics of being a full-blown tween.
Compared to something like Harry Potter, this is much more focused on the internal life of the characters. The stakes aren't 'the world is ending,' but rather 'my friend is acting weird and I don't know how to fix it.' For a 10-year-old, those two things are basically the same level of intensity. It’s a great 'bridge' book for kids who are moving past early reader series but aren't quite ready for the darker themes of YA fantasy.
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