The Witch Boy

Boys are one way; girls are another; that’s the way it has always been. But when Aster finds himself ineluctably drawn to the magic that should only be the province of the women in his family, he begins to realize some rules are not only antiquated, they can do material harm to the soul. Ostertag deftly uses the supernatural as a simple and elegant metaphor for the thousand indignities we can heap upon the queer and gender nonconforming, with an art style that simultaneously insists upon and celebrates the multiplicity of bodies and expressions that are our lived experience and… show more.

What happens when you are fully confident in who you are, but everyone, including your family, is telling you that’s not the case? When everyone is pressuring you to stop being true to yourself, this book says: Have the strength to refuse. This moving story is one of my favorites on my shelf. You can’t go wrong with any of Molly Ostertag’s stories; the worlds she creates are always enchanting and captivating, and The Witch Boy is no exception.

Ostertag’s books wear their heart on their sleeve. Aster has always wanted to be a witch, despite the fact that boys can't be witches. When boys begin to go missing, it's up to Aster to help them, even if that means defying his family and realizing his true self. This coming-of-age graphic novel explores the bravery needed to express your identity and the strength needed to convince others of its' validity. Ostertag has created a contemporary fantasy for anyone who's struggled with defining their-self. What sets it apart from many others is the loving community in which it’s set. Yes,… show more.

This is probably the most fantastical of the books on this list, but I wanted to include it because it’s one my favorite middle-grade graphic novels and also because I love how the magical and real worlds collide in this story. The main character comes from a magical family in which girls become witches and boys become shapeshifters. Aster dreams of being a witch, even though it goes again his family’s rules. Not only is this a high-stakes adventure, but it’s also a story about family, identity, and redemption. 

In Aster’s family, girls become witches and boys become shapeshifters, but Aster has no affinity for shapeshifting, and he’s strongly drawn to witchcraft. His family refuses to let him learn it, but he practices in secret anyway. Aster doesn’t belong among his shapeshifting boy cousins or his witch-in-training girl cousins and finds friendship outside his close-knit family. When a monstrous creature starts preying on his shapeshifter cousins, Aster must decide whether to reveal his practice of witchcraft and claim his true path. This is a story about breaking free of rigid gender roles, even those imposed by those who love… show more.