It was the cover on today's read, which caught my attention thanks to its fantastical, adventurous, and hint of unique elements touch. I'll admit that I'm not really sure I'm going to like this one, and I'm not sure why I have that impression. Maybe, it's the weather affecting me. Anyway, I'm hoping for a fun read with a bit of action and heart. So, let's see if that's what these pages hold.
Oh, and it's a graphic novel, so it should be visual fun as well.
PACHECO AND THE WITCH OF THE MOUNTAIN
by Juan E Zambrano
Andrews McMeel Publishing
Middle Grade Fantasy / Graphic Novel
176 pages
ages 9 to 11
COMING...
JUNE 17th!!!
Welcome to the island of Asunción, home to the most powerful witches—and Pacheco, their biggest fan. In this beautifully illustrated graphic novel, debut creator Juan E. Zambrano will take readers on an epic adventure that's all about magic, identity, and staying true to yourself.
Pacheco's biggest dream is to practice magic! There's just one problem: commoners, and especially boys, aren't allowed to learn witchcraft.
However, once his family’s fishing business begins to suffer, Pacheco is determined; he's certain that learning magic is the best way to help his family and community. He meets Doris, a grumpy, old witch, and he decides to become her apprentice.
As Pacheco enters the world of magic, he finds himself caught up in the rules and schemes of a whole new society and surrounded by magical creatures in need of protection. Pacheco will have to dig deep to muster the courage—and magic—to defend his future.
Debut creator Juan E. Zambrano presents a breathtaking graphic novel that delves into the importance of staying true to oneself while courageously addressing challenging themes such as gender roles and environmental protection. Perfect for fans of Joe Latham's Haru, Emma Steinkellner's The Okay Witch, Claribel Ortega's Witchlings, and Hayao Miyazaki's films like Kiki's Delivery Service and Spirited Away.
Pacheco's biggest dream is to practice magic! There's just one problem: commoners, and especially boys, aren't allowed to learn witchcraft.
However, once his family’s fishing business begins to suffer, Pacheco is determined; he's certain that learning magic is the best way to help his family and community. He meets Doris, a grumpy, old witch, and he decides to become her apprentice.
As Pacheco enters the world of magic, he finds himself caught up in the rules and schemes of a whole new society and surrounded by magical creatures in need of protection. Pacheco will have to dig deep to muster the courage—and magic—to defend his future.
Debut creator Juan E. Zambrano presents a breathtaking graphic novel that delves into the importance of staying true to oneself while courageously addressing challenging themes such as gender roles and environmental protection. Perfect for fans of Joe Latham's Haru, Emma Steinkellner's The Okay Witch, Claribel Ortega's Witchlings, and Hayao Miyazaki's films like Kiki's Delivery Service and Spirited Away.
MY TIDBITS
An unique mixture of magic, fishing villages, and animals flow into adventure and action, while the problems of not quite fitting in offer tension, humor, and intrigue.
Pacheco does his best to help out with the family's fishing business, but it's not always an easy way to earn a living, especially lately. His grandpa blames the bad catches on the witches on the mountain and is sure they are up to no good as always. Pacheco, however, is fascinated by magic and dreams of learning to perform spells, too. Not that this is really a possibility...until he crosses paths with a witch in the forest. Pacheco knows this is his chance to achieve his dreams and does his best to convince the unwilling woman to take him in as an apprentice. But he doesn't realize how much trouble her acceptance of him could cause because it will break the Mountain Witch's rules. And that carries consequences.
While the tale begins with a more down-to-earth fishing village and a family, who is struggling to stay afloat as their fishing business goes down, it quickly swings into a fantastical direction. Magical beasts, amazing spells, and a thick forest lay the scene for adventure and promises of secrets and danger. The mix between fun and darker intrigue are echoed0 in the graphics as the atmosphere plays between bright colors and dimmer hues, just enough to shift with the emotions. The scenes carry the tale forward and bring each character to life...and make the troubles Pacheco faces tense and clear.
The writing fits well to the intended age group, and if anything, leans toward the younger end. The message behind the plot isn't hard to figure out, but the plot itself delivers surprises and unique twists as Pacheco has to come to terms with his new abilities and place in the world. There are characters to love and dislike. Several aren't hit with much depth, but it's clear they're going to have important roles in the tales to come, and I'm looking forward to seeing more of them, since they promise to carry quite a bit of personality. The relationship between the family and Pacheco was also light, especially at the end, but I'm hoping this also deepens as the series goes on. Not that I'm expecting much because this is a fast-paced plot, which plants its feet in action and quirky magic fun.
It's a nice start to the series with promises of much more to come.
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