I adored this story of magic, whimsy, and loving yourself. The art was so adorable and full of the type of charm I would find in a Ghibli film. I actually WANT this to become a film at some point, as I think it would translate nicely.

This is a lovely middle grade graphic novel about gaining self-confidence. I requested this because it was compared to Studio Ghibli and it was reminiscent of many Ghibli films. This especially gave me very strong Spirited Away and Kiki's Delivery Service vibes. Much of the art was inspired by Chinese mythology and the character design and details were amazing.

When a young witch named Sophie goes to live with her aunt to train for an audition for the Royal Magic Academy she begins to feel like she is under an incredible amount of pressure to succeed. Desperate to prove herself to the people around her she casts a spell that goes wrong. In the process she ends up getting entangled with a dragon prince named Lir who has lost his memory and ability to shift back into his dragon form. Now Sophie and Lir have to work together to untangle their magic and get Lir back home before his father gets angry.

Sophie is a main character that is easy to relate to. She is headstrong and badly wants to succeed in everything she is trying to do. When scolded by her aunt she often begins to have an inner monologue of self-hatred, which spurs her on to work even harder. There are a few times where she becomes a bit too ambitious or selfish in her goals but she quickly realizes her mistakes. She is a well-rounded protagonist with flaws and strengths. The other characters are well developed too, with their own distinct personality traits.

This story is sure to win over many people with it's vibrant illustrations and sweet story. The little baby dragons and chicken with teeth are adorable, and the character designs (particularly the dragons) are so fun. It was a very quick and fun read and I will definitely be purchasing a physical copy when it is released.

I have found an unexpected favourite middle-grade graphic novel! I requested this because I saw this one being compared to The Tea Dragon Society graphic novel series which I happen to love. Tidesong is beautifully illustrated. The author has done all the graphic work herself and the colours and art is just gorgeous. My favourite thing probably was the font! Yes, the font, that the author mentioned in the acknowledgements, was created from her own handwriting! I really loved how the font complemented the art.

The art is inspired by Chinese mythology. I loved the details of various sea creatures, dragons and sea elements.

Sophie is a young witch who goes to live with her aunt to train herself in her magic so that she can be accepted in Royal Magic Academy. But to desperately prove her worth to her aunt, she cast a spell that goes wrong and she accidentally ended up tangling her magic with a water dragon prince, Lir, who in the process loses his memories. Now, they have to find a way to untangle themselves and find Lir's memories back before his father destroys the ocean.

The story is simple but delivers deep messages throughout its narrative. There is lots of negative self-talk by Sophie that was done really well. When her aunt is super strict with her, she often goes into that self-hate spiral. But she overcomes those feelings too and this needs to be shown to the younger audiences. The family aspect of the book was also done pretty well. Sisters' jealousy, fight for supremacy and family values- all been represented quite well. Another thing to learn is that the adults should learn to say sorry and that being super strict to their children doesn't always help. Treating everyone with respect and love is important. And of course, we should embrace family traditions.

Overall, a super cute and fun graphic novel that shouldn't be missed.

Loved Loved Loved this book! It was such a cute and quick read. Both the story and the art were a 10/10 for me. I've read one other of this authors work and loved that too. Looking forward to future works. Highly recommend this for a quick and chill read.

Tidesong by Wendy Xu is a magical and dreamy story with beautiful illustrations that take your breath away. Blending elements of Kiki’s Delivery Service, Ponyo, and Spirited Away this story is a love letter and homage to the world of Studio Ghibli. You see character growth in not only our young main protagonists but also the adults in their lives who realize they were stuck in the past. I love the world that Wendy Xu created and had high hopes after reading Mooncakes which she co-created in 2019. I was not at all disappointed and hope that this isn’t a stand-alone title as I would love to find out more about this world and its characters. This title is perfect for fans of the Tea Dragon Society graphic novel series by Kay O'Neill.

Loved this story! Beautifully illustrated and utterly captivating. I will be sharing with many students.

A really interesting story that was immersive, engaging, and had a powerful message. The illustrations are beautiful. So many little details. (Chickens with teeth. :). The self doubt the main character deals with is totally relatable. These characters were easy to connect with and become invested in. I would be interested in reading the sequels. The way that magic and dragons was intertwined was intriguing. I would love to read more about this world.

A young witch moves to her great-aunt's island home to learn rudimentary magic. But magic is hard, especially when it seems like mean old aunts don't like you very much. When a young dragon's own magic becomes entangled with Sophie's, the two become friends as they try to solve the problem and get Lir returned to the ocean.

I love the illustration style in this middle grade graphic novel! It's very on-the-nose, so more mature readers will probably prefer something else, but this is perfect for those transitioning-to-MG-stories readers.

This was a lovely book filled with a wonderful story and a great message. The artwork was beautiful and I'm quickly becoming a big fan of Xu and I cant wait for their next work.

Tidesong is a lovely story of friendship, dedication and honesty with oneself and others. I absolutely adored it, and I will be sharing it on both my Instagram page and with my students as soon as I have it in my hands!

What can I say what won’t spoil the story for everyone lol. This follows Sophie as she comes to the island her grandma grew up on to audition to go to this school. As she is practicing and preparing for her audition she tried to take matters into her own hand. Thats were Lir comes in and watching their friendship grow was just utter magical. I loved the whole story, the characters and the plot. I hope to one day see more of Sophie and Lir and the rest of the family. I highly recommend to everyone.

An adorable coming-of-age story. I loved the art style and the bright colors. The worldbuilding in this is truly creative.

Sophie is a young witch who is pressured to attend the Royal Magic Academy by her mother and grandmother, but after a summer spent with her strict aunt and her cool cousin, she makes a friend and learns a lot about herself and her family, which may just make her reconsider her future as a witch.

I read this in a single sitting on Thursday night, and it did not disappoint. The art reminds me of the Asian import cartoons I used to love as a child, and the cute story of a witch who longs to prove herself and learns the true value of friendship and family was delightful.

There are dragons and witches and baby dragons that look like kittens! I loved it so much!

It’s not out until November but thanks to @netgalley and #quilltreebooks, I got to read it early, woohoo! I’ll definitely be reading it again before its pubdate.

#Tidesong #NetGalley #Edelweiss
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the E-arc copy of Tidesong.

I really enjoyed this! A sweet graphic novel that while the main plot is already compelling with our protagonist wanting to do so well with magic that she seems to have cast a spell beyond her own control. She brings a dragon to his human form with no way of changing back. But where this graphic novel really shines is the portrayal of anxiety and those "negative voices in your head". The art style here is harsh in the red background of the quotes and the jagged lines of the speech bubbles. It is show very vividly and in a tangible way. It is very real and really beautifully done.

Tidesong is a cozily illustrated coming of age story in the form of a graphic novel. Sophie, who comes from a family of sea witches, is preparing for a big audition at a magic school while grappling with the negative voice inside her head that tells her she's never good enough. When she makes a mistake that links her to a young dragon, she must overcome her self-doubt to disentangle the situation. Along the way, Sophie learns that honesty, communication, and compassion can go a long way toward becoming the type of person you want to be. The story is perfect for teenagers who are struggling to manage family expectations, friendships, and their futures, as the characters in the story are easy to project oneself onto. Ultimately, the story is sweet with an easy-to-understand lesson. The soft color palette and gentle illustration style ads to the comfort experienced while reading the book. The story is easy-to-follow and would be a good fit for those who struggle with complex storylines, while still providing an interesting tale.

I’ve been a fan of Wendy Xu’s work for years so I was very excited to receive an ARC from Netgalley for Tidesong.

The description states that it is perfect for fans of Studio Ghibli and The Tea Dragon Society is very apt. Tidesong reminds me a lot of Hayao Miyazaki’s works (Kiki’s Delivery Service, Howl’s Moving Castle, Spirited Away) and The Tea Dragon Society, all of which I adore. The world-building is excellent and the art is gorgeous, but I will say that the plot is straightforward and the characters are very much archetypes. It’s a very sweet and heartwarming graphic novel that I think will be great for middle school and high schoolers, I would definitely add this to my classroom library for ELL students due to its accessibility.

Tidesong is a beautifully illustrated graphic novel. Sophie comes from a family of witches, and she has an important audition coming up at a prestigious magic school. She’s sent to her great-aunt’s house to train for the audition. Her great-aunt is harsh, and Sophie, who already had self-doubt, is convinced that she’s a failure and will never be good enough to join the school or live up to her family’s expectations. In an effort to show she had great skill, she accidentally ends up almost drowning and is saved by a dragon - who shifts into a human and loses his memory and ability to shift back in the process.

Sophie’s feelings of failure are definitely something which some kids will be able to relate to. A lot of kids have pressure on them to succeed in school, sports, and other areas, even from a very young age. It’s important to see how Sophie’s relationship with her family changes over the course of the book, and how she learns to deal with these feelings (even though they aren’t entirely gone). Her friendship with Lir, the dragon, is also very sweet, and it’s cute to see them grow and learn together over the course of the book.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this graphic novel and I think it will really speak to kids.

Thank you, Netgalley and the publisher, for the opportunity to read an arc version of this book!

This book is so sweet. The art is beautiful and the coloring was carefully considered to support the author's message, and the characters' inner thoughts. While this book is definitely for a younger audience, I think middle-grade and high schoolers could enjoy this text for its light-hearted tone and quick readability. There are magical elements without too much focus on the details of world-building which will also be helpful for students who struggle with reading comprehension.

This beautifully illustrated graphic novel is charming and a fun read. Xu has managed to capture a wonderful Studio Ghibli-esque vibe (and is particularly reminiscent of Spirited Away and Ponyo) and the plot unfolds similarly as well. Sophie is a with-in-training, descended from a long line of witches all the way back to a dragon and fisherman who married and blessed their line with magic. Sophie's Aunties offer her a place to live and train before her audition to the best magic academy around. While there, Sophie has a run-in with the dragon Lir, who loses his memory and ability to shapeshift. The two have to figure out why their magic is intertwined before Lir's family comes looking for him. The plot is slow and builds through character interactions, with the focus being on Sophie and her insecurities and Lir's own issues. I felt that while this type of story was satisfying, I wish there had been more emphasis on the worldbuilding. The glimpses of the world and complex relations between dragons and humans were fascinating and I definitely wanted more of that. On the other hand, the plot fits the aesthetic of the book very well, so it doesn't feel like the reader is really missing out on much. Anyone who liked The Tea Dragon Society, Ghibli films, and Xu's previous works will love this book as well.