Status
Checked out
Due 2021-11-14
Call number
Collection
Publication
First Second (2020), Edition: Illustrated, 240 pages
Description
"Snap's town had a witch. At least, that's how the rumor goes. But in reality, Jacks is just a crocks-wearing, internet-savvy old lady who sells roadkill skeletons online--after doing a little ritual to put their spirits to rest. It's creepy, sure, but Snap thinks it's kind of cool, too. They make a deal: Jacks will teach Snap how to take care of the baby opossums that Snap rescued, and Snap will help Jacks with her work. But as Snap starts to get to know Jacks, she realizes that Jacks may in fact have real magic--and a connection with Snap's family's past."--Provided by publisher.
User reviews
LibraryThing member fred_mouse
This is a fabulous fantastical graphic novel for middle grade that deals with a whole lot of interesting coming of age things in a gentle manner (if one ignores the dickhead ex-boyfriend of the protagonist's mother). Magic, gender-queer teens and elders, coming to terms with self.
LibraryThing member krau0098
Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book that I borrowed from the library.
Story (5/5): Snap’s knows the town has a witch and when she finds her missing dog with the witch, Jacks, she realizes that maybe the town is wrong. Jacks is really just an old lady with a sad past who reconstructs
Characters (5/5): I really loved all the characters in here. Snap is different but sweet and caring in her own rash way. Lulu is Snap’s friend from school. He is a boy who self-identifies as a girl and Snap immediately accepts her for who she is and immediately helps Lulu show this to her family. Jacks was amazing too, just a very interesting person who is willing to help Snap learn what she is desperate to learn. I also loved all of our characters’ parents who were just so open, accepting, and supportive of their oddball kids. Snap’s mom really is amazing in how she is a supportive single mom that does everything she can to stand up for her daughter and manages to keep a sense of humor through it all. Really all of the characters in here were amazing.
Setting (4/5): I enjoyed the small town setting and the creepy area that Jacks lives in. It was all well done and very well portrayed.
Writing/Drawing Style (5/5): This was incredibly well drawn and the story was really really well done. Everything is easy to follow and the characters are completely engrossing. There is so much that is brought into this story and tackled. Everything from death, to self-identity, to same sex relationships, to bullying, to friendship, to single parenting, and even magic are tackled in this book. I was in awe of how this small little graphic novel tackled so many issues in such an entertaining and heartfelt way.
My Summary (5/5): Overall I absolutely loved this and was incredibly happy to have read it. I will definitely be putting Leyh on my watchlist so I can read Leyh’s future books. This was well drawn, packed an amazing story, and was just full of incredibly awesome characters. Highly recommended to all ages and readers.
Story (5/5): Snap’s knows the town has a witch and when she finds her missing dog with the witch, Jacks, she realizes that maybe the town is wrong. Jacks is really just an old lady with a sad past who reconstructs
Show More
roadkill into full skeletons that she sells online. When Snap finds some baby possums, Jacks agrees to help her learn how to take care of them if Snap helps Jacks with her work. What unravels is not only a solid friendship but also a connection with Snap’s past..and maybe even some real magic.Characters (5/5): I really loved all the characters in here. Snap is different but sweet and caring in her own rash way. Lulu is Snap’s friend from school. He is a boy who self-identifies as a girl and Snap immediately accepts her for who she is and immediately helps Lulu show this to her family. Jacks was amazing too, just a very interesting person who is willing to help Snap learn what she is desperate to learn. I also loved all of our characters’ parents who were just so open, accepting, and supportive of their oddball kids. Snap’s mom really is amazing in how she is a supportive single mom that does everything she can to stand up for her daughter and manages to keep a sense of humor through it all. Really all of the characters in here were amazing.
Setting (4/5): I enjoyed the small town setting and the creepy area that Jacks lives in. It was all well done and very well portrayed.
Writing/Drawing Style (5/5): This was incredibly well drawn and the story was really really well done. Everything is easy to follow and the characters are completely engrossing. There is so much that is brought into this story and tackled. Everything from death, to self-identity, to same sex relationships, to bullying, to friendship, to single parenting, and even magic are tackled in this book. I was in awe of how this small little graphic novel tackled so many issues in such an entertaining and heartfelt way.
My Summary (5/5): Overall I absolutely loved this and was incredibly happy to have read it. I will definitely be putting Leyh on my watchlist so I can read Leyh’s future books. This was well drawn, packed an amazing story, and was just full of incredibly awesome characters. Highly recommended to all ages and readers.
Show Less
LibraryThing member jothebookgirl
Snapdragon—Snap, for short is my new hero. I hope there are more instalments with this bold character.
Snap isn’t afraid of the witch living in her town. Even though she’s known for feeding her eye to the devil, eating roadkill and casting spells with the bones... Snapdragon knows the rumors,
Gruff but nurturing, Jacks takes Snap under her wing, teaching Snap her work of using bones from roadkill to build and sell anatomically correct skeletal systems. It is called articulating. But it also turns out that Jacks is a witch, using magic to release the souls of roadkill back into nature, and Snap is desperate to find out if she can also channel magic. The sub plots support the story as Snap and Lou, (Snap’s new best friend who transitions to wearing skirts, loving nail polish, wants to be being called Lulu,) are bullied at school, economic struggles are apparent, and Snap’s mom’s abusive ex-boyfriend shows up more than once. The ex-boyfriend was much scarier than any witch!
Jacks is white while Snap, her family, Lulu, and most secondary characters are coded as black—all, refreshingly, presenting with a realistic variety of skin tones and hair colors and textures.
This is a beautiful graphic novel with a unique plot and a little bit of a spooky element with beautifully illustrated characters.
It could be a good book for opening up conversations about respecting the earth’s creatures. Jacks was once a licensed animal rescuer.
I really liked Snap’s hair but I did want Good Boy to have eyeballs.
If you love Raina Telgemeyer’s work Kat Leyh is right up there.
Sweet and fierce, this is a must-have. (Graphic fantasy. 8-14) But I’m a senior and I loved
Snap isn’t afraid of the witch living in her town. Even though she’s known for feeding her eye to the devil, eating roadkill and casting spells with the bones... Snapdragon knows the rumors,
Show More
but after the “roadkill witch” rescues Snap’s beloved dog, Snap starts to think all may not be as it seems. The town’s “witch,” is a Crocs-wearing, white-haired, one-eyed “witch.” Snap brings a box of orphaned possums to Jacks’s house, so that the old crone can look after them. Jacks agrees to help Snap take care of the possums in exchange for assistance with her “work,” Why not, Snap is up for adventure. As Snap learns more about Jacks and her strange ways, she learns they have more in common than she thought, and that their connection goes back for decades. Gruff but nurturing, Jacks takes Snap under her wing, teaching Snap her work of using bones from roadkill to build and sell anatomically correct skeletal systems. It is called articulating. But it also turns out that Jacks is a witch, using magic to release the souls of roadkill back into nature, and Snap is desperate to find out if she can also channel magic. The sub plots support the story as Snap and Lou, (Snap’s new best friend who transitions to wearing skirts, loving nail polish, wants to be being called Lulu,) are bullied at school, economic struggles are apparent, and Snap’s mom’s abusive ex-boyfriend shows up more than once. The ex-boyfriend was much scarier than any witch!
Jacks is white while Snap, her family, Lulu, and most secondary characters are coded as black—all, refreshingly, presenting with a realistic variety of skin tones and hair colors and textures.
This is a beautiful graphic novel with a unique plot and a little bit of a spooky element with beautifully illustrated characters.
It could be a good book for opening up conversations about respecting the earth’s creatures. Jacks was once a licensed animal rescuer.
I really liked Snap’s hair but I did want Good Boy to have eyeballs.
If you love Raina Telgemeyer’s work Kat Leyh is right up there.
Sweet and fierce, this is a must-have. (Graphic fantasy. 8-14) But I’m a senior and I loved
Show Less
LibraryThing member SJGirl
I enjoyed what a unique take on the “neighborhood witch” scenario that this proved to be, getting to know Jacks, learning about her backstory including her unexpected romance (and the connections it makes in the story) and the bond she forms with the book’s heroine, Snapdragon.
I liked that
I liked that
Show More
while there are bullies in the story for the most part this book is all about embracing what makes someone different, Snapdragon’s mom in particular embodied that openheartedness. She stood out as one of my all-time favorite fictional parents, every kid should be as lucky as Snap to have someone like her mom guiding and accepting them. Show Less
LibraryThing member ewyatt
Snap and her dog (Good Boy) encounter the person rumored to be a witch. When Snap starts helping the witch in exchange for Jacks helping the rescued Possum, Snap gets more than she bargained for. She discovered Jacks and her grandma have a past, she learns about skeletons and biology when Jacks
The art is full of action. The afterward of the book gives examples of the work and process in progress which I found interesting too.
Show More
with her projects with roadkill, and she she starts getting witchcraft lessons which seems to be connected to the energy of nature. Snaps new friend is Lulu, someone dealing with identity and readily accepted by Snap and her mom Vi. Really liked Snap and this story. The art is full of action. The afterward of the book gives examples of the work and process in progress which I found interesting too.
Show Less
LibraryThing member bookwyrmm
The art felt a little uneven in places, but the story more than made up for it.
LibraryThing member whatsmacksaid
This was SO GOOD. Autumnal and adorable and gentle. I loved it and highly recommend it.
LibraryThing member holdenkillfield
A very cute story with wonderful artwork and characters. The story gets a little muddled towards the end with the sudden introduction of magic. It is a heartfelt story that is enjoyable to relax and read.
LibraryThing member reader1009
diverse children's middlegrade graphic novel (3rd/4th grade and up)
LOVED THIS!!! biracial/Black child befriends a queer witch and also a trans classmate. Lovely characters full of love and a very interesting new twist on the use of magic.
LOVED THIS!!! biracial/Black child befriends a queer witch and also a trans classmate. Lovely characters full of love and a very interesting new twist on the use of magic.
LibraryThing member HeidiSV
Snapdragon is one of the absolute best graphic novels regarding witches that I have read as of late. Snapdragon is a beautiful story about a teenager who confronts a woman that is considered a witch and realizes that the title of witch - while true- isn't what she thought it was. The story is
Show More
engaging and fun to read and moves at an excellent pace. The story wraps up nicely and ties up a lot of loose ends. While the art style is more modern it doesn't take away from the story and provides just enough detail for the drawings to make sense. The main moral is: "Not everything is as you've been told." While this theme has been overdone a lot, especially lately, it doesn't distract from the flow of the story. The LGBTQIA presented in the book does not feel forced but needs a little more explanation in my opinion. Overall an enjoyable read. Show Less
LibraryThing member oddandbookish
I received a copy of this book for free as part of an Instagram book tour (Storygram Tours) I did to promote the book.
This was such a cute graphic novel!
The story was so heartwarming. I loved how Jacks and Snapdragon’s backgrounds and pasts were connected. There were some parts where I was
However, in regards to the plot, I wanted more about the magic. Since this is a book about a witch, naturally there is magic, but it was a little vague on how it all worked. I would have loved to seen it explored in more detail.
The diversity and representation in this book is amazing! There was so much black and LGBTQ representation. For example, Snapdragon’s friend, Lulu is transgender. I loved seeing how Lulu slowly came out to be the person she was meant to be!
The art style worked well with the story. The color use in particular was incredibly well done. I liked how vibrant the art was.
Lastly, I thought they should have stuck with the original name of the novel, Roadkill Witch. Snapdragon is too basic of a name for this slightly odd (in a good way) graphic novel.
Overall, this was a charming graphic novel with a dash of magic. If you’re looking for a quick read this spooky season, give this one a try!
This was such a cute graphic novel!
The story was so heartwarming. I loved how Jacks and Snapdragon’s backgrounds and pasts were connected. There were some parts where I was
Show More
wondering on the relevance of some things (like the story of One-Eyed Tom), but it all came together at the end. However, in regards to the plot, I wanted more about the magic. Since this is a book about a witch, naturally there is magic, but it was a little vague on how it all worked. I would have loved to seen it explored in more detail.
The diversity and representation in this book is amazing! There was so much black and LGBTQ representation. For example, Snapdragon’s friend, Lulu is transgender. I loved seeing how Lulu slowly came out to be the person she was meant to be!
The art style worked well with the story. The color use in particular was incredibly well done. I liked how vibrant the art was.
Lastly, I thought they should have stuck with the original name of the novel, Roadkill Witch. Snapdragon is too basic of a name for this slightly odd (in a good way) graphic novel.
Overall, this was a charming graphic novel with a dash of magic. If you’re looking for a quick read this spooky season, give this one a try!
Show Less
LibraryThing member oldandnewbooksmell
Snapdragon is about a girl named Snapdragon (also goes by Snap)- her family names their daughters after their favorite flower - as she befriends an old woman everyone in town believes is a witch after she saves her dog, Good Boy.
This book is full of representation and trans positivity and it’s
One of this book's themes is that what is shown on the outside, isn’t always what’s on the inside. The neighborhood witch who wears a trenchcoat outside, has an eyepatch and cleans up roadkill, wears crocs and graphic t-shirts when she’s inside her house. Snapdragon is labeled weird and angry by other kids, but has a thirst for knowledge and doesn’t follow what’s labeled as “girlie”.
The art really worked well for this book. I’ve loved the Lumberjanes, so upon finding the art of Kat Leyh again in her own story I immediately grabbed it.
I borrowed this book from my library, but you can bet your dollar I’ll be searching for a copy of this book the next time I go to the bookstore. I don’t usually purchase Graphic Novels since I rarely read them again, but this one I feel like is different and I can see myself rereading it in the future.
This book is full of representation and trans positivity and it’s
Show More
just beautiful and wonderful. Everyone in Snapdragon’s family is so supportive of each other and full of love. One of my favorite conversations in the book was when Snap’s Mama asked if she felt like a boy. Snap’s response and her Mama’s reaction melted me.One of this book's themes is that what is shown on the outside, isn’t always what’s on the inside. The neighborhood witch who wears a trenchcoat outside, has an eyepatch and cleans up roadkill, wears crocs and graphic t-shirts when she’s inside her house. Snapdragon is labeled weird and angry by other kids, but has a thirst for knowledge and doesn’t follow what’s labeled as “girlie”.
The art really worked well for this book. I’ve loved the Lumberjanes, so upon finding the art of Kat Leyh again in her own story I immediately grabbed it.
I borrowed this book from my library, but you can bet your dollar I’ll be searching for a copy of this book the next time I go to the bookstore. I don’t usually purchase Graphic Novels since I rarely read them again, but this one I feel like is different and I can see myself rereading it in the future.
Show Less
LibraryThing member LibrarianRyan
This book was amazing. Snapdragon is just a girl looking for her dog. She just knows the witch took them and will eat the dog if she doesn’t get there fast enough. But Snap is not afraid of any witch. She actually befriends Jacks, and learns more about her own history. This book has everything.
Show More
It has all sorts of representation and none of it feels pushed. It is so full of love and heart that you just want to hold it and dance around the room. This book was perfect and I am ashamed it took me so long to read. Show Less
LibraryThing member fionaanne
I loved the plot and premise and characters but I am not a huge fan of Leyh's artistic style.
LibraryThing member xaverie
What a delightful, magical graphic novel.
LibraryThing member villemezbrown
I knew nothing about this book when I started reading, but I found myself quickly swept away by a feel-good fantasy about roadkill(!), magic, and nonconformists with LGBTQ+ and Black American characters. I loved the art and the writing. And here's my vote for a sequel ASAP.
LibraryThing member thisisstephenbetts
Very cute and enjoyable YA comic. Witchcraft, marginalization, gender identity, family history. Extremely charming.
Awards
Mythopoeic Awards (Finalist — Children's Literature — 2021)
Eisner Award (Nominee — 2021)
Buckeye Children's & Teen Book Award (Nominee — Grades 6-8 — 2021)
Nutmeg Book Award (Nominee — Middle School — 2022)
Great Lakes Great Books Award (Nominee — 2022)
Vermont Golden Dome Book Award (Nominee — 2022)
Oregon Reader's Choice Award (Nominee — 2023)
South Dakota Teen Choice Book Awards (Nominee — 2024)
Blue Hen Book Award (Nominee — 2022)
Black-Eyed Susan Book Award (Nominee — 2023)
YouPer Award (Honor — Honor — 2021)
Excellence in Graphic Literature Award (Finalist — Book of the Year — 2021)
Three Stars Book Award (Nominee — Middle School — 2021)
ALA Rainbow Book List (Selection — 2021)
Rhode Island Middle School Book Award (Nominee — 2022)
All Connecticut Reads (Primary Title — 2022)
Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers (Top Ten — 2021)
Notable Children's Book (2021)
Nerdy Book Award (Graphic Novels — 2020)
Los Angeles Public Library Best of the Year (Graphic Novels — 2020)
Rise: A Feminist Book Project for Ages 0-18 (Selection — 2021)
Great Graphic Novels for Teens (Top Ten — 2021)
Chicago Public Library Best of the Best: Kids (Fiction for Older Readers — 2020)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2020
Physical description
240 p.; 7.95 inches
ISBN
1250171113 / 9781250171115