Séance Tea Party: (A Graphic Novel)

children's middlegrade graphic novel - 11/12 y.o. introvert misfit Lori Xi's best friend Bobby (a queer Black boy trying to fit in himself) starts to drift apart from her, but Lo meets a new ghost friend Alexa whilst playing with a ouija board one day. (takes place over September thru Halloween (Lo's birthday falling on 10/30), Christmas, spring, and another birthday. Set in modern day (with a ghost from the 70s discovering the information available through a wifi-connected tablet) in an unnamed location (author is Malaysian/Australian).

beautiful and super-cute digitally-penned artwork with plenty of middlegrade appeal. I missed some details on my first reading (Bobby forgetting to wish Lo a happy birthday), but I love how Lo's show more character and her imagination are captured on the page, her reluctance to let go of childhood as easily as the other (suddenly boy-and fashion-obsessed) girls seem to do, the awkwardness of being caught in an uncertain, in-between age. show less

A charming, thoughtful story about growing up. Twelve-year-old Lo feels left behind by her friends who have gotten interested in phones, celebrities, and internet memes while she still wants to play make-believe. Using a homemade Ouija board, she conjures Alexa, the ghost in her house--and her one time imaginary friend. Alexa has her own growing up to do and the two girls help each other to stay true to themselves while growing older. Sweet, powerful, and beautifully illustrated. The back matter includes a glimpse into Yee's process which is great for educators and aspiring comics creators alike.

This was a cute little story about growing up. I liked the ghost character a bit more than the girl, but both were fine. This was a very quick read to me and although the art was fine, I didn't love all of the page layouts and thought some of the other magic at the end (not the ghost) felt sort of random and confusing. The overall message here was nice, but overall this just fell a bit flat for me. It all felt a bit too fast and some of the messages felt forced. Maybe if I was a bit younger I would have liked it more, but as somebody who reads a lot of graphic novels, this one just didn't stick out to me which is a bummer since it has such a cute name.

Also, I may just be annoyed because I used to live in Salem and my birthday is on show more Halloween so when the book started with her in a Salem sweater, I was sort of annoyed. Luckily, she wasn't from Salem (which is a huge pet peeve of mine since everybody just turns it into a witchy stereotype when it's not like that at all). I was sort of turned off anyways though and then when her birthday was on October 30th and she was into all of this witchy stuff I just kind of rolled my eyes... I guess that's on me. I just think it's annoying to give characters a Halloween birthday just because they like spooky stuff. I know all of that is totally unfair though so I'm not letting that judge my actual opinion of the book. I don't even fully know why it bothered me, it just does. show less

This is an absolutely adorable middle-grade graphic novel about growing up, whether you're ready to or not. It focuses on a tween who's scared to lose the magic of childhood when she grows up, and the ghost BFF who helps her find her way. The art is really cute, and the story is very touching. (Also, perfect timing; I read this just before Halloween, which is when the story starts.)

The melancholy story of a 12-year-old girl afraid of growing up and the ghost of a 14-year-old girl who befriends her. Light humor and general sweetness keep it from being too downbeat.

Recommended by one of our students at Hutch, I read Seance Tea Party by Reimena Yee.

Lora (also called Lo) possesses an amazing imagination, and nothing feeds an imagination quite like Halloween. She patiently waits for this wonderful holiday to arrive, as she mainly isolates herself from the others in school. One friend, Bobby, starts out as a friend and then drops out of sight. Lo seems content to live in her own world and decides to have a seance. She makes a Ouija Board goofing around only to have a ghost appear. Awesome! Lo now has a friend. Wait! She knows this ghost--her name is Alexa, and she used to be Lo's imaginary friend. Surprise--she wasn't imaginary! Her parents see no issues with Lo's imagination. What they don't realize show more is that Alexa really is a ghost!

On Halloween, Alexa and Lo go out to trick-or-treat, Lo's favorite activity. At one home, she discovers an old friend, Sunni, has moved back to town. Sunni invites Lo and Alexa in to celebrate with them at their small Halloween party. Several girls spend the night and they all welcome Lo and Alexa, telling ghost stories. For once, Lo blends in with the group and doesn't find herself alone the entire evening. As the year progresses, Lo begins to come out of her shell. She's always enjoyed being a kid and playing. Her friends all seems to be growing up without her. She depends on Alexa to be her best friend, but Lo has to grow up because that's what happens.

Meanwhile, Alexa discovers why she's dead. Her story unfolds as well. I will not say anything about her life and let that revelation come as you read the story.

Overall, this graphic novel is easy to follow and has a really good message about not losing your childhood joy no matter how old your grow. Also, friends matter and real friends support each other always. show less

All around lovely illustrations and an encouraging story! It felt a touch weak and rambling at the beginning, but by the end the plot got pulled together very nicely. The parallels of Lora and Alexa grappling in their own ways with what growing up means to them and how to grow without abandoning parts of yourself were beautifully and tenderly done- I think many readers will be able to relate!