Book

Séance Tea Party

by Reimena Yee

📖 Overview

Lora is a middle school student who prefers imaginative play to the social dynamics of her peers. As her friends become interested in makeup, dating, and growing up, Lora meets Alexa, the ghost of a girl who has lived in her house since the 1950s. The two form an immediate bond over their shared love of tea parties, dress-up, and creative adventures. Their friendship allows Lora to maintain her connection to childhood joy while navigating the changes happening around her. Through vibrant graphic novel artwork in teal and pink tones, this story follows Lora's journey through early adolescence and her unique perspective on growing up. The visual storytelling seamlessly blends reality with the supernatural elements of Lora and Alexa's world. The novel explores themes of friendship across boundaries, the tension between holding onto childhood and embracing change, and the ways people can impact each other's lives even across different times and realms of existence.

👀 Reviews

Readers connect with the book's themes of growing up, friendship, and accepting change. Many reviews note how it resonates with both children and adults dealing with transition and loss. Readers appreciated: - The art style and color palette - Honest portrayal of pre-teen social dynamics - Balance between fantasy and reality - Representation of anxiety and growing pains - Character development of Lora Common criticisms: - Some found the pacing slow in the middle - A few readers wanted more ghost lore - younger readers (8-10) sometimes struggled with abstract concepts Ratings: Goodreads: 4.3/5 (2,800+ ratings) Amazon: 4.7/5 (240+ ratings) Barnes & Noble: 4.8/5 (25+ ratings) "Perfect for kids struggling with change" - School Library Journal "Captures the bittersweet feeling of outgrowing childhood" - Youth Services Book Review "The artwork alone tells such an emotional story" - Goodreads reviewer

📚 Similar books

Sheets & Stories by Katie Williams A 12-year-old girl uses imagination and storytelling to process grief while forming an unexpected friendship with the ghost who lives in her bedroom.

Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier Through supernatural encounters at a Day of the Dead celebration, two sisters navigate change, growing up, and their relationship with each other.

The Crossover by Kwame Alexander A middle school boy grapples with the transition into his teen years through basketball, family bonds, and discovering his identity.

Invisible Emmie by Terri Libenson Two contrasting middle school girls' stories merge as they deal with friendship, self-expression, and the challenges of fitting in at school.

Phoebe and Her Unicorn by Dana Simpson A young girl forms a friendship with a magical creature who helps her navigate the space between childhood and growing up.

🤔 Interesting facts

🌟 Author Reimena Yee drew inspiration from her own experiences of growing up and feeling left behind as her friends moved on to different interests and social circles 🎭 The ghost character, Picky, is based on a real Victorian-era child ghost story about a girl who died young and continued to play with living children 📚 The graphic novel explores themes of growing up while maintaining imagination and creativity, challenging the notion that whimsy and play are exclusively for children 🎨 The tea party scenes in the book incorporate authentic Victorian-era tea customs and etiquette, adding historical authenticity to the supernatural elements 🌸 Reimena Yee created the entire book digitally using an iPad Pro and Apple Pencil, demonstrating how traditional artistic styles can be achieved through modern technology