Witch Boy, The

Thirteen-year-old Aster is expected to become a shape shifter but he has a secret – he wants to practice magic, which is only for girls. He is torn between his family’s expectations and the gender role expectations of his community and his own yearning to pursue magic. Ultimately Aster is true to his own desires and his family accepts him for who he has become. This engaging graphic novel for grades 4-7 deals with issues of gender and gender roles, identity, tolerance, and society’s pressure to conform. Suitable for an independent or literature circle novel and to launch discussions on gender, non-conformity, and self-expression.