Salt Magic - by Hope Larson

About the Book

Twelve-year-old Vonceil Taggart, willing to risk everything to set things right, leaves her family's Oklahoma farm in 1919 seeking the salt witch who cast a spell that turned their spring to saltwater.

Book Synopsis

The epic, Eisner Award-winning graphic novel about a jealous witch, a withering curse, and one girl's journey to save her family-- no matter the cost.

Recipient of the Eisner Award for Best Publication for Kids ages 9-12

When Vonceil's older brother, Elber, comes home to their family's Oklahoma farm after serving on the front lines of World War I, things aren't what she expects. His experiences have changed him into a serious and responsible man who doesn't have time for Vonceil anymore. He even marries the girl he had left behind.

Then a mysterious and captivating woman shows up at the farm and confronts Elber for leaving her in France. When he refuses to leave his wife, she puts a curse on the family well, turning the entire town's water supply into saltwater. Who is this lady dressed all in white, what has she done to the farm, and what does Vonceil's old uncle Dell know about her?

To find out, Vonceil will have to strike out on her own and delve deep into the world of witchcraft, confronting dangerous relatives, shapeshifting animals, a capricious Sugar Witch, and the Lady in White herself--the foreboding Salt Witch. The journey will change Vonceil, but along the way she'll learn a lot about love and what it means to grow up.

Hope Larson is the author and illustrator of the Eisner Award nominated All Summer Long and the illustrator of the Eisner Award winning A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel. Salt Magic is an utterly unique graphic fairy tale complete with striking illustrations by Rebecca Mock.

Named to the Little Maverick Graphic Novel Reading List
An ALSC Notable Children's Book
An ALA Graphic Novel's & Comics Round Table Top Ten Best Graphic Novels for Children Selection
A Mighty Girl Best Book of the Year
A Booklist Editors' Choice

Review Quotes

★ "Larson weaves the story tightly, keeping Vonceil and her journey at the center and wrapping everything else around it. Mock's art is loose and effortless, the characters' facial expressions telling as much of the story as Larson's words do. A master class in fabulism done right."--Booklist, Starred Review

★ "In Mock's skillful art, each panel glints with sharp, precise color work and expert shadow play, highlighting the cruel, dark side of Larson's world--a satisfying blend of the mythical and the historical that will enthrall graphic-novel lovers."--The Horn Book, Starred Review

"The best comics reading experience I've had in a long time." --Ben Hatke, author-illustrator of #1 New York Times Bestselling Zita the Spacegirl series

"Sumptuously detailed in all aspects, readers of all ages will be whisked away by this unique and modern fairy tale. Hope Larson and Rebecca Mock take a story filled with fantasy and imagination and ground it with great humanity and depth. A book to return to over and over again."--Jen Wang, author-illustrator of the Eisner award-winning The Prince and the Dressmaker

"An absorbing and fast-paced historical fantasy adventure. Mock's illustrations make every enchanting, dangerous moment pop. Salt Magic is a feast of a tale that treats readers to an epic battle between evil forces and a courageous, persistent young hero."--BookPage

"Readers with a sweet tooth or a salt tooth looking for a historical fantasy will swallow this graphic novel fairy tale whole. Highly recommended."--School Library Journal

"The perfect alchemy of gorgeous illustration and richly imagined story." --Victoria Ying, author-illustrator of City of Secrets

"Salt Magic is an epic coming-of-age adventure. Rebecca's artwork is some of the most gorgeous cartooning I have ever seen, bringing Hope's incredible storytelling to vibrant life. With witches, magic, and cowboys, you've never read a Western like this before!" --Cathy G. Johnson, author-illustrator of The Breakaways

"This story by the previous collaborators (Compass South) unfolds skillfully, taking time to develop memorable heroine Vonceil and her quotidian world . . . before setting her on an adventure that echoes fantasy classics yet feels entirely distinct."--Publishers Weekly

"Unusual and excellent, containing wonder within."--Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Hope Larson has written and illustrated many graphic novels including All Summer Long, which was a Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2018 and an Eisner Award nominee, as well as its recently published sequel, All Together Now. She adapted and illustrated A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel, which spent forty-four weeks on the New York Times graphic novel bestseller list and for which she won an Eisner Award. She is also the author of Compass South (A New York Times Bestseller), and its companion volume, Knife's Edge, both illustrated by Rebecca Mock. She lives in North Carolina.

Rebecca Mock is an illustrator and comics artist. They illustrated the graphic novels Compass South and Knife's Edge, both written by Hope Larson. Their work has also appeared in various publications, including the New York Times and The New Yorker. They are the co-organizer of the Hana Doki Kira anthology. They live in Brooklyn, New York. Visit their website at https: //rebeccamock.com