Discussion Guide: The Okay Witch

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Book Summary The Okay Witch:

Thirteen-year-old Moth Hush discovers that she is part of a family line of witches! Join her journey of self-discovery and the hilarious friends she makes along the way. But, of course, who doesn't love a talking cat? Moth Hush's adventures continue in The Okay Witch and the Hungry Shadow.

For children ages 8 - 12 years old and who love: Snapdragon by Kat Leyh and The Witch Boy and The Hidden Witch by Molly Knox Ostertag.

  • Author and illustrator Emma Steinkellner loves names, naming characters that she draws, and the meaning behind names. Can you create and name your character and give them a name? Do you know the importance of your name and the purpose?

  • Emma says, "everyone has their reasons for behaving the way they do," to explain why Calendula's mom, Sarah, wouldn't let her interact with humans. Why do you think the main character, Moth Hush acted the way she did and made the decisions throughout the story?

  • Emma mentioned modern classic books that she read when she was your age that you may not have read yet, including Letters From Camp by Kate Klise and Louis Sachar's Holes and the Wayside School series.

  • Epistolary books come in many forms; a novel written in letters, a historical diary, or a book made up of newspaper articles, emails, and text messages! The top-rated picture book, The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt, is a perfect example of an epistolary book. Other epistolary-style books you may enjoy are Middle School Is Worse Than Meatloaf by Jennifer Holm or Lemony Snicket's The Beatrice Letters.

  • Can you write a story in which two characters communicate by letter, email, or text messages?

Graphic Novel Sheet 1

Graphic Novel Sheet 2

—Thank you to author and illustrator Emma Steinkellner.

It's anything where a character was super expressive, and you knew exactly what they were feeling by what was on their face, or how they were moving their hands. So that's the kind of thing that I loved a lot.

—Emma Steinkellner
Book cover for The Okay Witch
The Okay Witch
Steinkellner, Emma

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