Effie moves into a strange Brooklyn brownstone with aunts she barely knows, only to discover that magic—and a very weird family history—is suddenly part of her new reality.
In the first book of the series, French author and illustrator Sophie Escabasse introduces us to twelve-year-old Effie, whose life is turned upside down when she is sent to live with her eccentric aunts, Selimene and Carlota. It doesn’t take long for Effie to realize her aunts are actually witches, and she might just be one too. The series follows Effie’s journey as she balances middle school drama with magical training, eventually teaming up with friends like Garrance to solve local mysteries. There are currently five books available for readers to dive into, with a sixth installment planned for release in late 2026.
This series is a winner for students who find text idaunting. Its graphic novel format, with full-color illustrations does a lot to provide visual clues that help readers keep up with the plot even when they hit tricky vocabulary. The dialogue stays grounded in simple and compound sentences, making the emotional growth of the characters easy to follow without feeling overwhelmed. Using a series like this in class is helpful because the art style and the characters remain consistent across all five books. Once a student gets comfortable with Effie’s world and the specific “witchy” vocabulary used in the first book, they can move on to the next stories with a boost in confidence. It’s a great way to help a hesitant reader feel like they can actually finish a whole series unassisted.
Total Books in Series: 5 Best Starting Point: Witches of Brooklyn
