Twelve-year-old Sophie wants to learn more magic so she'll be accepted into the prestigious Royal Magic Academy. Sent to live and train with her cranky, discipline-obsessed auntie for a year, Sophie becomes impatient and riddled with self-doubt when she is repeatedly chastised for not picking up new skills quickly. Stealing her cousin's spell book and casting a spell she's not ready for, Sophie causes a storm so severe she is swept out to sea. A young water dragon, Lir, rescues her, but their magic mingles, causing him to shape-shift into a human and lose his memory. Sophie must decide if the boost Lir gives to her magic is worth more to her than helping him regain his memory and find his way home. Using several series of wordless panels and a dramatic presentation of Sophie's inner monologue, Xu deftly illustrates the emotional turmoil in both children's minds as well as their actions, which are a direct response to what they've been told by people they love and respect. A perfect fit for fans of Studio Ghibli movies.

Dark-haired, light-skinned aspiring witch Sophie Wu, 12, is determined to nail her Royal Magic Academy audition. Part of the Wu clan, whose lineage included a dragon-human pairing, and whose descendants retain "powers over storm and sea," Sophie is excited to spend a year studying in Shulan, a quaint harbor town accessible by ferry, with her contemptuous great-aunt, Auntie Lanny, and young, ever-patient, catlike aunt Sage, an Academy alumna. But Auntie's harsh discipline amplifies Sophie's deep desire to prove herself, and in the midst of an ill-advised oceanside experiment, Sophie's magic becomes entangled with that of Lir, the horned, light brown--skinned amnesiac son of a powerful dragon, who now can't shift back from his human form. In fluid, Miyazaki-flavored graphic panels, scenes of smartly paced action follow Sophie's continuing pattern of mishaps and self-recrimination ("My own selfishness brought this on. I deserve to be punished"), and she encounters the first stirrings of wholesome romance with gentle, refined Lir. Though the magic tutelage theme is familiar ground, Xu (Mooncakes) gives her solo debut fresh allure with richly evoked Chinese mythology--inspired dragons and a supporting cast of idiosyncratic, endearing characters. Back matter features an author's note. Ages 8--12. Agent: Linda Camacho, Gallt and Zacker Literary. (Nov.)

A legacy of magic binds two aspiring hopefuls from different worlds together. Inspired in part by East Asian cultures, this graphic novel's prologue reveals that a dragon draws rebuke from her family when she leaves the sea to be with her love, a fisherman. Now known as the Wu clan, their descendants earn respect from the dragons when they combine their collective magic and repel a powerful hurricane the dragons sent to destroy the kingdom. From then on, the dragons promise to always answer the call of the Wu family. In the present day, 12-year-old Sophie Wu, an aspiring witch, is determined to perfect her spells for her audition to the Royal Magic Academy. She travels to stay with her young aunt, Sage, a recent Academy graduate, and her cantankerous great-aunt in Dragon Bay Harbor Town to learn from them. However, her great-aunt's incessant negativity about her talents--which she hopes to disprove--and her own insecurities cause Sophie to lose control of a spell. A dragon named Lir becomes stuck in human form with no memories of what came before. A diplomatic conflict ensues that threatens the peace between dragons and humans unless Sophie and Lir are able to untangle their intertwined magic. Reminiscent of Kiki's Delivery Service, the colorful panels are filled with movement, and the manga-style art pops. Characters have skin tones ranging from light to mid-brown and hair in varying shades of brown. A fun, fantastical romp. (author's note) (Graphic fantasy. 9-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Gr 5--8--In a magical world, the balance of the environment is held together by a symbiotic relationship between sea dragons and humans. Sophie, a young witch, wants to hone her family's ancient magic and attend the Royal Magic Academy. She is sent to be taught by her great-aunt Lan and cousin Sage before she can audition to attend. However, Sophie's impatience rubs Auntie the wrong way. Instead of teaching magic, she makes Sophie perform chores around the farm. Tensions boil over between the two, and, desperate to prove her ability, Sophie attempts a powerful spell and disrupts the balance between wind and water. Narrowly escaping drowning, she accidentally entangles her magic with that of Lir, a dragon who has transformed into a human and lost his memory. Suddenly, she can perform spells and, with his assistance, might have a shot at passing her audition. But as a raging storm grows worse, she realizes that using his magic for her benefit and preventing him from regaining his memories could cause the Earth to suffer permanent imbalance. Xu's artwork is steeped in Chinese mythology by way of a New England setting. The cool palette brings the sea to life as a character in its own right, and Xu's soft drawing favors her simplified yet expressive characters. Themes of self-acceptance poke through toward the end of the story. Sophie and her family are Chinese American. VERDICT Sophie's struggles and growth will resonate with younger readers, especially those who love the "Tea Dragon Society" and the films of Hayao Miyazaki. Relatable and heartwarming.--Elise Martinez, Racine, WI