I’m looking for this book I used to read in the 2000s. Small blue hardcover, first in a series. Kind of a graphic novel- illustrated throughout. It was about this girl who went to a world that she thought was fictional to rescue her younger brother, who really liked the series of books based on that world, and then she had to save it. She met the protagonist of the series of books, who turned out to be an African-American woman, and her name was something like Dot.
There was a palace and a witch and a whale and someone made out of soap, and if was all surreal and beautiful. I think if might have been called something like Abeceria or Azera. The protagonist was a rebellious teenager, possibly with a dead mom. If I can’t figure out what it is I’m literally going to have to bunk off and go back to my old elementary school and search their disorganized library, so I’d love some help!