The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill

 

Barnhill, Kelly. The Girl Who Drank the Moon. Chapel Hill: Algonquin Young Readers, 2016. ISBN 9781616205676

Plot

Antain, an almost-thirteen-year-old, lives in a poor town full of sorrow bordered by a bog on one edge and a dangerous forest on the other. The privileged elders control the only safe passage through the forest to the towns on the other side. A witch resides in the forest, and every year the townspeople must sacrifice the youngest baby so that the witch does not destroy their town. The townspeople do not know why the witch wants the babies or what she does with them, but it has always been that way.

Xan, a kind elderly witch, lives in a forest with Glerk, a wise bog monster, and Fyrian, a Simply Enormous Dragon (or possibly a Perfectly Tiny Dragon). The forest is bordered by a town overshadowed by sorrow on one side and towns full of happiness on the other. Every year she finds a baby abandoned in the woods. She does not know why the babies are abandoned, but she brings them to loving homes on the other side of the forest.

One year, Xan accidentally feeds a baby moonlight, gifting the girl with magic. Xan realizes she must raise the baby girl herself. As the girl approaches thirteen, forgotten memories resurface, worlds collide, and the true evil begins to reveal itself.

Analysis

Barnhill masterfully weaves together multiple interrelated storylines told by various characters. The reader gradually learns more about the world as townspeople share folktales and history with their children and as secrets and memories are revealed. Titles introduce each chapter, giving clues about what is going to happen next. Humor and irony is present throughout, from the tiny dragon who believes he is enormous to the entitled elders who are thwarted in their plans.

Readers will root for the myriad of characters, regardless of age, gender, or species. Luna, the girl who drank the moon, is intelligent and lively, often getting into trouble without meaning to. Fyrian, the dragon of indeterminate size, is still a baby after half a millennium and doesn’t always understand what going on, but is loving and lovable nonetheless. Xan, the good-hearted and talented witch, heals others and brings families together, but is not infallible. Glerk, the wise bog-monster turned poet, reluctantly (but deeply) loves his unique family in the forest. Antain, the young-boy-turned-man, wishes to protect his family and the rest of the town, but he struggles to find his path. Along with a madwoman in a tower who can see the truth, a new mother who can inspire others, and a flock of paper birds, they will discover the true sorrow-causing evil and come together to find the hope and love necessary to defeat it.

This timeless story shows us that growing up can mean facing difficult truths, but facing these troubles head on is possible with the support of others. Sorrow can be stifling, but hope defeats sorrow, and hope exists in the most sorrowful of places. Love does not exist without loss, but love is infinite, and it is infinitely stronger than the power of the selfish.

Awards and Recognition

The Girl Who Drank the Moon is a winner of the 2017 Newbery Medal and a New York Times Bestseller. It has been featured on many “best book” lists and received numerous starred reviews.

“Replete with traditional motifs, this nontraditional fairy tale boasts sinister and endearing characters, magical elements, strong storytelling, and unleashed forces. […] Guaranteed to enchant, enthrall, and enmagick.”—Kirkus Starred Review

“Rich with multiple plotlines that culminate in a suspenseful climax, characters of inspiring integrity, a world with elements of both whimsy and treachery, and prose that melds into poetry. A sure bet for anyone who enjoys a truly fantastic story.”—Booklist Starred Review

“Barnhill writes with gentle elegance, conveying a deeply emotional and heartrending tale with accessible, fluid prose. Characters are skillfully developed: the heroes are flawed, the villains are humanized, and they are forgiven for sins they may or may have not intended. The swamp monster and dragon provide plenty of moments of humor to leaven the pathos, while the setting is infused with fairy tale elements, both magical and menacing, and given a tragic history.”—Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books Starred Review

“Barnhill crafts another captivating fantasy [and] delivers an escalating plot filled with foreshadowing, well-developed characters, and a fully realized setting, all highlighting her lyrical storytelling.”—Publishers Weekly Starred Review

Connections

Paper is featured heavily throughout this book—paper birds, paper maps, and homemade paper. Children may have fun making paper of their own using scraps of used paper. The finished paper can then be used to feature a poem, a map, or a letter to a family member. Children may also enjoy learning how to fold paper birds. Resources for making paper and folding origami birds can be easily found online and at your local library!

Readers who enjoyed this title may also enjoy

• The Witch’s Boy by Kelly Barnhill
• Iron Hearted Violet by Kelly Barnhill
• Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
• Lalani of the Distant Sea by Erin Entrada Kelly
• The Thickety: A Path Begins by J. A. White

*This review was written for a youth literature class through Texas Woman’s University.

Dash by Kirby Larson

 

Larson, Kirby. Dash. New York: Scholastic Press, 2014. ISBN 978-0-545-41635-1

Plot

Eleven-year-old Mitsue Kashino, Mitsi, was born and raised in Seattle. She had three best friends, two girls she went to school with and a dog named Dash. She loved to draw and was a good writer, her fifth-grade teacher even said so. But everything changed for Mitsi after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Mitsi was faced with hatred, fear, and suspicion just because of how she looked and where her ancestors were from. Even her two best schoolgirl friends pulled away from her. Soon after, Mitsi and thousands of other Japanese-Americans were forced from their homes, forced to leave behind friends, jobs, and belongings, forced to move to incarceration camps. And the worst part for Mitsi—no pets allowed. A kindly neighbor, Mrs. Bowker, agreed to take Dash in and care for him as though he were her own, but that didn’t stop Mitsi’s heart from shattering. Life in the camp Mitsi and her family were sent to is full of hardships—no privacy, itchy straw mattresses in a single room too small for their family of five, scarce resources, limited good food, and so on. But gradually Mitsi finds some bright spots in it all. She is able to exchange letters with Dash through Mrs. Bowker. Her family is together, and she even makes a friend. Through it all, Mitsi holds out hope for the day she can be reunited with Dash.

Analysis

Dash was inspired by the true story of Mitsue Shiraishi and her dog named Chubby. In an author’s note and page of acknowledgments, the author, Kirby Larson, describes the background of the story and the resources she used to ensure the story was authentic and accurate. The book’s Mitsi suffered the same treatment as the real-life Mitsi. Mentions of historical figures and actual activities of those in the camps, such as creating gardens with rocks and weeds, putting furniture together with scraps of scavenged wood, and eventually attending a school, add to the authenticity of the story. Cultural elements were scattered throughout the book as well, from popular fads, games, and books American children enjoyed in the ‘40s to the geta and kimono many of those with Japanese heritage wore. Some Japanese language is also employed in the book, particularly with Mitsi’s grandmother who was born and raised in Japan. The author effectively incorporates these elements without dwelling on them, making the story accessible and appropriate for younger readers.

The injustice and mistreatment of Japanese-Americans and Japanese immigrants in the wake of the Pearl Harbor bombing is told through the eyes of Mitsi, a likeable and relatable young girl. There is a sharp contrast between Mitsi’s happy life with her friends, her beloved dog, and her warm family and Mitsi’s upended life in the incarceration camp. Her friends are gone, having abandoned her even before she was sent away, her dog was not allowed to join her in the camp, and it seems that her family is fracturing. Her grandmother spends a lot of time with a group of friends, her parents are busy trying to make the place more inhabitable, and her brother seems to have fallen in with a bad crowd. There often isn’t even space for them to eat together as a family, something they always did before. Readers can feel the despair, depression, and heartbreak Mitsi feels. Readers can feel the dirt, grime, and desolation of the camps as Mitsi does. But with universal themes of family, hope, and love, readers can also feel the hope of the people in the camp, the resilience and strength of those forced into this unthinkable place. The miserable conditions of the camp were described as Mitsi experienced them, as were the bright spots that Mitsi found.  

Awards and Recognition

Kirby Larson is an award-winning author. Dash has received several starred reviews and is a winner of the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction.

“Larson makes this terrible event in American history personal with the story of one girl and her beloved pet. Spot-on dialogue, careful cultural details and the inclusion of specific historical characters such as artist Eddie Sato make this an educational read as well as a heartwarming one. […] This emotionally satisfying and thought-provoking book will have readers pulling for Mitsi and Dash.”—Kirkus Starred Review

“Inspired by real-life wartime events, the novel vividly communicates the emotional and physical ordeals endured by Japanese-Americans evacuated to relocation camps after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. […]Despite the hurdles Mitsi faces, hope, resourcefulness, and a new friend help this relatable heroine triumph.”—Publishers Weekly Starred Review

“Although Mitsi has lost everything familiar, the one thing that matters to her is Dash, a sentiment that will resonate with many readers. We root for Mitsi, a true victim of circumstance, throughout because of her bravery and dogged determination to get Dash back.”—Michaela MacColl, Historical Novel Society

Connections

This book introduces life in incarceration camps for Japanese-Americans and Japanese immigrants during World War II. Take this opportunity to further discuss that time period and what life was like, and to learn more about the historical figures mentioned in the book. Eddie Sato’s drawings may be of particular interest, some of which can be viewed here: https://www.lib.washington.edu/specialcollections/collections/exhibits/harmony/exhibit/photo/sato

Another helpful resource, which includes pictures, short videos, and essays can be found here: https://densho.org

Also consider reading other books that take place in Japanese internment camps during World War II, such as:

• Paper Wishes by Lois Sepahban
• Weedflower by Cynthia Kadohata
• Sylvia & Aki by Winifred Conkling
• Best Friends Forever: A World War II Scrapbook by Beverly Patt
• Baseball Saved Us by Ken Mochizuki and illustrated by Dom Lee
• The Journal of Ben Uchida: Citizen 13559 Mirror Lake Internment Camp, a “My Name is America” novel by Barry Denenberg
• They Called Us Enemy by George Takei (for older readers)

*This review was written for a youth literature class through Texas Woman’s University.

Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt

Schmidt, Gary D. Okay for Now. Boston: Clarion Books, 2011. ISBN 978-0-547-15260-8

Plot

Doug has a lot to deal with. He has his dysfunctional family—an older brother who pummels him, another brother away fighting in Vietnam, a mother whom he dearly loves, and a father who mistreats them all. He has his new house—“The Dump”—in a new, boring town, a new junior high school where most of the teachers are suspicious of him, and a new Saturday job as a grocery delivery boy where his customers react the same way as his teachers. And he has secrets that he’s not quite ready to let readers in on. But as Doug deals with his family, his school, and his job, he begins to find some things that are pretty okay. For one thing, there’s Lil, a smart girl who is in most of his 8^th grade classes. Then there’s the library, which is not so bad because it has wonderful pictures of birds by some guy named Audubon and a librarian who shows him how to draw. And then there’s his science teacher who isn’t so bad either and who is all excited about the upcoming NASA mission to land some people on the moon for the first time. So maybe things will better than Okay for Now.

Analysis

Doug, an 8^th grader in the late 1960s, has many difficulties that kids today still face. He has family troubles, he is faced with suspicion because of his trouble-causing older brother, and he is the new kid at his junior high school. He struggles with being accepted by the adults who think poorly of him and the kids who think the same way. He is initially resistant to learning how to draw (after all, he’s not a “chump”), and there’s other things he doesn’t want to admit to. But there are bright spots in his life that readers will relate to as well—an ice-cold Coke guzzled down on a hot summer day, a new friend whose eyes make you feel warm inside, the joy of learning and improving at a new hobby, and the recognition of others who learn that there’s more to you than they first realized. The author was a preteen in the late 1960s, and this story rings true with readers. Details of the 1960s come about gradually and are expertly woven throughout the book to create a sense of the times—there’s major, well-known events, like the Vietnam War and anti-war protests as well as the upcoming Apollo 11 mission, and then there’s small things, like the cost of a coke and the sounds of a typewriter. The language used throughout is also reflective of the times. The story is told in the first-person point of view with a very distinctive style. Doug acts as narrator and directly addresses the reader, freely employing slang and alternately pointing things out and keeping things from the reader. Interestingly, this not only suits the story and the character as Doug makes casual, sarcastic, humorous, and insightful observations, but is similar to the way Jane speaks to the reader in Jane Eyre, a book that Doug has to read for one of his classes.

Other connections are drawn between Audubon’s birds and Doug’s life (images of the birds are included at the beginning of each chapter). Doug sees himself and his friends and family in the birds, and he sees the birds in the world around him. As the story begins, he views the birds with an air of helplessness or tragedy, such as the Artic Tern that seems to be plummeting into the ocean. However, as the story continues and there are more and more positive interactions in his life, Doug’s outlook begins to change and he realizes that the Arctic Tern isn’t plummeting to his destruction, but actually freely choosing where he will fly to next.

Awards and Recognition

Gary D. Schmidt is a best-selling and award-winning author, and Okay for Now was a National Book Award finalist, has received multiple starred reviews, and has been featured on several recommended reading lists.

“This is Schmidt’s best novel yet—darker than The Wednesday Wars and written with more restraint, but with the same expert attention to voice, character and big ideas. By the end of this tale, […] Doug realizes he’s pretty happy in Marysville, where holding hands with the green-eyed girl—and a first kiss—rival whatever might be happening on the moon.”—Kirkus Starred Review

“Readers will miss Doug and his world when they’re done, and will feel richer for having experienced his engaging, tough, and endearing story.”—School Library Journal Starred Review

“The book is exceptionally well written. Schmidt creates characters that will remain with the reader long after the book is done. Doug’s voice is unforgettable, […] he is a character filled with hope that the reader cannot help but root for.”–VOYA

“Reproductions of Audubon plates introduce each chapter in this stealthily powerful, unexpectedly affirming story of discovering and rescuing one’s best self, despite family pressure to do otherwise.”—Booklist Starred Review

Connections

The theme of art and Audubon’s birds is strong throughout this book. Use this as inspiration for learning more about Audubon’s birds and for trying your hand at sketching or painting a bird of your own choosing. A useful resource can be found here: https://www.audubon.org/birds-of-america

Two major historical event take place during this book: the Vietnam War and NASA’s moon-landing missions. This can spark discussions about these two contrasting events, one full of anger and violence, and the other filled with feelings of hope. Also consider reading other books that take place in the ‘60s, such as:

• Liar and Spy by Rebecca Stead
• Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos
• Revolution by Deborah Wiles
• One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia
• Feathers by Jacqueline Woodson
• Shooting the Moon by Frances O’Roark Dowell
• Vietnam: A History of the War by Russell Freedman (nonfiction)
• The Far Side of the Moon: The Story of Apollo’s Third Man by Alex Irvine (nonfiction)
• Destination Moon: The Remarkable and Improbable Voyage of Apollo 11 by Richard Maurer (nonfiction)

If you haven’t already, you may enjoy reading the book that precedes this one: The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt. The Wednesday Wars was awarded a Newbery Honor and follows the story of Holling Hoodhood, a friend of Doug’s.

*This review was written for a youth literature class through Texas Woman’s University.