The Girl Who Drank the Moon

The Girl Who Drank the Moon

Bibliographic Information: Barnhill, K. R. (2016). The girl who drank the moon. Chapel Hill, NC: Algonquin Young Readers. ISBN 1616205679

Plot Summary: Xan, the witch, saves a baby that the village abandons every year.[G1] [G2]   Xan takes the babies on a journey through the forest and feeds them starlight to sustain them until they reach their new homes.  Luna is a special case because Xan accidentally fed her moonlight giving her magical powers.  Xan decides to raise Luna herself.  As a young girl, Luna cannot control her powers so Xan tries to keep her safe by putting a magical enchantment on Luna so that she does not know anything magical and keeps it contained.  Luna grows up with a friendly swamp monster named Glerk and a helpful little dragon named Fyrian. 

A young man at the village is determined not to have his baby taken away and given to the forest so he sets out on a journey to kill the witch that has been taking the babies. Xan is away on a journey to protect Luna and find the truth. While Xan is away, Luna’s magic begins to come about just as the young man comes to kill the witch he believes is wicked.   This tale is a must read to find out what happens when Luna goes out to save the day as a crazed woman, evil witch, and determined young man all go to the forest in search for Xan.

Critical Analysis:

In this high fantasy, young readers will enjoy the characters and story of a magical girl who has something hidden deep inside her.  Readers will feel a kinship to Luna as a girl who is struggling to find her identity on her own.  Readers will root for Xan, Glerk and Fyrian because they are the underdogs of magical characters; a sweet caring witch, a loving swamp monster, and an unusually tiny dragon.

The plot has an exciting journey for Xan on her own as Luna is getting her magical powers.  Luna goes on a quest to save the day as two unexpected villains turn up in the forest.  The plot twist at the end when Luna finds her real mother was crazed and locked up for losing her baby brings the power of family to a book full of fantasy.  Readers will root for good in this good vs evil story.

There is enough description of the setting to be an unspecific village close to a forest where magic is possible.  Readers can visualize the village based on the descriptive language of the author and the forest home of Xan and Luna.

The author’s style creates a fun and imaginative tale that will keep readers engaged.  The magic of Luna and the other characters feels real and it is easy to follow the characters on their journey.

Awards and Review Excerpts:

Newbery Medal (2017)

Andre Norton Award Nominee for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy (2016)

From School Library Journal

Gr 4–6—Once a year in the Protectorate there is a Day of Sacrifice. The youngest baby is taken by the Elders and left in the forest to die, thus appeasing the witch who threatens to destroy the village if not obeyed. Unbeknownst to the people, Xan, the witch of the forest, is kind and compassionate. When she discovers the first baby left as a sacrifice, she has no idea why it has been abandoned. She rescues the infants, feeds each one starlight, and delivers the shining infants to parents in the Outside Cities who love and care for them. On one occasion, Xan accidentally feeds a baby moonlight along with starlight, filling her with glowing magic. Xan is smitten with the beautiful baby girl, who has a crescent moon birthmark on her forehead, and chooses to raise her as her own child. Twists and turns emerge as the identity of the true evil witch becomes apparent. The swiftly paced, highly imaginative plot draws a myriad of threads together to form a web of characters, magic, and integrated lives. Spiritual overtones encompass much of the storytelling with love as the glue that holds it all together. VERDICT An expertly woven and enchanting offering for readers who love classic fairy tales.—D. Maria LaRocco, Cuyahoga Public Library, Strongsville, OH

“Impossible to put down . . . The Girl Who Drank the Moon is as exciting and layered as classics like Peter Pan or TheWizard of Oz.”
—The New York Times Book Review
 
“A gorgeously written fantasy about a girl who becomes “enmagicked” after the witch who saves her from death feeds her moonlight.”
—People
 

Connections:

Have students listen to the Meet-the-Author Book Reading with Kelly Barnhill

Pull other books by Kelly Barnhill:

The Witch’s Boy  ISBN 161620351X

The Mostly True Story of Jack  ISBN 0316056707

Iron Hearted Violet  ISBN  031605673

Fast Ships, Black Sails  ISBN  1597800945

Have the students create a book cover or a book mark.

Do a book talk about the book to get students excited about reading it.

Create a brief reader’s theater with the dialogue between Luna, Glerk, Xan and Fyrion.

References:

Editorial Reviews. (n.d.). Retrieved April 22, 2017, from https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1616205679/ref=x_gr_w_glide_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_glide_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1616205679&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2