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Staff Pick
The Girl Who Drank the Moon is sweet yet thrilling. There's a misunderstood witch, a cursed (or is it?) village, wise and friendly monsters, and plenty of magic — the perfect recipe for a modern fairy tale. Recommended By Emily F., Powells.com
This gorgeous, masterful book reads like the best of fairy tales. Every year, the people of the Protectorate make a terrible sacrifice to keep the witch of the woods at bay — but nothing is quite as it seems, and truth buried deep will always, eventually, erupt. Can Luna piece the whole story together before it’s too late? Recommended By Madeline S., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
Winner of the 2017 Newbery Award
The New York Times Bestseller
An Entertainment Weekly Best Middle Grade Book of 2016
A New York Public Library Best Book of 2016
A Chicago Public Library Best Book of 2016
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2016
A School Library Journal Best Book of 2016
Named to Kirkus Reviews’ Best Books of 2016
2017 Booklist Youth Editors’ Choice
Every year, the people of the Protectorate leave a baby as an offering to the witch who lives in the forest. They hope this sacrifice will keep her from terrorizing their town. But the witch in the Forest, Xan, is kind. She shares her home with a wise Swamp Monster and a Perfectly Tiny Dragon. Xan rescues the children and delivers them to welcoming families on the other side of the forest, nourishing the babies with starlight on the journey.
One year, Xan accidentally feeds a baby moonlight instead of starlight, filling the ordinary child with extraordinary magic. Xan decides she must raise this girl, whom she calls Luna, as her own. As Luna’s thirteenth birthday approaches, her magic begins to emerge — with dangerous consequences. Meanwhile, a young man from the Protectorate is determined to free his people by killing the witch. Deadly birds with uncertain intentions flock nearby. A volcano, quiet for centuries, rumbles just beneath the earth’s surface. And the woman with the Tiger’s heart is on the prowl...
Review
“Guaranteed to enchant, enthrall, and enmagick...Replete with traditional motifs, this nontraditional fairy tale boasts sinister and endearing characters, magical elements, strong storytelling, and unleashed forces.” Kirkus (Starred Review)
Review
“Heart-stopping and heart-rending...Good and evil square off in this highly original fantasy that satisfies in time-honored ways...Poetic turns of phrase, intriguing subplots and fast pacing yield a rich mix of suspense, surprise and social commentary, splendidly exploring ‘memory, hope, love, and the weight of human emotion.’” San Francisco Chronicle
Review
“A gorgeously written fantasy about a girl who becomes “enmagicked” after the witch who saves her from death feeds her moonlight.” People
Review
“Impossible to put down...The Girl Who Drank the Moon is as exciting and layered as classics like Peter Pan or The Wizard of Oz.” The New York Times Book Review
About the Author
Kelly Barnhill lives in Minnesota with her husband and three children. She is the author of four novels, most recently The Girl Who Drank the Moon, winner of the 2017 John Newbery Medal for the year's most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. She is also the winner of the World Fantasy Award, the Parents' Choice Gold Award, and the Texas Library Association Bluebonnet Award, and has been a finalist for the Minnesota Book Award, the NCTE Charlotte Huck Award, the SFWA Andre Norton Award, and the PEN/USA literary prize.